Jennifer Hudson joins NBC’s ‘Smash’

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NBC’s Smash is getting another American Idol veteran. Actress-singer Jennifer Hudson is joining NBC’s musical drama for a multi-episode arc next season.

Hudson will portray “Veronica Moore,” who’s described as a Tony Award-winning Broadway star who impacts the lives of Karen (fellow Idol vet Katharine McPhee) and Ivy (Megan Hilty). “This series is a showcase for some of the best musical talent in the business and that’s a fitting description for Jennifer Hudson,” said Robert Greenblatt, chairman of NBC Entertainment. “Her character will represent someone who reached their Broadway dream but also paid a price for it.”

Hudson won an Oscar for her role in Dreamgirls and picked up a Grammy for her self-titled debut album. Added executive producer Steven Spielberg: “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.”

Smash, one of several NBC shows getting a new showrunner next season, is expected to return to the network’s schedule in early 2013.