Mo’Nique 2015: Oscar-Winning Star Says she was Blackballed for Being Difficult, Missed Out on Roles in 'The Butler' & 'Empire'
In a recent interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Mo'Nique revealed she learned from "Precious" director Lee Daniels she had been blackballed in Hollywood.
Though Mo'Nique won an Academy award for her role in Daniels' "Precious," she was still blacklisted for future acting roles because she did not play the Hollywood game.
"I got a phone call from Lee Daniels maybe six or seven months ago," she said. "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."
But despite Daniel's failure to give her a specific reason, Mo'Nique speculated her bad attitude and desire to work independently with her husband, Sidney Hicks, are the reasons for her Hollywood downfall.
"There have been people that have said, 'Mo'Nique, she can be difficult. Mo'Nique and her husband can be difficult.' They could probably be right. One of the networks said to [Lee] that I was 'really difficult to work with.' And I said, 'Well, that's funny, because I've never even worked with them, but OK,'" she said.
And even though Daniels is the one who allegedly told Mo'Nique about Hollywood blackballing her, he still fought hard to cast Mo'Nique in several of his projects including "The Butler" and "Empire," but he did not succeed due to the negative reputation Mo'Nique has already developed.
"Well, actually, I was offered the role in 'The Butler' that Oprah Winfrey played. I was also approached by 'Empire' to be on 'Empire.' And I was also offered the role as Richard Pryor's grandmother," she said. "Each of those things that he offered me was taken off the table. They all just went away. But that's just part of the business, you know? I can't be upset at anybody, 'cause life is too good. It's just what it is."
In an effort to overcome her obstacles in Hollywood, Mo'Nique and her husband decided to work independently on upcoming film,"Black Bird," set to be released on April 24.
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