In 2010, Mo’Nique famously refused to play along with Oscar politics when she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress. Despite winning that year for her role in Precious, the actress says she’s facing the reality that a blackballing is in effect for her in Hollywood.
In an essay for The Hollywood Reporter leading up to Sunday’s Academy Awards, Mo’Nique writes that Lee Daniels predicted a backlash after her shady acceptance speech. E! reports:
Noting that an Oscar win “normally does” lead to “more respect, choices, money” in the business, Mo’Nique writes, “But I got a phone call from Lee Daniels… And he said to me, ‘Mo’Nique, you’ve been blackballed.’ I said, ‘Why?’ And he said, ‘Because you didn’t play the game.'”
“I said, ‘Well, what game is that?'” her THR piece continues. “He gave me no response.”
Mo’Nique says that several major acting opportunities initially offered to her “all just went away” afterward. That includes a role in Empire (now a huge show for Fox) and the part in Lee Daniels’ The Butler that Oprah Winfrey ended up playing. Mo’Nique was also supposed to play Richard Pryor’s grandmother in a biopic—a role also snatched up by Oprah.
Lee Daniels sent a statement to THR that says:
“Mo’Nique is a creative force to be reckoned with. Her demands through Precious were not always in line with the campaign. This soured her relationship with the Hollywood community. I consider her a friend. I have and will always think of her for parts that we can collaborate on, however the consensus among the creative teams and powers thus far were to go another way with these roles.”
This is all curiously strange and sounds just like Hollywood.
Image via Getty