The Evolution of Mo’Nique

The Moesha spinoff starred Mo’Nique and Countess Vaughn as Nikki and Kim Parker, a mother/daughter duo who must figure out their new relationship while attending the same college and living together. The comedy is where many people discovered Mo’Nique’s confident, authentic presence for the first time. The series was a celebration of Black women. Yes, the situations were total nonsense, but Nikki and Kim always had each other’s backs and kept things hilarious. It was a standout of UPN’s game-changing lineup.

On the heels of the success of The Original Kings of Comedy movie, we got a similar film starring some of the most influential women in comedy, including Laura Hayes, Sommore, Adele Givens and Mo’Nique. This is where you get to see the real Mo’Nique. She’s hilarious, thoughtful, emotional and relatable. If you didn’t get the hint on The Parkers, it’s here where you see a star in the making.

If you’re a plus size woman, you’ve been told your whole life that romance isn’t for you. If you’re lucky you can be the sassy best friend, but don’t ever think you get to be the leading lady. As usual, Mo’Nique changed the game and delivered a cult classic in Phat Girlz where she got to be the romantic lead and end up with the handsome doctor. It’s unfortunate that this was stuck in the“Black movie” category because it’s a really good rom-com with interesting characters and an authentic story.

When Lee Daniels’ Precious hit the big screen, audiences were immediately amazed at Mo’Nique’s dramatic turn. Of course, Black fans knew all along she had it in her, as her filmography is actually very diverse and includes projects from every genre. Gabourey Sidibe was a standout as Precious, but it quickly became clear Mo’Nique would get the big well-deserved awards push. Her performance as Mary is so gut-wrenching you can’t look away. It should’ve been the start to a huge career jump.

Mo’Nique swept through awards season making herself the favorite to win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. However, she refused to play political games and campaign for the award. She won anyway, but director Lee Daniels wasn’t happy, and rumors persisted for years that the actress was blackballed in the industry. At a time when she should have been thriving off an Oscars bump, she was relegated to small roles in indie movies.

As times changed and people began questioning how women were treated in the workplace, Mo’Nique received a groundswell of support, selling out comedy tours and Vegas residencies. For years, Lee Daniels, Oprah and Tyler Perry were pressured to apologize and set things right. The Empire creator resisted for a long time, but finally back in April, Daniels showed up at the comedian’s Vegas show and the pair made up on stage. She’s now set to appear in his next film Demon House.