Kate Hudson is looking back on the role that launched her career — and the unexpected way she landed it.
As Almost Famous celebrates its 25th anniversary, Hudson recalled to Entertainment Tonight that she was first cast as Anita, the character later played by Zooey Deschanel. At the time, Sarah Polley had been set to play Penny Lane, while Brad Pitt was attached to star as Russell Hammond. “And then, Sarah Polley was supposed to play Penny Lane, and Brad Pitt was supposed to play Russell, and then, they fell through. And I was the only one cast,” Hudson explained.
That twist of fate gave Hudson the chance to chase the role she truly wanted. “I was like, ‘Cameron, can I please audition for Penny Lane?’ And he didn’t really want it at first. … And then, like, four auditions later, finally he called me, and he was like, ‘You want to be Penny Lane?’ I was like, ‘Oh my god, yes!’”
Her persistence paid off—Hudson went on to embody the free-spirited Penny Lane opposite Patrick Fugit’s William Miller, a wide-eyed journalist modelled on writer/director Cameron Crowe’s own teenage years at Rolling Stone. Billy Crudup eventually took on the role of Stillwater guitarist Russell Hammond, replacing Pitt.
Looking back, Hudson is grateful for the turn of events. “All of this was magic for me, because it completely changed my life. It changed the whole trajectory of my career.”
Almost Famous earned Hudson her first Golden Globe win for Best Supporting Actress and brought her an Oscar nomination. The film itself won Best Film — Musical or Comedy, while Crowe took home the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.
