Biography
Who is Mo'Nique?
Early life and education
Born Monique Imes in Woodlawn, Maryland, she is the youngest of four children. Her parents were Alice Imes, an engineer, and Steven Imes Jr., a drug counselor. She attended Milford Mill Academy and later studied at Morgan State University. In 1987, she graduated from the Broadcasting Institute of Maryland.
Before her entertainment career, she worked as a customer service representative at the phone company MCI in Hunt Valley, Maryland. Her entry into comedy began at the downtown Baltimore Comedy Factory Outlet after a dare from her brother Steve to perform at an open mic night.
Comedy career and television work
She became known as a stand-up comedian as a member of The Queens of Comedy. She hosted shows like Showtime at the Apollo and the beauty pageant Mo'Nique's Fat Chance on the Oxygen network. She also hosted the first season of Flavor of Love Girls: Charm School on VH1, where she crowned Saaphyri as the winner.
Her television career included starring as Nicole Nikki Parker on the UPN series The Parkers from 1999 to 2004. During that time, she appeared on platforms like Russell Simmons' Def Comedy Jam and Thank God You're Here. She also hosted her own late-night talk show, The Mo'Nique Show, which premiered on BET in 2009 and ran until 2011.
Film roles and major awards
Her breakthrough film role came in 2009 with the movie Precious, where she portrayed an abusive mother. This performance earned her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, as well as honors from the BAFTA, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild awards. The African-American Film Critics Association also recognized her work with a unanimous vote.
She has appeared in numerous other films, including Phat Girlz, Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins, Beerfest, and Soul Plane. Her biographical performance as Ma Rainey in the HBO film Bessie earned her a Primetime Emmy Award nomination. Other film credits include roles in the drama Blackbird and the 2024 Netflix release The Deliverance.
Personal life and family
She was married to sportswriter Calvin Watkins, with whom she had a son named Shalon Watkins Jr. In 1990. She was later married to barber Mark Jackson from 1997 to 2001. In 2006, she married Sidney Hicks. She gave birth to their twin sons, Jonathan and David Hicks, in 2005.
The couple has discussed their open marriage arrangement in various media interviews, emphasizing their honesty with one another. She has also authored books, including the best-selling Skinny Women Are Evil: Notes of a Big Girl in a Small-Minded World and a cookbook titled Skinny Cooks Can't Be Trusted.
Birthday and age
Mo'Nique was born on December 11, 1967, which makes Mo'Nique 58 years old today. That birthday falls under the Sagittarius sign. Mo'Nique shares the date with 30 other famous people.
Explore more
