NEW YORK — Actress Kate Hudson recently sat down with film critic Ryan Jay at the New York premiere of "Song Sung Blue" to discuss her portrayal of Milwaukee native Claire Sardina.
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The conversation revealed Hudson's thoughtful approach to bringing the musician's story to the big screen.
Hudson explained that she relied heavily on documentary footage to prepare for the role rather than immediately meeting Sardina in person.
"It was really the documentary that was my big touchstone for this, just because I didn't want to get too attached to like, actually kind of wanting to get Claire so perfect that I wasn't focused on the story we were telling," Hudson said.
Director Craig Brewer encouraged Hudson to wait before meeting Sardina and to lean on the documentary for her character development. When Sardina eventually visited the set, Hudson was deeply moved by the experience.
Watch: Kate Hudson opens up about bringing Milwaukee-native Claire Sardina's story to life in new movie
"Claire came to set, and I was just like, I couldn't take it. She's just so much joy and so much life. She feels everything with every bone in her body, and I just fell in love. She's wonderful," Hudson said.
In earlier interviews, Sardina praised Hudson's approach to the role.
"Kate Hudson is a beautiful family person, which I love because, of course, I have two beautiful children that are portrayed wonderfully in the movie," Sardina said.
Sardina noted that both Hudson and co-star Hugh Jackman required minimal guidance from her.
"We didn't have to give neither Kate nor Hugh very much advice. They studied the documentary, they did their homework, and they greeted us with open arms last year during production of the movie," Sardina said.
Jackman, who plays Sardina's late husband Mike in the film, also spent time with Sardina on set to understand their relationship better.
"Claire was there on set a lot, and I spoke to her about Mike and what Mike was like on stage with her, what he was like in life, and she was just always very positive," Jackman told Jay.
The conversation also touched on Hudson's personal connection to Milwaukee.
"I just love Milwaukee. I grew up with someone. I had a nanny from Pewaukee, and I feel very like — through Cathy — a very strong connection to Milwaukee," Hudson said.
Co-star Jim Belushi, who plays Tom D'Amato in the film, also shared his Milwaukee connections, noting his Chicago roots and previous performances in the city.
"I'm from Chicago, so I've spent a lot of time in Milwaukee and in Wisconsin," Belushi said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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