Jennifer Hudson to Guest-Star on NBC's 'Smash' Over Multi-Episode Arc

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. – June 22, 2012 – Oscar, Golden Globe and Grammy-winning actress-singer Jennifer Hudson (“Dreamgirls”) will appear in a multi-episode arc on NBC’s “Smash” beginning with the second-season premiere when the musical drama returns to the NBC schedule.

Hudson will portray Veronica Moore, a Tony Award-winning Broadway star who impacts the lives of Karen (Katharine McPhee) and Ivy (Megan Hilty).

"We're thrilled to have Jennifer Hudson coming to ‘Smash,’” said Robert Greenblatt, Chairman of NBC Entertainment. “This series is a showcase for some of the best musical talent in the business and that's a fitting description for Jennifer Hudson. Her character will represent someone who reached their Broadway dream but also paid a price for it."

Executive producer Steven Spielberg said: “First ‘Dreamgirls,’ now ‘Smash.’ I have no doubt Jennifer will continue to deliver even more inspiration to the audience responsible for giving us a second season on NBC. It's wonderful to be reunited with her at DreamWorks Television and NBC.”

Hudson’s singing and acting career soared with her starring role as Effie White in the 2006 feature film “Dreamgirls.” An Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress were among the many accolades that she was awarded. Hudson’s other film credits include “Sex and the City” and “The Secret Life of Bees.”

She earned a Grammy for her self-titled debut album “Jennifer Hudson,” which released the single “Spotlight” and was certified gold by the RIAA. Her sophomore album, “I Remember Me,” debuted at #2 on Billboard’s Top 200 and R&B Albums charts and has since been certified gold in the U.S. She recently received a 2012 Billboard Music Award nomination for Top R&B Album and also collaborated with Ne-Yo and Rick Ross on the title track for the hit film “Think Like a Man,” which opened in April 2012. Also in 2012, Hudson became a best-selling author with the release of her inspirational memoir “I Got This: How I Changed My Ways and Lost What Weighed Me Down.”

This summer, Hudson will begin production on two new films, “Lullaby” and “The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete.”

Hudson also performed at Super Bowl XLIII and at this year’s Grammy Awards, where she paid tribute to Whitney Houston by singing “I Will Always Love You.”

“Smash” is a musical drama that celebrates the beauty and heartbreak of the Broadway theater as it follows a cross-section of dreamers and schemers who all have one common desire – to be a Broadway star The series stars Emmy Award winner Debra Messing (“Will & Grace”), Oscar winner Anjelica Huston (“Prizzi's Honor”), Jack Davenport (“Pirates of the Caribbean” films), Tony Award winner Christian Borle (“Peter and the Starcatcher”), Katharine McPhee (“American Idol”), Megan Hilty (“9 to 5: The Musical”) and Tony Award nominee Jeremy Jordan (“Newsies”).

From Universal Television in association with DreamWorks Television, “Smash” stemmed from an idea of executive producer and multiple Emmy and Oscar winner Steven Spielberg (“ER,” “Schindler's List”). The series’ executive producers also include Joshua Safran (“Gossip Girl”), Craig Zadan and Neil Meron (Oscar-winning “Chicago,” “Hairspray”), Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey (“United States of Tara,” “The Borgias”), Tony and Grammy Award winners Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman (“Hairspray,” “Catch Me If You Can”) and Theresa Rebeck (“Mauritius,” “NYPD Blue”).

NBC Renews Critically Acclaimed Drama 'Smash' For Second Season

NBC Photo

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. – March 22, 2012 – NBC has renewed its critically acclaimed musical drama “Smash” (Mondays, 10-11 p.m. ET) for a second season, it was announced today by Robert Greenblatt, Chairman of NBC Entertainment.

“Smash” is NBC's #1 drama in adults 18-49 and total viewers. "Smash" is up 160 percent in 18-49 versus NBC's season average in the time period prior to "Smash" (with a 2.6 rating vs. a 1.0, "live plus same day") and in total viewers, "Smash" has improved the time period by 100 percent (7.7 million vs. 3.9 million).

Among the many positive notices the series has received, USA Today wrote, “‘Smash’ pulls out all of the entertainment stops and succeeds… just the kind of gloriously entertaining, wildly ambitious network series you hope for each season…” The Los Angeles Times wrote, “…‘Smash’ is a triumph.” And EW.com referred to “Smash” as “…one damn lively show with a lot of promise.”

NBC’s “Smash” – which debuted February 6 -- celebrates the beauty and heartbreak of the Broadway theater as it follows a cross-section of dreamers and schemers who all have one common desire – to be a “Smash.” Evolving from an idea of executive producer and multiple Emmy and Oscar winner Steven Spielberg (“ER,” “Schindler’s List”), the series unites the hit-making Broadway writing team of Julia Houston (Debra Messing, Emmy winner, “Will & Grace”) and Tom Levitt (Christian Borle, “Legally Blonde: The Musical”) with producer Eileen Rand (Anjelica Huston, Oscar winner, “Prizzi’s Honor”) to create a new musical based on the life of Marilyn Monroe, and seasoned chorus girl Ivy Lynn (Megan Hilty, “9 to 5: The Musical”) vies with newcomer Karen Cartwright (Katharine McPhee, “American Idol”) for the role of a lifetime.

The cast also features Jack Davenport (“Pirates of the Caribbean” films), Raza Jaffrey (“MI-5,” “Sex and the City 2”), Brian d’Arcy James (“Shrek the Musical”) and Jaime Cepero (“Porgy & Bess”). In addition to Spielberg, the executive producers include Theresa Rebeck (“Mauritius”), David Marshall Grant (“Brothers & Sisters”), Craig Zadan and Neil Meron (“Chicago,” “Hairspray”), Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey ("United States of Tara," "The Borgias") and Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman (“Hairspray,” “Catch Me If You Can”). The first three episodes were directed by Tony Award winner Michael Mayer.

“Smash” is a production of Universal Television in association with DreamWorks Television and Madwoman in the Attic.