Mo'Nique facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mo'Nique
Mo'Nique at the 82nd Academy Awards in 2010
Born	Monique Angela Imes (1967-12-11) December 11, 1967 (age 57) Woodlawn, Maryland, U.S.
Other names	Myelle Kaye
Occupation	Comedian actress talk show host author
Years active	1990–present
Works	Full list
Spouse(s)	Calvin Watkins ​ (divorced)​ Mark Jackson ​ ​ (m. 1997; div. 2001)​ Sidney Hicks ​ (m. 2006)​
Children	4
Awards	Full list

Monique Angela Hicks (born December 11, 1967), known as Mo'Nique, is an American comedian and actress. She first became famous as a stand-up comedian and was part of the comedy tour The Queens of Comedy.

Mo'Nique became well-known to television audiences for starring in the show The Parkers from 1999 to 2004. She also acted in movies like Phat Girlz (2006) and Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins (2008).

Her role in the 2009 movie Precious earned her many awards. She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance. This made her the fourth African-American woman to win this award. She also won a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.

From 2009 to 2011, she hosted her own talk show, The Mo'Nique Show. Later, she earned a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for her role in the 2015 movie Bessie.

Early life and starting out

Mo'Nique was born on December 11, 1967, in Woodlawn, Maryland. Her mother, Alice Imes, was an engineer, and her father, Steven Imes Jr., was a drug counselor. She is the youngest of four children.

She graduated from Milford Mill High School in 1985 and later attended the Broadcasting Institute of Maryland. Before becoming an actress, she worked in customer service for a phone company.

Mo'Nique's career in comedy began when her brother dared her to perform at a comedy club in Baltimore. She tried it and discovered her talent for making people laugh.

Career highlights

Television and stand-up comedy

From 1999 to 2004, Mo'Nique starred as Nicole "Nikki" Parker on the popular TV show The Parkers. This role made her a familiar face to many viewers.

As a stand-up comedian, she appeared on famous comedy shows like Showtime at the Apollo and Russell Simmons' Def Comedy Jam. She also hosted her own shows, including Mo'Nique's Fat Chance, a beauty pageant on the Oxygen network, and Flavor of Love Girls: Charm School on VH1.

Between 2009 and 2011, she hosted The Mo'Nique Show, a late-night talk show on the BET network.

Success in movies

Mo'Nique at the 2010 Screen Actors Guild Awards

Mo'Nique has acted in many films. In 2006, she had the lead role in Phat Girlz, a comedy about a fashion designer. She also had supporting roles in movies like Soul Plane, Beerfest, and Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins.

Her most celebrated role was in the 2009 film Precious. She played Mary Lee Johnston, the mother of the main character. Her powerful performance won her the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She also won dozens of other awards from critics and film groups around the world for this role.

In 2015, she played the famous blues singer Ma Rainey in the movie Bessie. This performance earned her a nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award. In 2024, she starred in the Netflix movie The Deliverance.

Writing and other work

Mo'Nique giving a speech in 2010

Mo'Nique is also an author. She wrote the best-selling book Skinny Women Are Evil: Notes of a Big Girl in a Small-Minded World. She also published a cookbook in 2006 called Skinny Cooks Can't Be Trusted.

In 2002, she was part of the first all-black celebrity cast to perform in the play The ... Monologues.

Personal life

Mo'Nique has been married to Sidney Hicks since 2006. She has four children. Her oldest son, Shalon, was born in 1990 from a previous relationship. In 2005, she gave birth to twin sons, Jonathan and David.

Awards and nominations

Mo'nique has won many awards for her work in film and television. For her role in Precious, she won over 50 awards, including an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, a BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, and a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture.

She also won four NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series for her work on The Parkers.

Filmography

Film

Key

Denotes works that have not yet been released

Television

Specials

Tours

Residency show

• Mo'Nique Does Vegas (held at SLS Las Vegas) (2019)

See also

In Spanish: Mo'Nique para niños