Oscar-winning actress Monique Angela Hicks, better known as Mo'Nique, isn't seen on screen as regularly today, but earned critical acclaim following her role in Precious as the title character's abusive and neglectful mother, Mary. We're taking a look back at her early career, life off-screen and what she's up to now – a decade after the director claimed she was blackballed by Hollywood.
© Getty ImagesMo'Nique got her start on screen in 1999
Early fame
Mo'Nique got her start on the sitcom screen in Moesha, just before the Millennium. This small role turned into a star casting in its spin-off series, The Parkers.
Other early Noughties career hits include the 2004 crime feature Domino, alongside Keira Knightley and Mickey Rourke, as well as the 2005 thriller Shadowboxer, in which she appeared with Cuba Gooding Jr. and Helen Mirren.
© Getty Images for AFIMo'Nique starred in the film adaptation of Sapphire's 1996 novel Push
Precious stardom
Mo'Nique's most iconic role to date came in 2009 with the release of Precious. She starred as the title character's neglectful and abusive mother, Mary Lee Johnston.
Gabourey Sidibe stepped into the title role as Claireece 'Precious' Jones, a 16-year-old girl who attends school while pregnant with her father's child and learns to find a new life beyond the abuse and poverty at home.
© Getty ImagesPrecious earned Mo'Nique an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress
Oscar win
Precious did more than turn Mo'Nique into a household name outside of her sitcom fame: it earned her serious acclaim on the critic circuit.
Her role won her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, a Golden Globe, a BAFTA and a Screen Actors Guild Award for her complex, harrowing performance.
© WireImage via Getty ImagesMo'Nique and director Lee Daniels have since buried the hatchet
Directorial drama
Following her refusal to campaign for the film, prioritising time with her family over promotional opportunities, the actress initially claimed director Lee Daniels was frustrated with her behaviour. Lee then claimed on CNN Tonight, via ABC News, that the actress was rejected by the industry. “You gotta play ball. This is not just show, it’s show business, and you gotta play ball,” the director stated.
Mo'Nique suggested he was angry she hadn't mentioned him in her Oscar acceptance speech. Fortunately, they've since turned over a new leaf and collaborated on Netflix horror feature The Deliverance.
© Getty ImagesMo'Nique and Sidney Hicks tied the knot in 2006
Family life
Mo'Nique is a mother of four, welcoming sons Shalon and Mark Jackson Jr. with her then-partner Mark Jackson.
She welcomed twins David and Jonathan Hicks in 2005 with Blackbird actor Sidney Hicks, whom she married in 2006.
© Getty ImagesMo'Nique is still busy in the public eye today
Where is she now?
Mo'Nique is still working today, performing both on the screen and on stage as a comedian and actress. In December 2026, she's due to co-headline internationally on the "We Back" comedy tour.
She's also focussing on a weight loss journey, losing approximately 100 pounds and documenting her gradual weight change via workout videos on YouTube.
