Kate Hudson‘s new film in a major role has immediately found critical recognition: she has been nominated for a Golden Globe as Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical for her turn in the musical fantasy drama Music, Australian pop star Sia’s feature-length debut as a director. It is the second Golden Globe nomination for Hudson: her first was 20 years ago, in 2001, for Almost Famous, the film that made her totally famous.
In Music, set for release on February 15, Hudson plays a newly sober free spirit named Kazoo (Zu) who becomes sole guardian of her autistic half-sister named Music, played by Maddie Ziegler, after their grandmother’s death. Music is an adorable girl, who lives in a fantasy world, her beautiful face half covered by huge headphones, who finds her path to happiness and a place in the world in music and dancing. The film, written by Sia (author of the songs as well) is also nominated in the Best Picture Comedy or Musical category at the Golden Globes. 
“In terms of feeling neglect or abandonment this story is quite near and dear to me,” Hudson, 41, recently told the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. “As Zu has experienced feeling unloved and betrayed by her mother, being a junkie, and has lived a life feeling unworthy of love, whenever you felt any kind of abandonment, that sort of feeling of unworthiness, insecurity, lack of feeling loved or deserving of love, is something I have had to connect with throughout my life. I was very lucky because I grew-up with an amazing mother and a beautiful stepfather,” she continued, referring to mom Goldie Hawn and stepdad Kurt Russell (her biological father is actor/singer Bill Hudson), who has helped to raise her since she was 18 months old. “I grew up in a warm home, but that doesn’t mean that the feelings of neglect and abandonment aren’t real and don’t affect everybody in some way or another.”
Born in Los Angeles, Hudson has been a performer for all her life – as a child she danced and sang at every opportunity, beginning training with the Santa Monica Playhouse at age 10 and later opting to try acting instead of enrolling in college. She made her big screen debut as an ambitious young starlet stranded in a tiny California town in Desert Blue (1998), which was followed by 200 Cigarettes (1999) and Gossip (2000). Hudson’s biggest break was landing the role of rock groupie Penny Lane in Cameron Crowe‘s Almost Famous (2000), which landed her a Golden Globe nomination as Best Supporting Actress. A string of comedies followed, most notably How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003), You, Me, and Dupree (2006), and Bride Wars (2009); she also appeared in the thriller The Skeleton Key (2005), the musical Nine (2009) and the drama The Killer Inside Me (2010). The following decade was punctuated by turns in films and television (including two years with Glee from 2012-2013 and the docudrama Deepwater Horizon in 2016).    
In addition to acting, Hudson has co-founded the fitness brand Fabletics and has released two books. She is the mother of three children, aged between 17 and 2 years of age, by three different men, all musicians. “I love music, no doubt about that!” she says with that warm smile which whoever meets her comes to love; her ability to “light up a room”, natural talent and solid work ethic are qualities that were passed down to her by her Mom and Russell.
“For a person who loves to sing and loves to dance, and loves to perform, like I am, Music has been a dream experience,” she says. “I really wanted to make Sia’s dream come true, and be as honest as possible. I was like a boxer getting into the ring, saying, ‘Get me in the ring, I want to fight!’ I even shaved my head for the role: I was totally committed. And I loved it!”
Hudson will be soon seen at the movies in the mystery thriller Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon, now in post-production, and the comedy Shriver, now filming. The lovely and talented Kate Hudson, with all her old-fashioned hippie charm, is definitely back on top!