Kate Hudson says she was mentally prepared to lose her first Oscar — thanks to advice from longtime family figure Kurt Russell.
Appearing on The Howard Stern Show on February 24, Hudson reflected on her first Academy Awards nomination in 2001 for Best Supporting Actress for her breakout role in Almost Famous, directed by Cameron Crowe.
“You never know”
Hudson described Russell — who has been with her mother Goldie Hawn for 43 years — as “the great barometer of the business” and her life.
Before the ceremony, she said Russell offered grounded advice:
“Don’t listen to everybody. You never know. You never know what’s going to happen. Sometimes you might win, and you don’t, and sometimes you don’t think you’re going to win and you might win.”
Although many predicted she would take home the Oscar, Hudson said she entered the ceremony with zero expectations. She ultimately lost the award to Marcia Gay Harden for her role in Pollock.
“It was a good first lesson,” Hudson said.
Heading into a second nomination
Now 46, Hudson is approaching her second Oscar nomination — this time for her work in Song Sung Blue — with the same mindset.
When asked whether she has prepared an acceptance speech, she admitted she prefers spontaneity.
“I’m not a fan of the rehearsed speech,” she said. “I like when it feels from the heart, spontaneous and authentic or nervous and real.”
Hudson added that she has so much she wants to say about her family that she worries preparing remarks in advance would feel unnatural.
No expectations, no handouts
Hudson also shared that Russell and Hawn instilled in her and her brother, Oliver Hudson, the importance of not expecting special treatment in Hollywood.
For Hudson, the lesson remains simple: celebrate the moment — but never assume the outcome.
