Kate Hudson is a talented actor, best-known for her role as Penny Lane in the Hollywood movie Almost Famous which earned her an Academy Award nomination. Born into a family of film personalities, she seemed to be destined for limelight from an early age—her mother Goldie Hawn is a famous film actor, while her father Bill Hudson is a comedian. She loved performing from a young age and would jump at any chance to sing and dance on stage. Her parents ensured she received dance lessons, and she also trained at the Santa Monica Playhouse as a child. She began acting when she was offered a guest role in the TV drama Party of Five in 1996. She was accepted into New York University, but Kate Hudson was more interested in pursuing a career in show business rather than earning a degree. After acting in some minor films, she landed the role that would prove to be a breakthrough role in her career. She was chosen to play Penny Lane in the comedy drama film Almost Famous. In spite of being a box office failure, the film received positive reviews from critics and established Kate as an actor in the American film industry. She is quite popular on social networking sites, especially Instagram, where she has amassed 17 million followers.