In the new film Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins, comedienne Mo'Nique co-stars as Betty Jenkins, of the loving, but dysfunctional Jenkins family. She shares the big screen with an impressive roster of leading men, including actors Martin Lawrence, James Earl Jones and Cedric the Entertainer.
Mo'Nique bypassed the audition process because Betty Jenkins' character was tailored for the actress by the film's director, Malcolm Lee.
"I don't think Betty Jenkins is too far removed from Mo'Nique," says the talented star, whose career spans from stand-up comedy to television sitcoms, to New York Times best-selling author.
The Baltimore native is familiar to many audiences for her television projects. Mo'Nique was first introduced to mainstream audiences with the hit sitcom, "The Parkers," which had a five-year run on UPN. She also wowed audiences with "Charm School," the popular VH1 reality program, which claimed to teach women the "Ten Commandments" of charm.
But her latest reality television project, "Mo'Nique's Fat Chance," might have audiences talking the most. The new season reaches out to help "big women who have a lot of talent." The boot camp-like series travels to Paris with five plus-size women who are taught lessons in fashion etiquette and self-love.
Conscious of Paris' stigma as "the capital of thin," the program is an extension of Mo'Nique's passion to challenge the widespread notion that beauty is defined exclusively by petite-sized women.
"I've heard the cruelty ... simply because I got a double belly. I refuse to beg you to let me play with you, so let's create our own playground," she explains.
The actress, wife and mother talks extensively about her career, family life and what's next on her agenda.
Written and produced for the Web by Lee Hill.
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