Oscar Winner Jennifer Hudson to Join Cast of TV's Smash

Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson will join the cast of TV's Smash for the Broadway-themed series second season. Hudson will appear in a multi-episode arc as Veronica Moore, a Tony-winning actress who affects the lives of budding Broadway performers Karen (Katharine McPhee) and Ivy (Megan Hilty). Smash is set to return to NBC in early 2013.

Smash chronicles the creative process of bringing a musical about the life of Marilyn Monroe to Broadway. The show premiered in February and ended its first season in May. Since then, new show runner Josh Safran has taken over creative control of the series. Four cast members, including Broadway veterans Brian d'Arcy James and Will Chase, have departed the series. Newsies star Jeremy Jordan was also recently announced to appear on the second season.

After rising to prominence during the third season of American Idol, Hudson later earned an Oscar for starring as Effie White in the film adaptation of Dreamgirls. Her other film credits include The Secret Life of Bees and Sex and the City. She has also released two albums, her 2008 self-titled debut and 2011's I Remember Me.