Kate knows how to rock, Hudson

10 April 2012

'If I'd sucked in this movie, it could have been the end of everything for me, just because of what I come from,' says Kate Hudson of Almost Famous, knowing full well she didn't suck because the film has ended her own Almost Famous status.

Though it was not an enormous hit in America, the film was certainly loved, and its leading lady especially loved. So much so, in fact, that she won a Golden Globe last month for her role as hippy-dippy Penny Lane and a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nod seems a given.

But Hudson also knows that people are out to get her. She is, after all, the daughter of 'a Seventies icon' [how Hudson describes mum Goldie Hawn] and Kurt Russell, not her biological father but the only one she has known since the age of three and the dad who gave her away at her New Year's Eve wedding to Black Crowe Chris Robinson.

Hudson knows full well she shines in Almost Famous because she fell hook, line and sinker - in an entirely professional manner you understand - for the film's writer/director Cameron Crowe. She'd always loved his films. In fact, she would call herself a Cameron Crowe geek. 'I've memorised all the lines from Say Anything and Jerry Maguire and Singles.'

So busy was she savouring Crowe's admittedly enchanting dialogue that it took her four and a half hours to read the Almost Famous script when the norm is two at most. 'Then I cried about six times. I realised how unbelievably special this was, then he told me it was his own story.

I didn't know it was his story. Then it became unbelievably special. It's like a Cameron love fest on the set. He's all about the love. That's the reason I'm such a fan of his films. They're always about love and how important that is, and there's always a great family story. When we met I knew we'd be on the same page.'

After she finished making Almost Famous, Hudson had a hard time shaking her character Penny Lane. 'I never thought I'd say this,' she says conspiratorially, 'but people would say [slips into posh English accent], "Oh, I was so closely connected to that character." And I used to think, "Oh, that's such bullshit." Well, I'm not bullshitting. I honestly had a hard time saying goodbye. It wasn't just the character, it was the family. I felt close to everyone. It was long and intense and Penny Lane was the first character I played who had so man layers.'

Penny Lane is what, in Almost Famous, they call a 'band-aid', a polite term for groupie. Lane is befriended by a young smitten cub rock writer William Miller (the character based on Crowe) but she's in love with Russell Hammond, gorgeous guitarist with fictional band Stillwater.

It's a dream of a role and when Hudson read the script she fell hard for Lane - except that she was due to play a much smaller role, Miller's older sister. When the original Penny Lane dropped out (Canadian actress Sarah Polley), Crowe had a problem: Hudson.

'When I want something, I go after it,' she says. 'I really do. I'm an Aries, that's my personality.' She knows Crowe took a chance on her. 'There's that little bit of a question for people in the industry to see if they really want to cast THAT. They know there are going to be a lot of questions asked in the press and by people who watch movies. For me, though, this is just something I really want to do. It's a very tender thing for me. I love it.'

She says she told her parents she wanted to act at an equally tender age. 'I was always dancing and spinning and singing round the house. I used to sing that song from Annie, "Tomorrow". And my mother would scream, "Make her stop!" Eventually I went to them, like the Aries I am, and said [puts on serious child's voice], "I want to act." And they kind of went, "Whoah, easy!" So I always kind of knew what I wanted to do.'

Hudson grew up on film sets in a way. 'My mother thought being with her and dad was the most important thing, so when she went somewhere to work, we went with her. It was like that up until high school when she said, "No more. You guys have to stay here."' Hudson says she always found the set a magical place, which is interesting because, in reality, film sets are not glamorous. But Hudson revelled in them. 'Just being in the make-up trailer or wardrobe or anywhere. I just wanted to be around the energy.'

Hudson is all about energy, and it's a good energy. She seems to be all about the love herself, and exudes the sort of winning charisma that not only can't be bought, but that she seems entirely unaware of. And though many will think there's an enormous age gap between her and husband Robinson - she's 21, he's 34 - Hudson is extremely mature for her age and amazingly grounded given her circumstances. She says that's another reason she and Crowe hit it off. While Hudson has become a movie star, she did it under the auspices of 'somebody as grounded and real as Cameron. That's what I come from, that's who he is, and that's the most important thing.'

Interestingly, Crowe says he has never seen an actress perform so naturally in front of a camera as Hudson. You'd think it's because she's spent her whole life surrounded by cameras - but she says theirs was 'a family which never brought Hollywood into the family. It's a place that's very sacred and special. Where we can all go and hang out together and have a great time. Like when Chris and I were in town and my mum made chicken and dumplings and we just sat around and watched Monday night football, the whole family. You know, when all is said and done, you will look back and it's the relationships that you had with people, whether they are lovers or friends or family, that you care about.'

Despite guarding her privacy fiercely, Hudson has been unfailingly patient with the media as a whole and its insatiable fascination with this mother-daughter pair. She gets frustrated only with the 'really mundane' questions. 'The "What advice did she give you?" questions.'

But she admits they 'have the same laugh. It's kind of frightening sometimes if we start laughing together. It kind of moulds into one sound and people just go, "Whaaat??" But my mum is a much easier person than I am. I mean, I'm pretty easy but I have more of a tougher side than my mum.'

She's not tough, though, on the Black Crowes' own band-aids. 'Well, it is a different time,' she laughs, 'but I can honestly say the Black Crowes' fans are very loyal. They've got a great cult following among people who really love their music. They've got that soul attached to their music which is a wonderful thing to watch. Especially when you see the girls all dressed so nice and looking up at Rich [Robinson, Chris's brother] and Chris going, "Oooh, love me, love me." I love it. I think it's great.'

And it's no surprise Hudson fell for a rocker. She's a self-confessed rock chick - 'it's always been my favourite music' - who fell for the Rolling Stones as a teenager. 'Their music has always been such a big part of my life. During my first crush I was listening to Tattoo You, over and over again. So I totally relate to my character's need to be inspired by music.'

So how is the hottest girl in Hollywood spending her downtime these days? Just hanging out at Cameron Crowe's Los Angeles offices, that's how. 'I'm like, "Here guys, I've brought you frappuccinos and I've got my guitar and I'm just going to hang out in your lobby for a while."' Hardly the sort of behaviour one expects of a Vanity Fair cover star and potential Oscar nominee, Miss Hudson.

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Kate knows how to rock, Hudson

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