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At some point in Hollywood history, a binary emerged. Actresses were sorted into one of two categories: the popcorn actress or the prestige actress. With Kate Hudson’s Oscar nomination for Song Sung Blue, however, it’s safe to say this idea is patently false.
Hudson’s nomination marks her first nod from the Academy since Almost Famous, the critically and commercially successful film that put Hudson on the map (outside of being Goldie Hawn’s daughter, of course). Her portrayal of Penny Lane made her a household name, a style icon, and an instant It girl of the ’00s. Now, 25 years later, Hudson is among the Academy’s 2026 best-actress nominees alongside Jessie Buckley (Hamnet), Rose Byrne (If I Had Legs I’d Kick You), Renate Reinsve (Sentimental Value), and Emma Stone (Bugonia).
Among her formidable peers, it’s probably safe to say that Hudson is the most well-known actor of the bunch. Her A-list status is owed to Almost Famous as well as more mainstream projects like 2003’s How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, a classic rom-com in which she stars opposite Matthew McConaughey, and 2009’s Bride Wars, a surprisingly sentimental story about love and friendship she filmed alongside Anne Hathaway. Coupled with savvy business ventures (she cofounded Fabletics at the dawn of the athleisure boom) and campaigns (Almay, Skims) as well as a healthy media presence, Hudson has been nearly inescapable for the better part of the millennium. As her star grew bigger and brighter, however, her chances at serious awards recognition seemed to dim.
Before Song Sung Blue, Hudson’s most recent project was Running Point on Netflix. The actor shines as Isla Gordon, a reformed party girl turned basketball team owner, on the Mindy Kaling comedy. In the past few years, she has also starred in the second Knives Out film (Glass Onion) and Music, the controversial Sia-helmed movie for which she received a Golden Globe nomination. Despite that Globes recognition, however, Hudson’s most popular work has been her projects with mass-market appeal. Perhaps not coincidentally, these projects show off the actor’s comedic talents and were often targeted toward women—two factors that, as we know, don’t always earn the respect they deserve.
Unlike some of her former costars, like Hathaway and McConaughey, Hudson hasn’t really dipped into the prestige-bait pool. She doesn’t have a Les Mis or a Dallas Buyer’s Club on her IMDb, or any kind of deeply sad or disturbing or transformative film that reeks of an auteur’s heavy hand. Instead she has stayed consistent, gravitating towards projects that make up for what they lack in style or innovation with heart and soul. She’s always been that girl, and she’s always been this good. It’s about time she got recognition for her ability to breathe life and fire into roles like Song Sung Blue’s Claire, a Wisconsinite hairdresser with an off-kilter but magnetic energy that feels like pure sunshine. As ever, Kate Hudson is absolutely electric. Just because she makes it look easy doesn’t mean it is.
At the 2025 Golden Globe Awards, Demi Moore said in her acceptance speech for best actress, “Thirty years ago a producer told me I was a ‘popcorn actress,’ and I thought that meant this [awards] was something I wasn’t allowed to have,” she said. “That I could make very successful films that made a lot of money, but I wasn’t going to be recognized.” Moore was in her early 60s when she said, “The universe told me that you’re not done.”
Hudson and Moore are just two of a number of so-called popcorn actresses. Women like Pamela Anderson, Angelina Jolie, and Zoe Saldaña all prove that range is not born and that the ability to perform flawlessly in a light-hearted TV comedy is not at odds with the talent required to steal the show in a film deemed Oscar-worthy. Men have been doing it for decades, flitting between the low-brow and the high-brow without losing any of their Serious Actor sheen in the process. Kate Hudson is long overdue for the same kind of respect.
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