There’s always been legends and ‘secret society’ theories about the mainstream entertainment business. But while rumors of cliques, rituals and religions are one thing–the trail of actors (mainly of color) that are scorned, ‘left for dead,’ and actually denied work by the ‘powers that be’ is a historic and ongoing reality. The most recent star to be caught in the crossfire? According to a confirmation by Lee Daniels, Mo’Nique Was ‘Blackballed’ by Hollywood After Winning Her Oscar, for not “playing the game.”
It was a long road of stand up, sitcoms, specials, television and film #ForTheWin of Best Supporting Actress in 2010, and now it’s revealed Mo’Nique Was ‘Blackballed’ by Hollywood After Winning Her Oscar. While some argue she’s just been caught in the abyss of being a ‘best supporting actress’ winner, something many have struggled to progress from–confirmation from director Lee Daniels (Precious, The Butler, Empire) says there’s definitely more to the story. Though the former Queen of Comedy notes she’s “still a girl from Baltimore at heart” and generally did not let anyone take advantage of her while building her Hollywood career, she was called out in the past for being “tacky, tactless, and difficult.”
I got a phone call from Lee Daniels maybe six or seven months ago. And he said to me, “Mo’Nique, you’ve been blackballed.” And I said, “I’ve been blackballed? Why have I been blackballed?” And he said, “Because you didn’t play the game.” And I said, “Well, what game is that?” And he gave me no response.
The Mo’Nique Was ‘Blackballed’ by Hollywood After Winning Her Oscar story echoes the memory of Hattie McDaniels–the first black woman to win an Oscar in 1940 for Gone With The Wind, noting “it’s as if I had done something wrong.” The truth of the matter is the money, opportunities and respect that normally come with an Oscar win have simply NOT been the case for Mo’Nique, who hasn’t been in any major films since 2009. It’s reported Lee Daniels’ offers for her to play roles in The Butler, Empire, and an upcoming* Richard Pryor biopic were also all taken off the table.
Sources also point back to 2010 when Mo’Nique refused to do circuit-campaigning (special promo work you do for Oscar voters if your film is nominated), telling voters instead to “focus on her performance.” This did not go over well, apparently, even though she won (yikes). Lee Daniels had this to say, specifically:
“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.”
…wow, definitely a chop of the ax. What do you think of the fact and reason that Mo’Nique Was ‘Blackballed’ by Hollywood After Winning Her Oscar? Should Lee Daniels be charged with following the grain or can you not blame him for looking out for himself? Is this a direct line to the #OscarsSoWhite controversy? Does this change or confirm your opinion of the Academy Awards? If it was you, would you “play the game???”
Check the gallery up top, and the vid to see her Oscar acceptance speech.
