Chicago’s favorite ‘Dreamgirl’, Jennifer Hudson, will begin production in South Africa May 30 on her new film “Winnie.” The Oscar-winning actress will play the the former wife of South Africa’s first Black president, Nelson Mandela. The wife, mother and activist was jailed for campaigning for her husband’s release and the end of apartheid. She was later convicted of fraud.
“I was compelled and moved when I read the script,” Hudson told Variety. “Winnie Mandela is a complex and extraordinary woman and I’m honored to be the actress asked to portray her. This is a powerful part of history that should be told.”