How to go
Who: Mo’Nique
Where: Funny Bone Comedy Club, 88 Plum St., The Greene, Beavercreek
When: 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Cost: $40-$70
More info: 937-429-LAFF (5233) or www.daytonfunnybone.com
Artist info: www.moniqueworldwide.org
Actor-comedian Mo’Nique has had a very diverse career, from stand-up comic and sitcom star to talk show host and dramatic film actress. Here’s a brief rundown on Mo’Nique, who is performing at the Funny Bone Comedy Club in Beavercreek on Friday and Saturday.
Family history: Mo'Nique was born Monique Imes in Baltimore, Md., on Dec. 11, 1967. She is the mother of pre-teen twin boys, David and Jonathan, and an older son, Shalon, who is in his early 20s.
Innate talent: Friends and family knew the youngster was funny, but Mo'Nique was reluctant to tell jokes publicly until one of her brothers dared her to get on stage. She was a natural. The resultant standing ovation set her moving forward on her path as a performer.
Special kind of humor: Mo'Nique went on to deliver notable stand-up appearances on "Showtime at the Apollo," HBO's "Def Comedy Jam" and BET's "Comic View." She solidified her power in the comedy scene in 2002 with the acclaimed Showtime special, "The Queens of Comedy." The corresponding album was nominated for a Grammy for Best Spoken Comedy Album.
Ready for primetime: The comedian made her television acting debut as Nikki Parker, the star of the UPN series "The Parkers." The series ran from 1999 to 2004. She has also guest starred on such diverse television programs as "Ugly Betty," "Nip/Tuck" and "The Game."
Real talk: "Mo'Nique's F.A.T. Chance," considered America's first full-figured beauty pageant-themed reality show, premiered on the Oxygen channel in 2005. It aired for three seasons. From 2009 to 2011, she was host of the BET late night series "The Mo'Nique Show," which ran for more than 300 episodes.
Not all jokes: After appearing in big screen comedies like "Phat Girlz" and "Beerfest," Mo'Nique defied expectations in 2009 with her dramatic turn as the abusive Mary Jones in the hit film "Precious." She won the Oscar Award for Best Supporting Actress for the powerful role.
Taking the reins: Mo'Nique's next dramatic role is in the upcoming feature film, "Blackbird," co-starring Isaiah Washington. She is co-executive producing the film with her husband Sidney Hicks.
Get fit: Mo'Nique has been a vocal supporter of full-figured women. She is the co-author of books such as "Skinny Women Are Evil" and "Skinny Cooks Can't Be Trusted" and the subject reoccurs frequently in her stand-up act. However, over the past several years she has been on a very public quest to get healthy. She has lost more than 80 pounds.
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