Inside Oscar nominated Kate Hudson's career reinvention

It's been 25 years since Kate Hudson clinched an Oscar nomination for her role in Cameron Crowe's film Almost Famous.

The role put Kate on the map, with film critics touting her as Hollywood's hottest new star and predicting she'd be a firm fixture on the awards circuit.  

Yet in the years that followed the accolades were few and far between, with Kate becoming known for starring in romantic comedies that, while may have been box office hits, failed to impress critics. 

Motherhood also threw a spanner into her career ambitions, with Kate taking on less roles as she raised her three children.

The actress, 46, shares son Ryder, 22, with ex Chris Robinson, Bingham, 14, with Muse frontman Matt Bellamy, as well as Rani, seven, with her fiancé Danny Fujikawa.

Now her children are older, Kate has been on a journey of reinventing her career after finally having the 'freedom to do things for herself'.

She explained on the Today Show: 'I started having babies really young, I was 24 and I have an adult child, you know. And so as my kids are getting older, my creative life is taking on a different feeling.

'It's kind of like backwards, all of a sudden I have a little more freedom to do things for myself.'

Her efforts have paid off, with Kate receiving an Oscar nomination for her latest role as Claire Sardinia in Song Sung Blue.

The biographical musical drama also stars Hugh Jackman and tells the story of the Neil Diamond tribute band Lightning & Thunder. 

More films of such nature will be on the slate for Kate after she admitted she's now trying to break out of the rom-com genre, having starred in fluffy box office hits such as Bride Wars and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.

'It was clear that that’s where the industry liked to hire me and then my goal, my hope, was to make the best versions of those,' she told The Hollywood Reporter.

'I was starting to be like, "I really want to be doing something different." And I think when you become really famous doing that genre, it’s hard for certain filmmakers to see you in anything other than what we’re watching,' she continued.

'These sort of things that like, "Well, transforming isn’t what she does" when, in fact, it’s what I love to do.'

Kate also admitted that she chose some of her rom-com roles because she was offered 'a lot of money' and was 'a single mom'.

Back in December, Kate told Entertainment Weekly that she was trying to move her career in a 'different' direction after decades of romantic comedy roles.

'I think over the years, I've learned, I love doing comedy. I love a good rom-com, but it's hard to make a good one, so you've got to say no a lot,' she explained.

'I really just wanted to start working with really interesting filmmakers and make different choices. It makes me happy,' she continued.

'So some of my favorite roles I've played, not many people have seen them, but they've been my favorite experiences, like Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon.' 

Last month, the red carpet fixture insisted that she understands 'how the [movie] business works'.

The actress acknowledged that her career has gone through ups and downs - but Kate always knew that success was just one good movie, or one good role, away.

The star told The Hollywood Reporter: 'My last agent - he's since quit the agent world - said, "I don't know why I get more upset about the parts you don't get than you do."

'But I've never personally felt underestimated. I understand how the business works. You're always only one part away from the experience reinvigorating itself.'

She is also determined to play her part in keeping the cinema experience alive, amid the rise of streaming platforms.

The actress explained: 'It's exciting to see people's fight for this - not as much about them and their chances as it is for getting people in the theatre.

'When people stand on the precipice of something that could be a lost art, like the cinema experience, it does change the way you think about it. 

'You cannot take it for granted. It makes you lean in even more — or at least it has for me. It's like, 'Oh right, this art form actually, really matters.' But you're always fighting commerce — art and commerce are an awful marriage.'

Kate, who is the daughter of Goldie Hawn has also turned her attention to singing. 

She had previously suppressed her dream of releasing music after being told in her 30s that she was 'too old' to launch a music career. 

However, the pandemic made Kate realise she wanted to live her life without regret and by 2024 she had released the album Glorious, performed at festivals and belted out Neil Diamond tunes in Song Sung Blue.