Jennifer Hudson "can`t wait" to start shooting the Winnie Mandela biopic in Africa
The star will portray the ex-wife of former South African President Nelson Mandela in the movie, which is due to begin filming later this month. Jennifer is looking forward to visiting Africa and has promised to treat the role with respect.
"I am so excited and so honoured and can`t wait to get started. We start in the next week and I`m ready to go to Africa for the first time," Hudson said while promoting the project at the Cannes Film Festival. "There`s definitely a story that`s worth being told, and I`m still shocked that I get to be a part of this and I get to portray this role. It`s just such an honour."
Terrence Howard will play legendary anti-apartheid activist Nelson in the controversial movie. Winnie, who is now known as Ms Madikizela-Mandela, is believed to be unhappy with the film, which is based on Anne Marie du Preez Bezdrob`s biography Winnie Mandela: A Life. It has been reported Winnie?s lawyers met with the film?s director Darrell Roodt and saw their request for script approval rejected.
Jennifer, 28, insists the movie will provide a balanced account of Winnie?s life and she hopes film fans will make up their own minds about her.
"I feel like it`s not biased at all, one way or the other," she said. "It puts it out there for you to decide on your own, but it does put it out there, and I think that`s the important thing."
Winnie is regarded as a contentious figure in the history of South Africa. She is referred to by her supporters as `Mother of the Nation` but is reviled by others following her alleged involvement in several abuses of human rights - including the torture and murder of a 14-year-old boy in 1989. She has also been convicted of fraud and theft.
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