Mo’Nique does not get enough credit for the amount of work she has put into her craft. While she has received many accolades over the years, the roles she received in the past five to ten years is astronomically low for the amount of talent she possesses. She has been very vocal in stating that is no accident.

Monique Hicks (more popularly known as Mo’Nique) is both a stand-up comedian and actress. As an actress she has starred in Precious, The Parkers, and made guest appearances The Boondocks, Ugly Betty, Rugrats and more. As a stand-up comedian, she has had several comedy specials including One Night Stand (2004), Mo’nique: I Coulda Been Your Cellmate! (2007), Mo’Nique’s: Something Different (2016) and most recently My Name Is Mo’Nique (2023).

Mo’Nique Claims She Was Blackballed From Hollywood

After her Oscar win for Best Supporting Actress for Precious in 2010, Mo’Nique claims that she was blackballed from Hollywood by Lee Daniels, the director of the film.

In 2018, Daniels denied her claims to TMZ, “It breaks my heart that she feels that we blackballed her. No one blackballed her. Mo’Nique blackballed her.” In Daniels’ interview, he also named Oprah and Tyler Perry as people that Mo’Nique called out for blackballing her as well.

However, she and Daniels reunited last year and it seems as though the water is all under the bridge.

“I am so sorry for hurting you in any way that I did,” he said in a fan video of the two on stage. “She was my best friend, my best friend. Y’all think that Precious was just — that was God working, through both of us. And we’re gonna f—ing do it again!

He also posted a photo of the two embracing on Instagram, captioning the sweet pic “No caption needed.”

The comedian uploaded the same photo to her Instagram, writing, “NO CAPTION NEEDED I LOVE US 4REAL [red heart emoji].”

Mo’Nique has been busy this year after she finished her first comedy special for Netflix My Name Is Mo’Nique and has starred in The Reading for BET and 50 Cent’s BMF.

Take a look at five of her best acting roles ranked below:

• 5. Almost Christmas (2016)

  Mo’Nique has the holidays down packed. Mo’Nique plays Aunt May and is joined by Danny Glover, Kimberly Elise, Omar Epps, Gabrielle Union, and more. The family is spending the holidays together for the first time since the matriarch died and it is full of chaos and confusion as the Meyer’s are under the roof until Christmas Day. You can stream Almost Christmas on Hulu, Peacock, and Amazon Prime.

• 4. The Reading (2023)

  The Reading is a genre of film we have not seen Mo’Nique in before. The comedian stars in a horror film as Emma, an author, who writes about a home invasion. She then helps psychics find out more about a traumatic loss. You can stream The Reading on BET+.

• 3. Bessie (2015)

  While Mo’Nique is a comedian, she absolutely knows how to play a dramatic role. Mo’Nique played Ma Rainey alongside Queen Latifah as Bessie, Tory Kittles as Clarence, Tika Sumpter as Lucille, and more. Mo’Nique was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress at the Primetime Emmy Awards in 2015. You can stream Bessie on Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Mac (formerly known as HBO Max).

• 2. The Parkers (1994-2004)

  The Parkers was a pivotal role in Monique’s career. The comedy was on air for 10 years and followed Mo’Nique as Nikki Parker, who went back to college after having her daughter Kim Parker (Countess Vaughn) at a young age. She also actively chases down Professor Ogleeve (Dorian Wilson) as a running plot in the show. Mo’Nique won an NAACP award for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series in 2006, 2005, 2002, and 2001. You can stream The Parkers on Netflix.

• 1. Precious (2009)

  Precious is by far Mo’Nique’s best acting role to date. The comedian plays Mary, the mother of Precious, who is overweight and pregnant with her second child. The young teen is hoping to turn her life around while unfortunately not having a solid support system. Mo’Nique tapped into a different side in her portrayal of an abusive mother that was very gritty and convincing — very different from her roles as a comedian. Mo’Nique scored an Oscar in 2010 for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role. You can stream Precious on Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, and Max (formerly known as HBO Max).

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