She’s been nominated for several best supporting actress awards, but talk show host and comedian Mo’Nique doesn’t care or doesn’t get it.
According to reports and sources, she’s decided to skip the New York Film Critics Awards next month. The group was going to give her an award for her excellent work in “Precious.” Now director Lee Daniels will accept on her behalf.
In the past, a few actors have missed awards shows. But they were all well established or lived outside the U.S.
Mo’Nique lives in Atlanta and has few serious acting credits. She does have a TV show on BET, and that’s where the following clip comes from. In it, she asks former Oscar nominees Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson the most pressing question about Oscar campaigning: “What does it mean financially?”
Months ago I told you that Mo’Nique wouldn’t do publicity for the movie unless she was paid. According to sources she demanded cash in envelopes, not just for her makeup artists and stylists, but for herself. For some reason, she thought these were paid appearances. Everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Lee Daniels tried to set her straight. But she missed the Cannes, Toronto and New York Film Festivals because of it. She’s also gone through several publicists.
Nothing seems to get through, which is odd because Mo’Nique seems like a bright person. But snubbing the NYFCC is a plan she should reconsider. She makes a point in that clip: she made the movie, you see her performance, what else can she do? This is a bit naive, but true fundamentally. But maybe she doesn’t understand that she’s already won this award. This isn’t the same as doing publicity.
What’s next? The Golden Globes? The Oscars? If these things don’t mean anything to her, there are plenty of actresses who will appreciate the honors, from Julianne Moore to Anna Kendrick to Vera Farmiga. Mo’Nique: fame is fleeting. Enjoy all this while you can! And keep in mind: “Precious” is a team consisting of many people, from Daniels and screenwriter Geoffrey Fletcher to Gabby Sidibe, Paula Patton, Mariah Carey, etc. as well as the crew and the investors.
December 21st, 2009 at 12:50 pm
Monique is waaay too ghetto for her own good. Her tv show is just her yelling and screaming as if promoting a PSA for the deaf. Like srusly, what is her problem? Even the black community dont like her as a host, stereotyping her own peeps. At this point, pick me! I’ll go, pick me!! Since Mo wont go, anything would be more media savvy. Hey I can’t fail if she’s not even there. Hope the academy picks someone different whose more oscar worthy without the need for paid appearances. Who does she think she is, Billy Clinton or Nailin Palin?? Next.
December 21st, 2009 at 3:32 pm
Roger, if Monique doesn’t care if she gets an Oscar why should anybody else? She’s a comedian, she’s not an actress. and she’s realistic: She won’t get the plum roles if/when she wins the Oscar and all the critic awards. She’s still going to be a comedian. And she feels, rightfully so, if she wins the Oscar, what’s it going to mean financially? Or will she continue to get indie scripts and indie money vs. the big $$$?
December 21st, 2009 at 6:51 pm
“Fame is fleeting”? Mo’Nique has been around building her fan base for years.
Obviously she knows a little something about the business – she’s managed to have a long-running network (well, UPN) show and now hosts her own late night talk show. Just because she wasn’t on YOUR radar before appearing in Precious doesn’t mean that her career is in jeopardy.
What has winning an Oscar done for any African American actor, anyway? I can’t remember the last good film Halle Berry was in.
December 21st, 2009 at 8:15 pm
Isn’t it refreshing that someone who not straight outta Hollywood isn’t interested in playing the awards game? by the time the Oscars roll around, after the freaking vernal equinox, we won’t be sick of seeing Monique the way we will be sick of Clooney and Streep and the same seven people who are always nominated. She just makes critics less important and that’s why they are all pissed off.
December 21st, 2009 at 8:56 pm
Is it possible she’s simply trying to retain some dignity while everyone else around her is kissing ass, whoring themselves, begging for a nomination they may or may not get? She’s right. Her performance is up on the screen. If it’s not worthy of a nomination, so be it.
December 21st, 2009 at 9:15 pm
George C. Scott has been reincarnated as a 200-lb. Black woman.
December 21st, 2009 at 10:01 pm
I truthfully don’t like monique as a person but she gives one hell of a performance in Precious, but I do find it odd that she would not go and accept an award. If I won an award, I would go anywhere in the world to accept it.
December 22nd, 2009 at 5:59 am
she’s just plain dumb. she has to thank Oprah for generating all the publicity for Precious.
December 22nd, 2009 at 6:03 am
Monique knows how Hollywood works. While its great she is nominated and even has an award, no ones going to be trying to cast a Black woman like her in a lot of films because of it. Too many Black winners end up in B movies or relegated to spots on TV. Think Angela Bassett, for example.
Dont sweat all the hype Monique. Live your life.
December 22nd, 2009 at 8:17 am
I get why she’s not licking any boots for these awards but in the long run perhaps as an entertainer it would be something to look back and point to as an accomplishment in her career once she has retired. I mean not many comics get a chance at this. The truth is a trophy really is nothing but a dust collector with no promises of a better career but it’s that moment when your fellow actors wanted to publically aknowledge your work at that point in time that will some day come back to you as you look back on your career. I hate to say this but Jamie Foxx had no problem all but groveling for his Oscar. My God that guy would show up to a shopping mall opening if it meant more publicity for his Oscar bid. In fact it was a bit sad watching it but truth is he wasn’t the best performance of the year and needed to suck up. I do think she is by far the best performanc of the year for a supporting role both male or female and could coast to the oscars but if she is going to play the role of diva and not show up for some honors all of a sudden her fellow actors will say to hell with her. I don’t know if she is paying attention but critics are purposefully starting to mention Anna Kendrick for this category and what they are doing is offering an alternative choice. I hope Mo wakes up and just plays along and realizes this moment is so rare even if you get nothing financially out of it what it represents in the long run is quite something. She’s lucky she doesn’t have to go out there and over sell herself because the performance is incredible but at least show up to key events remaning humble. If she loses I’m not so sure it’s as much politics as voters thinking she might be ungrateful. Even Sean Penn and Jodi Foster who always scoffed at the Oscars finally played along when they knew their was a good chance they could actually be taking one or even two of them home.
December 22nd, 2009 at 7:59 pm
What has an Oscar meant for Cuba Gooding, Jr.? or Michael Clark Duncan? Or Angela Bassett?! Not a goshdarn thang! Mo’Nique is no one’s fool. Hollywood will give people of color a pat on the head (while patting themselves on the back) and throw out an award. But the ROLES will still not be there. The ROLES will go to Will Smith and Halle Berry or whatever “very hot” Black actor some producer can think of at the moment. And in a year or so, those same Negroes will be in Tyler Perry’s Madea SomethingOrAnother.
Roger Friedman wants us to believe that Mo’Nique “doesn’t get it.” She’s been in this business for quite some time. He may have just become aware of her, but my daughter grew up on her show “The Parkers,” I’ve seen her on her grind in comedy clubs. I’ve gone to the theater to see her in films that white critics scoff at as merey “urban humor”. This woman has been a consistent worker, so when she asks, “what does it mean financially?” she isn’t being naive, “ghetto”, or oblivious–she’s keeping it real!
December 23rd, 2009 at 11:28 am
she had no business doing this horrible movie. She has destroyed the very image of black women she has tried to change. this terrorist film will go all over the world. thanks monique and you got paid pennies to do this. Now you want to get paid to show up for an award because you realize how lee daniels and the gays tricked you. why dont they just send that black rapist in the movie to pick up the award. sure he dont mind the extra 15 minute of lame fame.
January 20th, 2010 at 8:13 pm
I congratulate Monique on her nominations. But yo, if she doesn’t want to go to accept it,I think its perfectly fine that she has her own back bone. What you want her to do man, kiss up to someone when she’s already earned it. People hating on this lady and she has done nothing to anyone of you. So if people don’t like her, especially Black people, you’re only killing yourself. Because Monique’s success represents all of our success as black people. She is a wonderful person and I applaud you Monique. Congratulations on your Globe win, and in advance congratulations on your Oscar win. Love you and God bless, and God bless these haters who ain’t doing anything with their lives but got so much to say about Monique’s life.
January 24th, 2010 at 3:33 pm
I think that her decision is a heartfelt one. Especially in this economy where the average Joe can’t get ahead even though he works 20x’s as hard as the person who seems to have it all. Monique basically see’s the money that award show’s like this produce, and how it boosts the sales of other movies. So saying how much am I going to make for this makes sense. Yes the award is shiny, but maybe that’s not why this woman is in this field. People who love Monique love her for a reason, she has a lot of lessons to teach and she has. The role Mo’ played in precious is a hard one, I remember reading the story on it in college for my leisure. It’s one that never leaves you, playing the role of the mother takes a lot of courage especially in hollywood people tend to type cast you especially as an african american. I think the man who wrote the comment on how this is bad for our community is more of a problem in our community than the actual stereotype this film promotes. It’s saying ignore that it’s there, because believe it or not it is there, it has always been there, and the sad thing as this behavior is a direct result of slavery and it’s mentality. But I am not going to get into that. One of the basic needs and wants everyone in this world is to be loved and respected. However if you never see what that is, because no one in your life knows what it is either then yes it can be gruesome. When your only outlet for it is the television and all you see is a man made world of nothing but white people and their stories being told of how they need to be love and are worthy of it, then you see the point of this movie. In a sense to feel that you have to paint yourself in a likeness of it. I think the man who made that terrible comment had some skeletons of his own in his closet, because the male nurse was a pretty healthy male role in this film. In the end the award means nothing, and the work means everything. What the hell does Monique Need to thank Opera for, Opera could have played the role herself. Please note that I do respect Opera but Oprah is not god. I read this book almost a decade ago folks, I can tell you one thing it wasn’t on Oprah’s booklist.
March 5th, 2010 at 10:09 am
I hope she wins despite the unshaven legs and ghetto attitude. I’m definitely rooting for her success on screen and on tour. She deserves this!