Mo'Nique, born Monique Angela Imes on December 11, 1967, in Woodlawn, Maryland, is an American stand-up comedian, actress, and talk-show host recognized for her bold, bawdy humor and dramatic performances.[1][2][3] The youngest of four children to an engineer mother and drug counselor father, she began her career after her brother encouraged her to perform stand-up in Baltimore, receiving a standing ovation that propelled her forward.[3][4][5] She attended Morgan State University and the Broadcasting Institute of Maryland before quitting a phone company job to pursue entertainment full-time.[3][5][7] Mo'Nique rose to fame starring as single mother Nikki Parker on the UPN sitcom *The Parkers* (1999–2004), earning four NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series (2001, 2002, 2004, 2005).[2][3][5] She hosted NBC's *Showtime at the Apollo* for three seasons starting in 2002, becoming the first woman to do so, and headlined the 2001 stand-up tour and film *The Queens of Comedy*, which garnered a Grammy nomination for Best Comedy Album.[2][5] Transitioning to drama, she debuted in *Shadowboxer* (2005) and voiced a role in *Farce of the Penguins* (2006).[1] Her breakthrough came with the role of abusive mother Mary Lee Johnston in *Precious* (2009), winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, along with a BAFTA, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild Award, and over 30 others, including Sundance's Special Jury Prize.[1][2][3][4][6] She hosted *The Mo'Nique Show* on BET (2009–2011), *Mo’Nique’s F.A.T. Chance* (2005–2007), and produced the 2015 film *Interwoven*.[1][2] Notable later roles include Ma Rainey in HBO's *Bessie* (2015), earning a Primetime Emmy nomination, and Claire Rousseau in *Blackbird* (2019).[1][2] She released the Netflix special *My Name Is Mo’Nique* and hosted *Mo’Nique & Friends: Live from Atlanta* (2020).[1][3] A mother of three—son Shalon from her first marriage (1997–2001) and twins with husband Sidney Hicks (married 2006)—Mo'Nique authored *Skinny Women Are Evil* (2003) and *Skinny Cooks Can’t Be Trusted* (2006).[1][7] She remains active in comedy tours and continues challenging body image norms through her unfiltered voice.[2][5]