“I’m a standup comedian, baby. That’s what I do,” Mo’Nique said, with a “no-duh” chuckle in her voice.
She had been asked why, at the pinnacle of her acting career, she would U-turn back towards the funny business.
“The standup is what got me to where I am,” she said. “It keeps me fresh.”
And so next Friday – just three weeks after winning a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for her role in Precious: Based on the Novel Push – actress and talk show host Mo’Nique will be returning to her comedy roots right here in St. Louis as part of her select-city Spread The Love Comedy Tour.
“There’s something about being in front of those folks, and you can’t say, ‘Action!’ and you can’t say, ‘Cut!’” Mo’Nique said.
“Comedy is my baby. And you don’t have to worry about waiting for the [box office] numbers or the reviews.”
Despite the rumors of her “diva-tude” once Precious took off with lightning speed, there’s a magnetic way about her that instantly draws you in. With Mo’Nique, you are comfortable. You immediately feel as if she’s that friend you escape with for lunch with to laugh away your morning work drama.
And the feeling towards her fans– especially those in St. Louis – is mutual.
Only 20 cities made the cut for her tour. And Mo’Nique said our city was a no-brainer.
St. Louis has a notorious reputation as one of the hardest sells for comics in the world, but if you’re good … you’re home.
“I’ve been coming to St. Louis since the very beginning of my career. When I picked the cities, I picked places that have been good to me … and baby, St. Louis has always been good to me,” Mo’Nique said.
“I remember doing a show at this club – I don’t remember the name of it, but it was on the second floor and we had to get out folding chairs.”
That anonymous dive from her humble funny beginnings is a far cry from the Fox Theatre – which will most likely sell out.
Though her audience has grown, well before Precious, she still feels the real-life connection she shared with her fans from the beginning.
“If anybody has followed my comedy career, you have followed my life,” Mo’Nique said. “Y’all was my therapy when I was going through my divorce. It’s just telling our stories – and we can laugh at them.”
The best of times
Mo’Nique won the Oscar despite what many considered to be a snub to the industry. Even in her acceptance speech, she thanked the “Academy for choosing performance over politics.”
Some believe she’s ungrateful.
According to Mo’Nique, nothing could be further from the truth.
“By the grace of God I try to enjoy each day – and this rollercoaster ride,” she said. “But at the same time, not get caught up in this stuff.”
Actually, her attitude could also be taken as the ultimate token of gratitude for the people who had her back before “The Academy” knew she existed.
“It felt amazing to win the Oscar, but I’ve always felt we are good enough,” Mo’Nique said.
“It felt just as amazing to win an NAACP Image Award, to get The Parkers and to be asked to host It’s Showtime at the Apollo. It’s great that the media wants to talk with me these days – I really do appreciate it. But the Black Press has been talking to me from day one.”
Unlike when she was laughing (to keep from crying) her way through her divorce during her first go-round as a “Queen of Comedy,” the good times are officially rolling for her in 2010.
She has a husband, a family and is on top of the world with a talk show, comedy tour and … let’s not forget … an Oscar.
What will she talk about now?
“The best of times, baby!” Mo’Nique said.
“I’ll talk about the weight loss, the children, my marriage. I’ll talk about why I lost the weight and how I wanted to be alive to see my grandchildren.”
As an overweight black woman, the odds were against her in show business from the beginning – further still as a woman in the man’s world of comedy. But she can now stand as the poster child of possibility.
Her secret is simple. Focus.
“The one thing we need to do is put our blinders on and keep your eyes on what you believe is ahead for you. When you do that, everything is possible,” Mo’Nique said.
“When you take your blinders off and start looking around and seeing who doesn’t look like you, what obstacle is in front of you and what’s behind you … that’s when you are concentrating on too much other stuff.”
Her most immediate focus amidst the hype – positive and negative – following Precious is her comedy and the fans she found on her journey to the top.
“On this tour, people can expect the kind of laughter that makes the bottom of their stomach hurt,” said Monique. “And the type of love you’ll never forget.”
Mo’Nique’s Spread The Love Comedy Tour will stop in St. Louis at 8 p.m. on Friday, Mar. 26 at the Fox Theatre. For more information, call (314) 534-1111 or visit www.metrotix.com.
