The Stunning Transformation Of Kate Hudson

Born to actress Goldie Hawn and comedian Bill Hudson, Hudson was no stranger to fame since the beginning. Her parents divorced when she was very young, and Hudson was then raised by her mother and Kurt Russell, Hawn's companion. With such celebrity status, it might be assumed that Hudson's upbringing was full of Hollywood glamour, but that couldn't be further from the truth.

Hudson shared details of her childhood with the Miami Herald, saying, "It wasn't exactly normal but as grounded I think as you could get. They moved us out of L.A. to Colorado [outside Aspen] when we were very young. We were outside riding dirt bikes, hiking, being in nature, doing chores."

And just like any kid, Hudson had to behave. She continued, "I actually have pretty tough parents. We are a very open family, we put everything on the table. Nothing was swept under the rug. Manners, politeness, working hard: Those were all things they took very seriously."

Hudson first thought acting was for her in 1995 when she was 16 years old and took part in the Williamstown Theater Festival. As she described to The Telegraph, "I was an apprentice... I built sets, and they'd put on productions in the middle of a field. It was this big hippie theater; it was so incredible."

A few years later, when it came time for Hudson to think about college, she was accepted into the Tisch School at NYU. When the news came, Hudson wanted to defer for a year in order to focus on acting. She described this moment during the interview, saying, "It took five months of begging.... But I was determined. I didn't want to go to school, and I didn't want to get cut off, so I found work."

Hudson began acting in indie films in order to kick-start her career.

When Hudson was given the opportunity to read for the Cameron Crowe-directed film, she knew she wanted a part in it. As she told GMA.MOVIES.com (via ABC News), "I didn't know what I was reading for... I just went in knowing that Cameron Crowe was doing a film. I said, 'Cameron, I will be your slave, please let me be in your movie.' I would have done anything. I would have been an extra — I would have taken just one line. I'm just such a huge fan."

Well, we all know she got more than just one line. Taking on the role of Penny Lane, Hudson made it her own. She said, "It was a challenge to create the character, for Cameron, who did it on paper, and for him to give me what I didn't quite understand about the character.... There's a long process, but we worked so intimately and beautifully together, and we created somebody we both fell in love with. I enjoyed being that dedicated to a character."

Her hard work paid off; at just 21 years old, Hudson was nominated for an Oscar in 2001. Although she ended up not taking home the gold, Russell put things in perspective for her. As Hudson later told Vanity Fair of that night, "Something Kurt said to me at the Oscars after I lost [was], 'Congratulations. You can now go have your career."

Throughout the years, Hudson has continued to keep good relations with her exes and has a clear focus on giving her kids a good childhood. She was married to Black Crowes band member Chris Robinson, with whom she had her first child, Ryder. The couple divorced after six years of marriage. She had her second son, Bing, with Muse performer Matthew Bellamy. They were together for four years.

In 2015, 36-year-old Hudson spoke with Allure about Bellamy and how they wanted to stay in communication after the break-up for the sake of their son. She said, "Relationships ending are painful, and you can choose to carry that or you can choose to reframe it. If Matt and I had a great relationship, we would still be together, but we chose to move on because we had different visions of how we wanted to live our lives. That doesn't mean, though, that we can't rebuild something that would be the best thing for the kids."

And so far, this has worked out for them. She continued, "We said, 'We need to try to create something for the kids where they feel like they're gaining something rather than losing something,'.... It's been a seamless transition.... Kids just want to see their parents be cool. Everybody's cool; everybody's good."

With such a focus on her family and work, the last thing Hudson has been looking to encourage is rumors about her dating life. She discussed this with InStyle in 2016, and the 36-year-old was not afraid to share her thoughts on the invasion of her personal life. She shared, "It really feels like high school. I can't say hello to anybody without [people speculating we're together]. I don't comment when I'm single because some of them are right, some of them are wrong. But I end up with everybody anyway! I've been linked to every one of my brother's best friends. We're going to do a coffee-table book of all of my 'mystery men.'"

With the entertainment, fashion and fitness industries down, it's no surprise Hudson also ventured in the publishing world. She published a lifestyle book, Pretty Happy, in 2016 and spoke more to her thoughts behind her book with the Miami Herald. She said, "I'm an avid reader of self-help books, instructional books, cleansing books. All of it. I know the word 'holistic' throws people off a little, but that's how I see this book. I am taking a whole approach looking at health my way, which is not necessarily perfect, but perfect for me.... So I think 'pretty happy' is a great place to be. Happiness is so subjective to one's own experience."

And what is the takeaway from her book? Hudson sums it up clearly, saying, "I feel what is most attractive is a woman's inner confidence. I don't care what she looks like. If she feels good about herself, and she's healthy and strong and mindful, that's the most magnetic thing. Make realistic goals to achieve them. Take the path to what makes you feel good."