Jennifer Hudson is “still processing” her newfound EGOT status.
The Dreamgirls star has won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award – earning her the coveted “EGOT” status.
First winning an Oscar for her role in Dreamgirls, then two Grammys – one for her self-titled album – and an Emmy for Baba Yaga, Jennifer won her first Tony Award for A Strange Loop in June.
Reflecting on her newfound status in an interview on CBS Mornings, Jennifer said, “I’m still processing it. To be able to know fully what that means, the company that I’m in… ‘Cause it came as a surprise. I did not fully see it coming.”
Winning a Tony as a producer for A Strange Loop made Jennifer the 17th person – and the youngest female – in history to achieve EGOT status.
“I went there to celebrate the cast for getting 11 nominations, and I don’t feel like I’ve been present. And then when they said, Strange Loop, best musical, I was cheering for them,” she recalled. “And once we get on the stage, everybody started chanting, ‘EGOT, EGOT,’ and I was like, ‘Wait, what?'”
Jennifer revealed that she bought a keepsake to remember the moment. Already owning a ring with the letters “EGO” to commemorate her achievements before the Tony Award, she now also owns a charm with the number “17”.