Monique Angela Imes Hicks, also known as Mo’Nique, was born on 11 December 1967, in Baltimore Maryland, USA. She is an actress and comedian, probably best known for her acclaimed performance in the 2009 movie “Precious”. She was also part of the television show “The Parkers” and has starred in numerous comedy films. Her work in the entertainment industry since the late ’90s has helped raise her net worth.
How rich is Monique? Sources estimate that her net worth is over $13 million as of early 2016, most of it attributed to her work as an actress and comedian. She’s had numerous opportunities working on and off of the screen, and she’s also written a few books that have helped in raising her wealth.
Mo’Nique Net Worth $13 Million
Her comedy and acting career began after she graduated from the Broadcasting Institute of Maryland in 1987. She worked as a customer service representative for a ‘phone company and accidentally discovered her prowess for comedy after her brother dared her to perform at an open mic night in Baltimore. Her first television role came in 1999 when she was cast for the UPN series “The Parkers”. She also went on to perform comedy routines in various television shows like “Showtime at the Apollo”, “Russell Simmons’ Def Comedy Jam”, and “Thank God You’re here”. After “The Parkers” ended in 2004, she found work being a host for various television shows, and she also did documentaries and guest-starred in “Ugly Betty”. She had her own show called “The Mo’Nique Show” which ran from 2009 until 2011.
Along with her television work, she began appearing in films, that helped increase her net worth. She starred in films like “Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins, “Two Can Play That Game” and “Half Past Dead”. She had a significant role in the 2005 film “Domino” which starred Keira Knightley and Mickey Rourke. Her biggest and most notable work came with her role for the movie “Precious” which earned her 30 various awards for her performance, including an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, Golden Globe, Critics Choice Award, Screen Actors Guild Award and BAFTA Awards.
Aside from film and television, she worked on the theater play “The Vagina Monologues”. And she also did a year of radio on a show entitled “Mo’Nique in the Afternoon”. She has authored two books, the first entitled “Skinny Women Are Evil: Notes of a Bigg Girl in a Small Minded World” became a best-seller. The second book was a cookbook called “Skinny Cooks Can’t Be Trusted”.
In Monique’s personal life, she was engaged to accountant Kenny Mung but the wedding never eventuated. From 1997-2001 she was married to Mark Jackson and they have a son. In 2005, she gave birth to twin boys and a year after married their father Sidney Hicks. In coverage from the New York Times she mentions that the couple have an open marriage in which she declares it’s more of a relationship that keeps no secrets.
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress (2009), Golden Globe Award, Critics Choice Award, Screen Actors Guild Award, BAFTA Awards, Black Reel Award (2003)
Nominations
NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture, BET Comedy Awards (2004), Satellite Award, Primetime Emmy Award
Movies
“Precious” (2009), “Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins, “Two Can Play That Game”, “Half Past Dead”, “Domino (2005)
TV Shows
“The Parkers” (1999-2004), “Showtime at the Apollo”, “Russell Simmons’ Def Comedy Jam”, “Thank God You’re here”, “The Mo'Nique Show” (2009-2011), “Mo'Nique in the Afternoon”
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Quote
1
I would like to thank the Academy for showing that it can be about the performance and not the politics. I want to thank Miss Hattie McDaniel for enduring all that she had to so that I would not have to. Tyler Perry and Oprah Winfrey because you touched it, the whole world saw it. Ricky Anderson, our attorney of Anderson & Smith, thank you for your hard work. My entire BET family, my Precious family, thank you so much. To my amazing husband Sidney, thank you for showing me that sometimes you have to forego doing what's popular in order to do what's right. And baby, you were so right. God bless us all. [Academy Award acceptance speech for Best Supporting Actress for Precious (2009)]
2
I don't think that anyone should be in control of a relationship. I think that if you have a woman that controls her man, he is a puppet and he is weak.
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Fact
1
Was the 135th actress to receive an Academy Award; she won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for Precious (2009) at The 82nd Annual Academy Awards (2010) on March 7, 2010.
2
Release of her book, "Skinny Women Are Evil: Notes of a Big Girl in a Small-Minded World" by Mo'Nique with Sherri A. McGee. [2003]
3
Release of her book, "Skinny Cooks Can't Be Trusted" by Mo'Nique with Sherri A. McGee McCovey. [2006]
4
Won 30 major awards for her portrayal of Mary in Precious (2009), including all the awards that are considered the biggest (except Cannes). She was also nominated for 5 more awards for the same film.
5
Gave birth to twin boys (her third and fourth child) at age 37, Jonathan Hicks and David Hicks on October 3, 2005. Children's father is her boyfriend [now second husband], Sidney Hicks.
6
Has two sons from her first husband Mark Jackson - Shalon Jackson (b.1990) and Mark Jackson, Jr. (b.1992, adopted).
7
Brother Gerald Imes publicly apologized to her on The Oprah Winfrey Show (1986) for molesting his sister when they were children. He revealed during his appearance that he himself was molested and was drinking alcohol and using drugs by the time he was 11 and that he started to molest Mo'Nique when he was 13 and she was 7/8 for about a year.
The outfit she wore to the Oscars in 2010, the year she won for Best Supporting Actress, was inspired by what Hattie McDaniel, the first African-American Oscar winner, wore to the Oscar ceremony in 1940, the year in which she also won for Best Supporting Actress.
$13 Million
