It is rare for any actor to receive critical acclaim and awards buzz long before their film’s nationwide theatrical release. But Jennifer Hudson joined that elite league in 2006, when her performance in the big screen adaptation of the stage musical, “Dreamgirls” was touted as a shoe-in for all major acting awards – even before the movie premiered in theaters. In February of that year, she was even named “Female Star of Tomorrow” by ShoWest (the film industry’s largest annual convention). It all amounted to an impressive debut for a shy and sweet Midwestern girl who never had any formal