Kate in spades

Kate Hudson is standing by the window on the second storey of Capella Singapore's two-storey manor.

The 37-year-old US actress was on a whirlwind tour to Singapore in November as a guest of US designer Michael Kors to lend star wattage to the opening of his flagship boutique at Mandarin Gallery.

The pair have known each other for years.

But the traces of that glamorous shindig - think smoky eyes and a wide-legged white trouser suit - were removed for this interview and photoshoot.

Instead, Hudson's hair was swept back, and she looked as if she had just stepped out of the shower - her face was almost bare, showing only the slightest hint of make-up.

She was game to try new things - she ordered an organic lunch but ended up eating a bowl of wanton noodles.

Her eyes widened with excitement at the sight of kueh lapis, and she devoured every layer of the dessert with relish.

"Anyone who follows me (on social media) knows I love food, and I am literally up for anything. I am lucky to travel the world, and food experiences are my favourite things about travelling," she said.

An Instagram post of her culinary adventure at Maxwell Food Centre - which has almost 200,000 likes and over 1,000 comments - is further proof of that.

She also has warm feelings about her Hollywood reputation as one of the highest-profile proponents of the romantic comedy genre.

More specifically, the 2003 hit chick flick How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days, co-starring Matthew McConaughey.

"That movie will always hold a special place for me," she said.

"So many people love it, and that is the reason why we make movies."

Of her personal must-watchs, Hudson said: "Whether it is romantic or not, I love comedy, period. I cannot choose one favourite rom-com, but Overboard would definitely be at the top of that list.

"Terms Of Endearment gets me every time I need a good cry. And you only have to go as far as any Garry Marshall movie to bring a smile to your face."

For someone who has spent more than a decade slipping into a character's skin, what is it about standing before the lens that Hudson is still afraid of?

"I fear not being honest in front of the camera," she said.

Her point? Acting demands the baring of one's soul to achieve a convincing performance - that means no facades or hiding.

Quizzed about her favourite on-screen partner, Hudson naturally gravitated towards someone dear and familiar - US actor Kurt Russell, her actress-mother Goldie Hawn's long-time partner whom she considers a father figure.

"I will say that just sharing the tiniest and briefest moment on-screen with my pa at the end of (2016 disaster movie) Deepwater Horizon just made me want more. It will happen."

But she does not feel the pressure to live up to Hawn's and Russell's reputations.

"Not at all," she said.

"We are all on our own journeys, regardless of where we come from or what we choose to do with it."

DIVERSIFIED

Hudson has diversified her portfolio by taking on supporting parts in films such as Wish I Was Here and Rock The Kasbah, doing voice-over work in Kung Fu Panda 3 and being part of an ensemble cast for Mother's Day.

We will see her on the big screen again in Marshall - a biographical thriller about the first African-American US Supreme Court judge, Justice Thurgood Marshall, and one of the first cases of his career. The movie will hit cinemas in the US in October.

In the past few years, Hudson made the transition to designer with her athleisure line Fabletics.

She also added author to her resume when she launched her book, Pretty Happy: Healthy Ways To Love Your Body, last year.

But her biggest role to date is playing single mother to her two sons, 13-year-old Ryder Russell Robinson and six-year-old Bingham Hawn Bellamy.

It is one role she relishes.

Hudson, who is currently dating US musician Danny Fujikawa, often talks about her boys in interviews, and it was easy to tell that they are a stabilising force in her life.

How would she want them to describe her in interviews, many years down the road?

"Tough but fair," she said.

"But lots of fun, present and loving."

gtan@sph.com.sg

This article is adapted from Harper's BAZAAR Singapore.

Read the full story in this month's issue, now available on newsstands. Harper's BAZAAR Singapore is now available in both print and digital formats. Visit www.harpersbazaar.com.sg to subscribe.