Mo'Nique
A fearless comedian and actress who shattered Hollywood's narrow beauty standards and claimed an Oscar with raw, unapologetic power.
Born 1967 (age 59)·American comedian and actress·Birthday: December 11·Generation X
Biography
Mo'Nique, born Monique Angela Hicks in Baltimore, carved her path through the unflinching world of stand-up comedy. Her big, commanding presence and razor-sharp wit made her a standout on the 'Queens of Comedy' tour, a platform she used to speak directly to the experiences of Black women. Television fame came with the sitcom 'The Parkers,' where she turned the plus-sized, confident Nikki Parker into a beloved character. But her true seismic shift came with Lee Daniels' 'Precious.' As the monstrously abusive mother Mary Jones, Mo'Nique delivered a performance of such terrifying, heartbreaking realism that it dominated the awards season, culminating in an Academy Award win she dedicated to "everybody who's ever been touched." Her career has been marked by a steadfast refusal to play by industry rules, advocating fiercely for equitable pay and respect, making her as significant a figure off-screen as on it.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Mo'Nique was born in 1967, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Mo'Nique Was Born
The biggest hits of 1967
#1 Movie
The Jungle Book
Best Picture
In the Heat of the Night
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Mo'Nique's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1967Born
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1972Started school
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1980Became a teenager
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Could drive
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1985Could vote
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Turned 21
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1997Turned 30
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 40
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 50
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 59 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in 'Precious' (2009).
- Starred as the lead in the UPN sitcom 'The Parkers' for five seasons.
- Received a Grammy nomination for Best Comedy Album for 'Mo'Nique: I Coulda Been Your Cellmate!' (2006).
- Was a featured performer on the groundbreaking 'The Queens of Comedy' stand-up tour and film.
Did You Know?
She worked as a customer service representative for MCI before her comedy career took off.
Her Oscar win for 'Precious' was the first for a Black actress in a decade.
She and her husband, Sidney Hicks, have hosted an unconventional talk show from their living room.
She was a radio host on Baltimore's WXYV-FM in the early 1990s.
“When you get a 'no,' that just means the next 'yes' is right around the corner.”
