Academy award winner Mo’Nique on Hollywood: 'When it comes to women of color, we’ve always been at the bottom'
Academy award-winning actress and comedian Mo’Nique has been no stranger to telling it like it is. Now she is voicing her opinion on the inequality women face in Hollywood.
“What’s happening is not fair, and we got to raise our hands and speak on it,” she said. “If you know the history of a place called Hollywood, when it comes to women of color, we’ve always been at the bottom”
Mo’Nique got her start from doing stand up comedy on shows such as “Def Comedy Jam” to starring on the 90’s classic TV show, “The Parkers”. In 2009, the comedian reached a new level of fame after her performance in the critically acclaimed film, “Precious,” earned her an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture. Today, she claims the title as the first black female comedian to have her own residency in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Through many highs, Mo’Nique has faced many lows. After winning accolades for her performance in the Lee Daniels directed film in 2010, Mo’Nique was labeled as “blackballed” from the industry in which she had difficulty finding work and receiving fair offers from studio executives.
Last year, the actress released a video on Instagram calling for a Netlfix boycott for gender and color bias. This came after receiving a $500,000 offer to do a comedy special for the streaming service.
When negotiating a better deal with the company after hearing what comedians Amy Schumer and Chris Rock were offered, she insisted on showing the company her resumé that would prove her audience and worth. The actress claims Netflix proceeded to tell her that they do not base offers just off of resumés. However, they did call her a legend along with comedians Schumer and Rock.
“How is that I can be a legend but not get paid what the legends get paid…,” she said.
Today, through her stand-up shows and media appearances, Mo’Nique continues to voice her opinion on the lack of inequality that she not only faces, but many women, mainly of color, face within the industry. She stresses how important it is to stand up for what’s right and how to never wait on the next opportunity.
“So we know what’s happening,” she said. “We just got to keep being unafraid to say it.”
Ralston Ramsay is a producer for Yahoo Finance On the Move.
