Once. size20, Mo'Ni “Igot sent this cone dress, andit’s alittle tight,” she says."Weskeeping me motivated: am going to wear ‘Photographs by BRIAN SMITH Mo’Nique’s 45 lbs. lighter, but with anew talk show and Oscar buzz for Precious, she’s never been bigger BY AMY ELISA KEITH alking into her family’s five-bed- room home out- side Atlanta after aday of tapingher new BET late-night talk show The ‘Mo'Nique Show is like walking “into aball oflove,” Mo'Nique says. There's her 19-year-old son, Shalon, “run- ning around,” and her rambunetious 4-year-old twins, Jonathan and David, who cry out “Mommy!” as soon as she gets through the door. “And then we got to play for a minute,” Mo’Nigue, 41, adds, “because I've been gone all day. Tickling, laughing, all ofthat. It’s like a playground in our house. Noth- ingbut fun and love” Its a sharp contrast to the world Mo'Nique inhabits in the new film Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire, which has the comedian starringasahorrifyingly brutal moth- er who physically and sexually abuses her own daughter. The transforma- tion is so astounding that Mo'Nique caught the eye of Oprah Winfrey, who later signed on as an executive producer of Precious. “In this role ‘Mo'Nique wasable to do the one thing that every actor hopes to be able to PEOPLE November 16,2009 87accomplish: to go there,” Winfrey says, “You can’t tell where the char- acter ends and she begins” Many critics now have Mo’Nique pegged as a surefire Academy Award nominee, although some have accused her of acting the diva recently for skipping a few film festivals and downplaying the significance of an Oscar. “Whenever I get an award, it’s appreciated,” the star insists. “But the business isn’t my life. My family, my babies; that’s my life” Which explains why, at the end of 2007, Mo’Nique made a bold deci- sion—one she knew might alienate some of the fans who have fol- lowed her since she launched herno-holds-barred stand-up actin the comedy clubs of her native Baltimore back in the early ’90s. She changed her eating habits and lost 45 Ibs., with her goal being to lose anoth- er 20, (For details, see box) “I laugh ‘when people say, ‘Oh, you're trying to get skinny,” says Mo'Nique, who is down to 217 Ibs. “When has America considered a woman over 200 Ibs. skinny? Am I trying to be healthy? Yes. [have beautiful children, and I want to live to meet their children.” beautiful,” says rans rast poets ‘The star also keeps her family first by making them part of her career. Not only is Shalon (her son from a previous relationship) arookie writer for The Mo'Nique Show, but her “lov- For years, Mo'Nique says, she sent a clear message to her fans: “Bigger is better.” Then in 2006 she hit 262 Ibs., and her doctor diagnosed her with high blood pressure. “Iknew something had to give,” she says. The 5'9” actress now hits the gym weekdays at 6 a.m. to work out trainer Erica Sammy; she has also traded red meat and fried foods for fresh fish and a gallon of water a day. ‘I still ove those damn Doritos, baby! And|'m telling you: The Keeb- lerelfis real,” she says. “But now then | get my blood-pressure num- bers, 'm ike, ‘Yes! I'm so happy.” “Mommy said there's a new ote ee era cee ica Cero eee ce LCA a oe ieee ier nen ueiteaeasacts Prana kencete a dit eek ee Pain en heoen bubciiec enc eenareean ny PRs ee oe SRL Uys Venere] Ponte Vier t] Se ete ety VE to mY oe eon mercntoncreepeadWhen I’mat home, 'mawife and mother. I take pride in that” -momaue ing and supportive” husband, Sid- ney Hicks, 42, is also her business partner. “Every single night, I put my twins to bed, andif I'm traveling, then Daddy doesit’ says Mo'Nique, who has taken “Hicks” as her last name. “Sid will wrestle with them, or we'll all watch a movie. We keep the party going!” Such lighthearted domestic scenes were scarce during Mo’- Nique’s own childhood, during which, she says, her older brother Gerald sexually abused her for four years starting when she was 7. Wespite repeated efforts to reach Gerald, he was unavailable for com- ment, But itwas because ofher past that Mo’Nique was unafraid to play an abuser in Precious. “Iknew who that monster was,” she says, And she also knew she had an opportu- nity to help other victims. “People come up to me at the airport, the grocery store,” she notes, “and say, “Thank you—I survived it too and we embrace.” ‘Mo'Nique keeps the hugs goingon her talk show set, where she embrac- es every single audience member at the end of a taping to thank them, she explains, “for buying tickets, get- ting an outfit and getting their hair done.” Then it’s time to head home for things like what Hicks calls “piz- zanight with the guys.” For thoseare the moments that make Mo'Nique feel like, “I'm in my dream right now,” she says, “I've read so many biographies where people are like, T gave everything to this business, and when all was said and done, there ‘was no one left for me,’ I don’t want to tell that story.” PROMOTION Fans Meet bestselling author/illustrator duo Jane O’Connor and Robin Preiss Glasser as they share their new book Saturday, November 7 11:00AM-1:00PM ‘Acoms Bookshop 32 Washington St. Tenafly, NJ Saturday, November 14 ‘11:00AM-1:00PM_ Every Picture Tells A Story. ‘1311-C Montana Ave. Santa Monica, CA SPONSORED By Neutrogena® Cosmetics + LUBRIDERM® * Sharpie® INASSOCIATION WITH HarperCollinsChildrensBooks