Fantasia Barrino and Paula Abdul have “American Idol” reunion at premiere of “The Color Purple”

Barrino stars in the film adaptation of the Broadway musical, opening Christmas Day.

Fantasia Barrino's come a long way since winning American Idol in 2004 at just 19 years old. For one, she's starring in the film adaptation of the Broadway musical The Color Purple, itself an adaptation of Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1982 novel and the 1985 film of the same name.

Paula Abdul, who was one of the judges at the time of Barrino's Idol coronation, was on hand at the Los Angeles premiere of the film Wednesday night at the Academy Museum, where she and Barrino, now 39, reunited. The two were snapped sporting big smiles as they hugged each other

Barrino won the third season of American Idol, with her first single, "I Believe," debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. She's since released seven studio albums, as well as starred in the Broadway production of The Color Purple, amid a series of both personal and professional ups and downs.

However, having previously played the emotionally rigorous role of Celie, she was hesitant to take it on again, Barrino told EW in November. But director Blitz Bazawule convinced her by giving Celie "an imagination."

"I'm most proud of myself for standing up and doing things that I never thought I could do and bouncing back. It feels like Idol again," Barrino said. "But I'm just wiser. I'm grown now."

Want more movie news? Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free newsletter to get the latest trailers, celebrity interviews, film reviews, and more.

Related content:

• How Fantasia injected new life into The Color Purple: 'I got to do it one more time'

• Put your shoulders back and look The Color Purple trailer straight in the eye 'cause it...is...here

• See new cast of The Color Purple next to stars of original movie in same roles

• The Color Purple could turn into Oscars gold as cast heats up Best Supporting Actress race
  

Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.