Kate Hudson has been a staple of Hollywood cinema since starting out in the late 90s, and some of the best Kate Hudson movies show why audiences love her as much as they do. She has become, in many ways, the queen of romantic comedies, and her yellow dress look as Andie in How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days is truly iconic. However, while Hudson may be most associated with roles like this one, she has had a hugely varied career so far. Hudson has portrayed the horror-film heroine, voiced the ribbon-dancing panda, and even featured for a short stint as Cassandra July in Glee.
Hudson's filmography certainly shows her diversity as an actress, and her best roles may not be the ones that she is most known for. Hudson, who is a second-generation talent as the daughter of Goldie Hawn, has gone through a career that took her from popular teen movies to the top of the food chain in the romantic comedy world. Since that time, she has settled mostly into a role as a supporting player, and she gets a lot of acclaim for her willingness to take roles that allow her, and the viewers, to laugh at her characters. It has been an interesting career for the actress.
15 The Skeleton Key (2005)
- Stream now on Starz
In one of her few horror-film roles, Kate Hudson plays Caroline Ellis in the 2005 horror-thriller The Skeleton Key. Ellis is a young nurse who moves in with Violet Devereaux and her husband Ben. Ellis has been hired to look after Ben, who has suffered a stroke, as a live-in nurse. While living at the house, Ellis discovers a history of hoodoo and upon investigation suspects that Benjamin’s illness is not as it seems. It's vastly different from the best Kate Hudson movies, which is likely why it's so memorable for fans, even with terrible critics' reviews.
14 The Killer Inside Me (2010)
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The Killer Inside Me was one of the most controversial of the best Kate Hudson movies. Most critics were put off by the graphic violence toward women depicted on camera. Both Hudson and Jessica Alba received praise for their performances. They played the two love interests of the main character, played by Casey Affleck. The movie is far from Hudson’s best work, but it is certainly one of her most dramatic, as she channels the pain of a woman who knows her boyfriend is a dangerous man but doesn’t know what to do about it.
13 Bride Wars (2009)
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Bride Wars is an example of the best Kate Hudson movies where audiences seemed to love it while critics hated everything about it. In the movie, Hudson and Anne Hathaway played childhood best friends who have planned their weddings in meticulous detail since they were children. When they both end up with their weddings scheduled on the same day, they begin a competition to have the best wedding possible to upstage the other. Critics panned the movie, but it picked up five Teen Choice Awards nominations, winning one for Hathaway, while they also earned an MTV nomination.
12 Clear History (2013)
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The 2013 comedy film Clear History stars Larry David as former marketing executive Nathan Flomm who walks out of his job, just as the company makes its fortune. After becoming a disgraced public figure, Flomm disappears and changes his name. When the unrecognizable Flomm is reunited with his former boss Will Haney (Jon Hamm), and his wife Rhonda (Kate Hudson), after many years, he takes advantage of the opportunity and sets out to finally exact his revenge and sabotage Haney. This was an HBO original that received mostly mixed reviews.
11 Mona Lisa And The Blood Moon (2021)
- Stream now on Showtime
While Hudson is usually the heroine of the stories in which she appears, this time around, she’s more of an antagonist, a woman who manipulates another and takes advantage of a young woman with superpowers. It’s certainly an unusual role for the best Kate Hudson movies. Mona Lisa And The Blood Moon is also one of the more fantasy-like movies in Hudson’s resume, not the kind of project seen from her very often. The movie received only a small limited release, but it picked up solid critics' reviews, sitting at 75% on Rotten Tomatoes.
10 The Four Feathers (2002)
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Set in Sudan in the mid-1880s, The Four Feathers follows disgraced British Officer Harry Faversham, played by Heath Ledger, who resigns from his regiment just before they are deployed. Kate Hudson plays Ethne Eustace, Faversham’s new fiancée, who breaks off their engagement as a result of Faversham’s cowardice. Upon learning that his regiment is in danger, however, Faversham sets out alone to rescue them from an impending attack. This was one of seven adaptations of the A.E.W Mason novel, and the movie received mixed reviews.
9 Nine (2009)
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Nine was an extremely polarizing movie. Rob Marshall followed up his Oscar-winning Chicago with this musical drama that was based on the iconic Frederico Fellini movie 8 1/2. The Fellini movie was a unique and disorienting film that was semi-autobiographical, and Marshall attempted the same with his movie. Daniel Day-Lewis plays an Italian filmmaker who developed writer's block and uses all the women in his life to find inspiration. Kate Hudson is one of these women, a Vogue fashion journalist. Despite negative reviews, the movie picked up four Oscar nominations.
8 How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days (2003)
- Stream now on Netflix.
In one of the most iconic of the best Kate Hudson movies, Hudson starred as Andie Anderson in the 2003 romantic comedy How To Lose a Guy In 10 Days, alongside Matthew McConaughey as Benjamin Barry. Andie is a writer for a women’s magazine, and Ben is an advertising executive. Andie sets out to write an article about how to make a guy break up with her in 10 days while Barry sets out to prove he can make a woman fall in love with him, and that is when they meet. Hudson and McConaughey are perfect together, with Hudson picking up nominations from the MTV Movie and Teen Choice Awards.
7 Marshall (2017)
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The 2017 biographical legal drama Marshall, follows lawyer Thurgood Marshall as he fights against racial injustice. Marshall, the title character, is played by Chadwick Boseman, with Sterling K. Brown and Kate Hudson in supporting roles. Brown plays Joseph Spell who is accused of rape by his employer Eleanor Strubing, played by Hudson. Marshall takes the case, working with an insurance lawyer and lead counsel on the case Sam Friedman, played by Josh Gad. The movie earned an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song for "Stand Up for Something."
6 Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016)
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In the third installment of the Kung Fu Panda series, Kung Fu Panda 3, Kate Hudson voices the character of Mei Mei, a resident of Panda Village. As soon as she meets him, Mei Mei meets begins to flirt with Po, the lead character voiced by Jack Black. Mei Mei begins learning Kung Fu, under Po’s instruction, and he teaches her how to incorporate her ribbon dancing skills into the fighting style. Mei Mei later attempts to teach Po how to dance, much to his dismay. The movie was one of her most successful financially, making $521 million on a $145 million budget (via Box Office Mojo).
5 The Reluctant Fundamentalist (2012)
- Stream now on Kanopy
The 2012 political thriller drama, The Reluctant Fundamentalist, based on the novel of the same name, follows Changez Khan, a Pakistani man in America as he endeavors to achieve success on Wall Street. The film also stars Liev Schreiber as the journalist who interviews Khan. Khan, played by Riz Ahmed, works for Underwood Samson and is in a relationship with photographer Erica, played by Kate Hudson. After a colleague of his is kidnaped, Khan’s dream becomes threatened. While the movie was a box office bomb, it was a festival favorite, winning awards at several events around the world.
4 Wish I Was Here (2014)
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Wish I Was Here is a comedy-drama starring Zach Braff and Kate Hudson as married couple Aidan and Sarah Bloom, who lives in Los Angeles with their two children. The family’s life is changed when Aidan’s father becomes ill and announces he can no longer pay for the children’s school. At Sarah’s suggestion, Aidan begins homeschooling his kids and in the process learns just as much about himself, as he teaches the children. The movie is really more of a showcase for Braff than it is one of the best Kate Hudson movies, but she still earned a Jupiter nomination for Best International Actress.
3 Deepwater Horizon (2016)
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Based on the real-life event of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the 2016 film Deepwater Horizon stars Mark Wahlberg as the chief electronics technician, Mike Williams, and Kate Hudson as his wife. The film follows the events of the disaster as Williams, along with his colleagues, attempts to control the situation. Hudson’s character Felicia gets word of the fire on the rig, and worries about the safety of her husband, while not being able to do anything to help. The movie picked up two Oscar nominations for its technical work.
2 2. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)
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Kate Hudson had a huge comeback moment in 2022 with her role in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. After more than two decades of making the best Kate Hudson movies, Hudson gets to really sink her teeth into a role that has plenty of comedy and drama. While the movie employs plenty of drama while the audience tries to solve the mystery, the comedy comes in the form of satire, and Hudson excels in her comedic timing here. It also reunites her with former How To Lose A Guy costar, Kathryn Hahn. The cast, as a whole, picked up an award for Best Acting Ensemble at the Critics' Choice Awards.
1 Almost Famous (2000)
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In one of her earlier roles, Kate Hudson starred as Penny Lane, in the 2000 comedy-drama Almost Famous. The film follows Patrick Fugit, as teenage journalist William Miller, who while covering a Black Sabbath concert William meets Penny, a groupie of the supporting act - Stillwater. William subsequently joins Penny on the road with Stillwater, and their relationship flourishes as William gathers material for his Rolling Stone article on the band. For years, this particular role made this the best of the best Kate Hudson movies, especially since it earned her only Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress.