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Gabourey Sidibe may want to consider writing Jennifer Hudson a thank-you note! The Dreamgirls star reveals that she turned down the opportunity to star in Precious, because of how much the drama focused on the character's weight.
According to Uptown magazine, director Lee Daniels asked Hudson to play the gritty coming-of-age story's leading part around the time she was winning award after award for her debut performance in Dreamgirls.
But after considering the offer, Hudson, 30, decided to pass because she'd have to pack on even more pounds. In her weight-loss-themed memoir, I Got This: How I Changed My Ways and Lost What Weighed Me Down, Hudson explains that at the time, the thought of another size-based role wasn't appealing.
"I had done that with Effie ... and as much as I was moved by this film, I wanted to try a role that had nothing whatsoever to do with my weight," she writes in the book.
Instead, Hudson slimmed down a bit to play Sarah Jessica Parker's assistant in Sex and the City, and went on to lose 80 lbs. thanks to Weight Watchers and a strict fitness regimen. Meanwhile, newcomer Sidibe, 28, was offered the Precious lead and earned her own Academy Award nomination.
Hudson's memoir, which is slated to be out on Jan. 10, will detail the singer's experience "growing up in an environment where healthy living was not a priority." According to her publisher, "Hudson wants to inspire anyone coping with weight issues, share some of her own best tips for losing and maintaining weight loss, fitting in exercise and keeping it fun." Going from a size 6 to a 16, Hudson is certainly a reliable source!
