About Mo'Nique
Monique Angela Hicks (n茅e Imes; born December 11, 1967), known mononymously as Mo'Nique, is an American comedian and Academy Award-winning actress. She debuted as a member of The Queens of Comedy and earned recognition as a stand-up comedian. In 2002, she received a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album. She transitioned to mainstream roles starring in the UPN series The Parkers (1999-2004) and the films Phat Girlz (2006) and Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins (2008).
Mo'Nique was critically acclaimed for her performance in the film Precious (2009), for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, becoming the fourth African-American woman to win the award, in addition to accolades at the BAFTA, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild Awards. After hosting her talk show The Mo'Nique Show (2009-2011), she earned a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for the HBO film Bessie (2015) and starred in Lee Daniels' Netflix film The Deliverance (2024).
Mo'Nique was born in Woodlawn, Baltimore County, Maryland, the youngest of four children. She graduated from Milford Mill High School in 1985 and attended Morgan State University, and is a 1987 graduate of the Broadcasting Institute of Maryland. Before she was an actress, she worked as a customer service representative at the phone company MCI in Hunt Valley, Maryland. She got her start in comedy at the downtown Baltimore Comedy Factory Outlet when her brother Steve dared her to perform at an open mic night. She is the author of the best-selling book Skinny Women Are Evil: Notes of a Big Girl in a Small-Minded World.
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Frequently asked questions
Who is Mo'Nique?
Monique Angela Hicks (n茅e Imes; born December 11, 1967), known mononymously as Mo'Nique, is an American comedian and Academy Award-winning actress who debuted as a member of The Queens of Comedy.
How did Mo'Nique get her start in comedy?
She got her start in comedy at the downtown Baltimore Comedy Factory Outlet when her brother Steve dared her to perform at an open mic night. Before that, she worked as a customer service representative at the phone company MCI in Hunt Valley, Maryland.
What Academy Award did Mo'Nique win?
She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the film Precious (2009), becoming the fourth African-American woman to win the award, along with accolades at the BAFTA, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild Awards.
What television series is Mo'Nique known for?
She portrayed Nicole "Nikki" Parker on the UPN television series The Parkers from 1999 to 2004, and later hosted her own late-night talk show, The Mo'Nique Show, which premiered October 5, 2009, on BET.
What book did Mo'Nique write?
She is the author of the best-selling book Skinny Women Are Evil: Notes of a Big Girl in a Small-Minded World, and also released a 2006 cookbook called Skinny Cooks Can't Be Trusted.
