Jennifer Hudson moved the energy on up to a whole new level when she performed The Jeffersons‘ theme song Wednesday night.
.@IAMJHUD brought the house down! #TheJeffersons #LiveInFrontOfAStudioAudience pic.twitter.com/6Bxz8cJYjQ
— ABC (@ABCNetwork) May 23, 2019
The Oscar-winner joined ABC‘s special Live in Front of a Studio Audience, a live staging of classic episodes of All in the Family and The Jeffersons, to belt out a live version of the classic “Movin’ On Up” theme song of The Jeffersons‘ original run.
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Wearing an Afro wig and slinky yellow ’70s dress, Hudson confidently maneuvered her way through The Jeffersons set, crooning the lyrics to the beloved theme song seemingly effortlessly. She was joined by a trio of backup singers for the second verse before hitting that famous final note in the hallway and then heading straight into the elevator.
The Jeffersons recreation starred Jamie Foxx as George Jefferson, Wanda Sykes as Louise “Weezy” Jefferson, Kerry Washington as Helen Willis, Will Ferrell as Tom Willis, and Marla Gibbs reprising her role as Florence.
In addition to Hudson’s performance, the night was marked by several other memorable moments as well, including Foxx’s funny flub as George Jefferson during All In The Family, proving that even seasoned professionals make mistakes.
During a joke aimed at Anthony Anderson‘s Uncle Henry character, Foxx stumbled over the punchline. The joke was supposed to go, “Ever since I was a little boy, I would always beg my mother for a little brother — but, you know we were broke, so all we could afford was you.”
However, Foxx made it neatly through the whole set-up until he stuttered repeatedly on the punchline, “all we could afford was you.”
As Foxx regained his composure, he expertly owned the moment to the enjoyment of the studio audience. The unexpected break in character led to a few smiles from the other stars in the scene, including Anderson, who tried not to laugh as Foxx smiled sheepishly.
“It’s live,” Foxx quipped. “Everyone sitting at home just thinks their TV messed up.” He then turned around, fought back another laugh, finished the joke and accepted applause from the cheering audience.
Woody Harrelson, who played Archie Bunker, couldn’t help but hide his full-on laughter and at one point even had to turn his back to the cameras. Ike Barinholtz and Ellie Kemper, who played Mike and Gloria Stivic, also grinned and enjoyed the moment. Meanwhile, Sykes and Oscar-winner Marisa Tomei, who played Edith Bunker, maintained their composure like the pros they are.
