Jennifer Hudson: When I Was Fat, I Couldn't Get The Roles I Wanted!

Now that Jennifer is a skinny mini, she says she's getting tons more job opportunities -- 'I was being discriminated against.' BFFs, is Hollywood biased against stars based on their weight? Before Jennifer Hudson lost 80 pounds, it was harder for her to get jobs in Hollywood. “In this slim world I do now realize I was being discriminated against," she tells UK Grazia magazine. "I’m offered more parts. There is much more excitement about me now.”

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When Jennifer was heavier, she never thought differently of herself. “I never thought I was overweight. I thought my old look was pretty normal,” she says. “That was how all the girls looked growing up in Chicago. I didn’t have any problem with it.”

“It makes me smile to think back to myself when I did Dreamgirls with Beyonce,” Jennifer continues. “I did see all these women in Hollywood, all very slim and I thought, ‘Wow, these ladies are very into themselves.’ I loved that I stood out in a room. You knew when you saw this woman it was Jennifer Hudson.”

But now, while Hollywood and the film industry are embracing Jennifer’s change, the 29-year-old actress and singer is still getting used to her new bod.

“Last week I saw some footage of myself as I was five years ago and I was surprised,” Jennifer says. “It was like I recognized myself but I didn’t. It seemed another world away.”

BFFs — should Hollywood discriminate against stars based on their size? Tell us what you think!

– Lindsey DiMattina

More Jennifer Hudson Stories:

  1. Jennifer: With Or Without Bangs?
  2. Jennifer’s Super Skinny!
  3. Jennifer’s Fiance Wants Her Curvy Body Back!