Kate Hudson was honored at Santa Barbara International Film Festival, reflecting on her Oscar nominations, rom-com fame, and overcoming age bias to release her album Glorious.
If there’s one thing Kate Hudson has learned over the years, it’s this: don’t let the industry decide your timeline. Speaking at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, the Oscar-nominated actor opened up about career reinvention, being boxed into genres, and being told she was “too old” to begin a music career in her 30s.
Hudson, who is currently nominated for her performance in Song Sung Blue, was honoured with the Arlington Artist of the Year Award at the festival’s closing tribute in Santa Barbara, California.
During a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, she reflected on growing up in Hollywood and her early breakthrough in Almost Famous, the film that earned her first Academy Award nomination in 2001.
Recalling that night at the Oscars, Hudson shared a candid memory. “I lost, and everything happened so fast,” she said. She added, “My dad just turned to me, he was down a couple, and Kurt just goes, ‘Congratulations, now you can go have a career.’”
She described the comment as grounding, helping her understand that awards recognition can be fleeting and that longevity matters more.
Following Almost Famous, Hudson became one of the most recognisable faces in romantic comedies, leading films such as How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Bride Wars, Something Borrowed and Fool’s Gold. While she acknowledged the popularity of the genre, she noted the challenges that came with it.
“It was clear that that’s where the industry liked to hire me,” Hudson said, explaining that financial considerations and guidance from her team influenced many of her decisions at the time. As a single mother, she added, certain roles offered stability.
Over time, however, she felt the need to explore new creative directions. “I really want to be doing something different,” she said, noting that it can be difficult for filmmakers to look beyond the genre that first defined an actor’s success.
That desire for change extended to music. In 2024, Hudson released her debut album Glorious, pursuing a long-held ambition. She revealed that when she considered launching a music career in her 30s, she was told she was “kind of too old” to break out as a musical act. Though she understood the industry’s perspective, the remark stayed with her.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, she decided to move forward with the project regardless. “I will just regret it if I don’t do it,” she said, adding that she was surprised and deeply moved by the positive response the album received.
With a second Oscar nomination now to her name, Hudson suggested that awards attention may help her access more varied and transformative roles. At the same time, she emphasised that accolades are not her ultimate motivation. “I want to do it to put people in the theater too,” she said, describing the present moment as “the beginning” of a new phase in her career.
The evening concluded with Gwyneth Paltrow presenting Hudson with the Arlington Artist of the Year Award. Praising her longtime friend, Paltrow said that after watching Song Sung Blue, she felt Hudson had finally found a role that showcased the full range of her talent.
