WEBVTT - Mo'Nique Interview 0:00:01.080 --> 0:00:08.239 Real people, real celebrity joined the Breakfast Morning. Everybody is 0:00:08.320 --> 0:00:11.400 DJ Mvy, Angela Yee, Charlomagne the guy. We are the 0:00:11.440 --> 0:00:14.640 Breakfast Club. We have a special guest with us this morning. 0:00:14.880 --> 0:00:16.360 I don't even know, just calling one of the queens 0:00:16.360 --> 0:00:17.960 of comedy. You seem like you do so much more 0:00:18.000 --> 0:00:23.880 than that. Now, hey baby, good morning. She came in 0:00:23.960 --> 0:00:25.520 here on nights. I thought she was gonna come in 0:00:25.520 --> 0:00:27.920 and yell at us or something. Wow, Now I'm just kidding. 0:00:28.120 --> 0:00:32.040 She said, your reputation procede you. Everybody think you're difficult 0:00:32.040 --> 0:00:34.239 and angry all the time. For the folks that know me, 0:00:34.280 --> 0:00:36.839 they know that's that's truly a joke. Absolutely, I'm a 0:00:36.920 --> 0:00:40.920 simming this baby, don't know me too well kidding, I 0:00:42.040 --> 0:00:43.680 think you were going to really do that. Actually, I've 0:00:43.680 --> 0:00:46.040 seen a lot of your interviews lately, yes, and it 0:00:46.080 --> 0:00:48.199 does seem a little odd that people would act like 0:00:48.200 --> 0:00:50.600 you were so difficult and angry all the time. Obviously, 0:00:50.640 --> 0:00:53.240 we know you as a comedian first, you know, always 0:00:53.240 --> 0:00:55.400 pretty funny, and then we've seen you do some great 0:00:55.440 --> 0:00:58.640 acting roles. We've seen your you know, your own TV show, 0:00:58.680 --> 0:01:00.600 your own stock show. So I was like, where did 0:01:00.640 --> 0:01:02.800 this come from? You know, well, angry is the first 0:01:02.800 --> 0:01:05.040 time I've heard that word, and that's that's new for 0:01:05.200 --> 0:01:08.720 me this morning. The difficulty, I think comes in when 0:01:09.520 --> 0:01:12.640 they're used to hearing people say yes, and the moment 0:01:12.680 --> 0:01:15.960 you get that no, that can be considered difficult aboutely 0:01:15.959 --> 0:01:18.640 because if we're normally getting the yes and we run 0:01:18.640 --> 0:01:20.640 into the person that says no, that could be a 0:01:20.680 --> 0:01:23.240 little difficult that I'm not going to change my note 0:01:23.240 --> 0:01:25.600 toy yes, So I can see how people would say 0:01:25.600 --> 0:01:28.640 that absolutely that what you're saying no, you said you 0:01:28.720 --> 0:01:31.080 got that actually from Martin. Martin gave you some great advice. 0:01:31.880 --> 0:01:34.080 You know. When we did Roscoe Jenkins, that brother pulled 0:01:34.120 --> 0:01:37.240 me in his trailer and he said, Monique, don't ever 0:01:37.319 --> 0:01:39.640 let them tell you what you can't have. Now his 0:01:39.720 --> 0:01:43.839 trailer was a three floor penhouse. Okay, baby laid out, 0:01:43.959 --> 0:01:46.440 and as we were talking, that brother was just giving 0:01:46.440 --> 0:01:48.920 me that kind of brotherly and sisterly love, saying, they 0:01:48.960 --> 0:01:51.760 will tell you no, they will tell you it's impossible. 0:01:52.200 --> 0:01:54.240 Don't let them tell you what you can't have. As 0:01:54.280 --> 0:01:57.320 I'm standing in his three story penhouse trailer, now, let 0:01:57.320 --> 0:02:00.440 me ask you question as as our people black people 0:02:00.480 --> 0:02:02.480 say black people were scaring say black say black black 0:02:02.480 --> 0:02:06.360 people people. It feels like we're scared to say no. 0:02:06.760 --> 0:02:09.280 It feels like sometimes that when we get something, it 0:02:09.280 --> 0:02:11.760 feels like entitlement. You see that a lot with us, 0:02:11.800 --> 0:02:14.400 because no matter what it is, it seems like if 0:02:14.400 --> 0:02:16.360 somebody gives us something, we're like, okay, thank you, instead 0:02:16.360 --> 0:02:18.480 of saying no, that's not my value, that's not my worth. Well, 0:02:18.480 --> 0:02:21.519 I think historically we've done that, you know. I think 0:02:21.560 --> 0:02:24.079 that when you come from a place where we've never 0:02:24.120 --> 0:02:26.520 gotten any money to then we're gonna get a little 0:02:26.520 --> 0:02:28.720 bit of money and we're just grateful for that little 0:02:28.720 --> 0:02:31.120 bit of money. Then you have the people saying, well, no, 0:02:31.240 --> 0:02:33.480 we need our worth, and you still have those people 0:02:33.520 --> 0:02:37.160 saying we should just be happy with what we're getting. 0:02:37.320 --> 0:02:40.480 So it's not something that's new, it's something historically that 0:02:40.520 --> 0:02:43.480 has always happened. So to say do I see it now, well, 0:02:43.480 --> 0:02:46.679 we've always seen it. If we've been paying attention. Do 0:02:46.680 --> 0:02:49.000 you have a problem with like you say no, yes, 0:02:49.080 --> 0:02:53.360 and then another comedian who's doesn't care about their value 0:02:53.520 --> 0:02:55.200 or that's really just trying to trip you, we'll say 0:02:55.280 --> 0:02:56.720 yes and get that job, and that could have been 0:02:56.760 --> 0:02:58.600 something that maybe you could have got or something that 0:02:58.800 --> 0:03:00.639 would have been big for you, but you said no 0:03:00.720 --> 0:03:02.959 when they undercut you. Does that happen a lot to you? Well, 0:03:03.080 --> 0:03:04.920 I don't think it's a thing of undercutting. You know. 0:03:04.960 --> 0:03:08.480 If you read Lewis Gotsi's book, Lewis goots said, what 0:03:08.639 --> 0:03:12.280 Hollywood does understand what one won't do, another one will. 0:03:12.840 --> 0:03:16.560 So oftentimes you'll see us taking roles because when we 0:03:16.639 --> 0:03:19.200 take a stand and say I can't accept that you 0:03:19.280 --> 0:03:21.760 have to pay me what my resume says I'm worth, well, 0:03:21.800 --> 0:03:24.200 they say, well, you know what another one will. And 0:03:24.240 --> 0:03:26.520 I don't fault that other one, whoever that other one is, 0:03:26.560 --> 0:03:30.160 because I don't know that situation. So for whatever reason 0:03:30.240 --> 0:03:33.080 someone says yes I will, I can't judge it because 0:03:33.080 --> 0:03:35.360 I don't know it. I only know mine. And there 0:03:35.360 --> 0:03:37.800 are certain things that you have to say, we got 0:03:37.800 --> 0:03:40.000 a order line in the sand, because if not, my 0:03:40.040 --> 0:03:42.680 sweet sister, your opportunities wouldn't come to you the way 0:03:42.720 --> 0:03:45.040 that they do and for the next sister. So I 0:03:45.080 --> 0:03:47.320 think that's what this is all bawling down to. You 0:03:47.360 --> 0:03:49.200 have some that will and something that won't. What about 0:03:49.200 --> 0:03:51.040 all the independent movies that people are making that what 0:03:51.080 --> 0:03:52.840 if there's truly no budget, but you think it's a 0:03:52.840 --> 0:03:56.160 great script, but they can't pay you your resume? You know, 0:03:56.240 --> 0:03:58.040 then can you say, Okay, you know what, this is 0:03:58.080 --> 0:04:00.120 actually a great opportunity. I love it. I underst and 0:04:00.160 --> 0:04:02.320 that you're a new you know, you don't have the funding. 0:04:02.520 --> 0:04:05.040 I'm down, you know what. That's a great point, says 0:04:05.080 --> 0:04:08.240 And with Blackbird, the movie that's coming out Friday, April 0:04:08.240 --> 0:04:12.040 twenty fourth, it's independent and the reason why Sitney and 0:04:12.080 --> 0:04:13.760 I really wanted to be a part of it was 0:04:13.880 --> 0:04:17.240 number one, the message was amazing and it's amazing. Sitney, 0:04:17.279 --> 0:04:19.760 my husband and we were able to executive produce it. 0:04:20.000 --> 0:04:22.800 And we have real ownership, right So when you're that 0:04:22.839 --> 0:04:26.039 passionate about something and you say, I'll not take the 0:04:26.160 --> 0:04:29.680 full money upfront, but we own some of that. So 0:04:29.760 --> 0:04:32.840 in success, we will reap the benefits. As long as 0:04:32.880 --> 0:04:35.599 you see that movie, wherever you see it, we reap 0:04:35.680 --> 0:04:39.200 the benefits from it. Sometimes what happens is you'll see 0:04:39.240 --> 0:04:41.520 something over and over and over again, but we reap 0:04:41.560 --> 0:04:45.360 the benefit one time, then somebody else continues to reap 0:04:45.440 --> 0:04:49.000 that benefit. So for us, we appreciate the independent route 0:04:49.240 --> 0:04:52.200 because it gives us ownership of our image and our likeness, 0:04:52.279 --> 0:04:54.120 and they should appreciate that too, because and that means 0:04:54.120 --> 0:04:56.080 you believed in it so much that you're like, I 0:04:56.120 --> 0:04:57.880 want to put my name on this, I want to 0:04:57.880 --> 0:05:00.400 be involved. I know that my name and my skills 0:05:00.440 --> 0:05:01.760 are going to help take this to the next level, 0:05:01.760 --> 0:05:03.400 and we all get paid. You know. I think it's 0:05:03.400 --> 0:05:05.840 a mutual respect all the way around. You know, it's 0:05:06.080 --> 0:05:08.480 not one doing something for the other, it's we're doing 0:05:08.520 --> 0:05:10.960 something for each other, and we believe in the project. 0:05:11.200 --> 0:05:13.960 So let's get married together in this business deal and 0:05:14.000 --> 0:05:15.560 make it happen. It's easier to do that when you 0:05:15.640 --> 0:05:19.320 got the money, though, it's easier to do be independent. Well. 0:05:19.360 --> 0:05:21.680 You know, when you're independent, just like anything else, you 0:05:21.760 --> 0:05:24.520 go for funding, You go for investors, just like you're 0:05:24.520 --> 0:05:27.160 going to the studio. The studio is an investor. Now 0:05:27.240 --> 0:05:30.760 they get mostly all and then something back. But when 0:05:30.760 --> 0:05:33.480 you go independently, it's no different. You're going to those investors, 0:05:33.600 --> 0:05:35.480 those people to fund it. Now, what made you want 0:05:35.480 --> 0:05:37.280 to make Blackbird? Do you have somebody like in your 0:05:37.279 --> 0:05:40.160 family that's dealing with sexual identity issues? I think that 0:05:40.240 --> 0:05:42.760 every single person that's listening to every one of y'all, 0:05:42.839 --> 0:05:45.839 every one of us has somebody in our family that's 0:05:45.920 --> 0:05:48.839 dealing with or has dealt with their sexuality. And the 0:05:48.880 --> 0:05:51.960 reason why Blackbird was so important is because so many 0:05:52.000 --> 0:05:55.360 of our babies are struggling with trying to accept who 0:05:55.360 --> 0:05:59.680 they are and be accepted. Because in this day and age, 0:05:59.680 --> 0:06:02.880 you have people still struggling with something that makes you say, 0:06:03.040 --> 0:06:07.240 I can't believe we're still fighting with other human beings 0:06:07.279 --> 0:06:09.840 just to be the way they are. So with Blackbird, 0:06:10.000 --> 0:06:12.240 this is a story about a young brother coming up 0:06:12.279 --> 0:06:15.360 in a Deep South seventeen years old in high school 0:06:15.760 --> 0:06:18.800 on a roll student, a really good guy, but he's 0:06:18.839 --> 0:06:21.760 fighting with the sexuality because he's been raised in a 0:06:21.880 --> 0:06:25.520 strict Christian upbringing that it's a sin, you're condemned to hell, 0:06:25.960 --> 0:06:29.160 you are a disgrace if you are a homosexual. So 0:06:29.200 --> 0:06:31.599 you see this baby trying to deal with that. His mother, 0:06:31.680 --> 0:06:34.120 the character that I play, she's one of those women 0:06:34.120 --> 0:06:36.920 that she believes everything in the Bible, she believes everything 0:06:36.920 --> 0:06:39.160 on that pulpit. So to her to find out that 0:06:39.279 --> 0:06:41.720 her baby is gay and then she's still fighting the 0:06:41.880 --> 0:06:45.640 abduction of her daughter. Oh baby, she thinks that little 0:06:45.680 --> 0:06:48.599 boy has disgraced the family, going to hell. He is 0:06:48.640 --> 0:06:51.880 the worst creature on the face of this earth trying 0:06:51.880 --> 0:06:54.440 to deal with fat So you see the dynamic behind 0:06:54.480 --> 0:06:58.480 the duor. Isaiah Washington, who is absolutely brilliant, plays the 0:06:58.560 --> 0:07:00.719 dad in this movie. And only when you see a 0:07:00.760 --> 0:07:03.480 dad on TV plane, a father to a gay son, 0:07:03.720 --> 0:07:07.919 it's the church stereotypical. I hate you how it's the 0:07:08.000 --> 0:07:14.239 exact It is the exact opposent, and Isaiah Washington loves 0:07:14.240 --> 0:07:16.920 his baby through it. So we appreciative to show that 0:07:17.080 --> 0:07:20.240 character and not unique. There are fathers that love their 0:07:20.280 --> 0:07:22.520 sons through it, loved their daughters through it, but we 0:07:22.600 --> 0:07:24.400 just don't get a chance to see it. So it's 0:07:24.440 --> 0:07:26.840 one of those films that we believe will change hearts, 0:07:27.120 --> 0:07:32.720 open minds, and start different conversation, different conversations in our churches. Yes, 0:07:32.760 --> 0:07:34.920 my life, what made you want to take on another struggle? 0:07:34.920 --> 0:07:37.119 Because you're black, your female, you got your own issues 0:07:37.120 --> 0:07:38.600 in America? What made you want to deal with the 0:07:38.640 --> 0:07:42.640 issue of the issues homosexual homosexual face? You know, because 0:07:42.640 --> 0:07:45.800 it's just the issue of love. And when I was 0:07:45.840 --> 0:07:49.000 sixteen years old, I was introduced to that culture with 0:07:49.080 --> 0:07:53.000 some beautiful young gay black brothers and they all have 0:07:53.120 --> 0:07:56.120 the same story most of them. Did you know, I 0:07:56.160 --> 0:07:58.880 was thrown away the church don't want me no more? 0:07:59.360 --> 0:08:02.000 And their ruggling to find their place. Now most of 0:08:02.000 --> 0:08:04.960 those brothers are gone today. So during this movie was 0:08:05.000 --> 0:08:09.119 truly my love letter to those brothers saying we hope 0:08:09.240 --> 0:08:12.040 this makes a difference. And the brother playing the character, 0:08:12.120 --> 0:08:15.440 the star of the movie, Julian Walker, when I tell y'all, 0:08:15.480 --> 0:08:18.960 this baby was so brave and so courageous and so 0:08:19.040 --> 0:08:23.080 fearless because to take on that role and he didn't 0:08:23.080 --> 0:08:25.040 know to be afraid. It's the first thing he's ever done. 0:08:25.280 --> 0:08:28.680 Just like Gabaree, Citabey and Precious got the same feelings 0:08:28.720 --> 0:08:31.280 with that baby. With this baby, to take on such 0:08:31.320 --> 0:08:34.640 a role and not be concerned about what people might 0:08:34.679 --> 0:08:37.959 think and just give it its honesty. It is something 0:08:38.080 --> 0:08:40.280 to see that you and Lee Daniels cool because it's 0:08:40.280 --> 0:08:42.599 not right his alley. You know, I'm gonna say this, 0:08:42.760 --> 0:08:45.079 Lee Daniels and I are cool. It's one of those 0:08:45.120 --> 0:08:46.960 things when you know how you have a friend and 0:08:47.040 --> 0:08:49.000 a friend go to a left a little bit and 0:08:49.040 --> 0:08:51.040 you wait for him to come on back over. That's 0:08:51.080 --> 0:08:52.920 what it is. I'm just waiting for him to come 0:08:52.920 --> 0:08:56.240 on back over. That's come on back over, and you 0:08:57.000 --> 0:09:00.360 would work with him again. Yes, I think Lee Daniels 0:09:00.480 --> 0:09:02.840 is one of the most brilliant visionaries of our generation. 0:09:03.320 --> 0:09:05.240 Right now, why did you feel to need to show 0:09:05.280 --> 0:09:07.240 the emails about being offered the role of Cookie because 0:09:07.240 --> 0:09:09.079 they was lying on you because my character was in 0:09:09.200 --> 0:09:12.000 question and I took pride of my character. Now, if 0:09:12.320 --> 0:09:14.120 people who just joined us that they don't understand you 0:09:14.160 --> 0:09:17.440 were offered the role yes, Cookie, Yes, and yet the 0:09:17.440 --> 0:09:19.680 emails to prove it. But you know, on the other side, 0:09:19.679 --> 0:09:21.920 they were saying she was never offered that role. So 0:09:22.000 --> 0:09:23.800 it kind of made you look like girl. Didn't make 0:09:23.800 --> 0:09:33.440 me look crazy, y'all know, Mama ain't crazy. Yeah, that 0:09:33.520 --> 0:09:35.679 was it. It was. It was when mister Strong made 0:09:35.679 --> 0:09:37.840 the statement she was never offered the role and that 0:09:38.000 --> 0:09:41.480 never happened. It's like, as I have the communication here, right, so, 0:09:41.880 --> 0:09:43.640 I don't want to play that game, but I have 0:09:43.760 --> 0:09:46.280 to say, when you're putting something out that is not 0:09:46.360 --> 0:09:49.520 true and it's an attack on my character, let me 0:09:49.559 --> 0:09:51.480 show you what it is. So explain what happened. Break 0:09:51.480 --> 0:09:53.760 it down. So you got to offer the role, yes, Empire, 0:09:53.800 --> 0:09:56.559 of course Cookie, And then what happened got off with 0:09:56.640 --> 0:09:59.600 the role of Empire for Cookie and normally the way 0:09:59.679 --> 0:10:02.320 Leon I do business. When he called me for Shadowboxer, 0:10:02.600 --> 0:10:05.120 it was a call from Lee. Hey my mom got 0:10:05.120 --> 0:10:07.400 this part. I want you to play, No problem, send 0:10:07.400 --> 0:10:10.080 me the script. That's it. Attorneys get involved, we do 0:10:10.160 --> 0:10:13.520 the deal. Same thing with Prescious. Hey my mom got 0:10:13.559 --> 0:10:16.640 this role, want you to do it? We call attorneys, 0:10:16.640 --> 0:10:19.320 get involved. Deal is done. Well. It was no difference 0:10:19.320 --> 0:10:22.040 with this one. That's how we've always done business. Hey 0:10:22.040 --> 0:10:24.400 my mom got this role for you. It's Cookie for 0:10:24.440 --> 0:10:27.400 this pilot. I'm doing Empire. We laughed and joked about it, 0:10:27.440 --> 0:10:30.640 talked about it, got the size for it. He's sitting there, listen, 0:10:30.960 --> 0:10:33.480 you need to do this technical thing, this screen testing, 0:10:33.800 --> 0:10:35.640 because it's TV and you know I don't know too 0:10:35.720 --> 0:10:39.240 much about TV. No problem, brother, that's my boy. I'm 0:10:39.280 --> 0:10:41.600 gonna do it. While when we were waiting to get 0:10:41.600 --> 0:10:44.320 the date to do the screen tests, that's when all 0:10:44.400 --> 0:10:47.800 the confusion begin to come in. Cauls weren't being returned. 0:10:47.800 --> 0:10:50.440 It's like, Hey, what's happening? When I finally get a call, 0:10:50.840 --> 0:10:55.520 he says, listen, Fox said, you're difficult. I said, I'm difficult, 0:10:55.800 --> 0:10:58.280 he said, And I told them, let you be my difficulty. 0:10:58.800 --> 0:11:00.640 I said, brother, while, but you tell them that you're 0:11:00.720 --> 0:11:03.600 not never had any problems with each other. He was like, well, 0:11:03.600 --> 0:11:06.079 they just want to go with to Rogie p Henson. Hey, 0:11:06.200 --> 0:11:08.920 she's gonna knock it out the part, no problem, I said, 0:11:08.960 --> 0:11:11.360 but don't put it out there that your girl is difficult. 0:11:11.559 --> 0:11:13.080 He said, well, you know I can't let you mess 0:11:13.120 --> 0:11:16.080 with my money. Go get it, baby. That was what 0:11:16.080 --> 0:11:18.959 our conversation was. So when I see my brother going 0:11:18.960 --> 0:11:21.760 on TV and he says things that he know it's 0:11:21.760 --> 0:11:25.520 not true, it's like, just tell the conversation that we had. 0:11:25.800 --> 0:11:28.520 That's all. It's not right, wrong, or indifferent. Just tell 0:11:28.559 --> 0:11:30.360 the conversation that we had. You think you should have 0:11:30.400 --> 0:11:31.560 had your back though, you know, I mean you think 0:11:31.600 --> 0:11:33.320 you should have really, because 'all did movies with maybe 0:11:33.720 --> 0:11:38.120 his hands. Though. I don't want to mess with anybody's money. 0:11:38.640 --> 0:11:41.199 And if they're saying, listen, we're not gonna use her, 0:11:41.240 --> 0:11:43.160 we're not gonna do it with her. I don't want 0:11:43.160 --> 0:11:45.319 to mess with my brother's money, and to Rogie p 0:11:45.480 --> 0:11:49.720 Henson is the baddest Cookie Lions that television could ever see. 0:11:49.800 --> 0:11:52.440 So the person that was supposed to get it got it. 0:11:52.679 --> 0:11:54.600 But it has nothing to do with that. It's the 0:11:54.679 --> 0:11:57.360 principle of you putting it out there that it never happened. 0:11:57.400 --> 0:11:58.680 When you see that road, do you think that you 0:11:58.679 --> 0:12:01.800 could have pulled it off as good as you know? Again, 0:12:02.320 --> 0:12:06.679 my sister is killing it. There's no comparison. She's killing it. 0:12:06.679 --> 0:12:09.280 It's almost like, once you see somebody doing it, could 0:12:09.320 --> 0:12:13.600 anybody else be jj? Could anybody else have been nicky Poker? 0:12:14.240 --> 0:12:16.200 So when you see it, it's like there's no one 0:12:16.240 --> 0:12:18.320 else that could have been Cookie Lions of it than 0:12:18.360 --> 0:12:20.280 to Roger PN's Well, it's great that you've been coming 0:12:20.280 --> 0:12:22.120 out now and letting people know what really went down 0:12:22.120 --> 0:12:25.120 behind the scenes, because people were thinking, oh, maybe she's difficult. 0:12:25.120 --> 0:12:26.679 People don't want to work with her. So now are 0:12:26.679 --> 0:12:30.400 the offers pouring in? Well, you know the offers. When 0:12:30.440 --> 0:12:32.800 you say they pouring in, they never stopped coming. The 0:12:32.880 --> 0:12:35.680 scripts never stopped coming. Okay, they just didn't make sense, 0:12:35.720 --> 0:12:38.120 So there was no black ball that happened. That's the confusion. 0:12:38.120 --> 0:12:39.560 They say you black ball, But then you getting all 0:12:39.559 --> 0:12:41.680 these scripts offer there was no black I never said 0:12:41.679 --> 0:12:44.560 I was black ball. That was Lee Daniel's perception. And 0:12:44.600 --> 0:12:47.240 I tell people you have to actually Daniels about that, 0:12:47.640 --> 0:12:50.560 because it never stopped on my end. The reason why 0:12:50.559 --> 0:12:53.439 you hadn't seen me is because it just didn't make sense. 0:12:54.040 --> 0:12:57.040 And had I taken those roles and taking those offers, 0:12:57.240 --> 0:13:00.280 what do we leave for the sister coming behind us? Right? 0:13:01.320 --> 0:13:04.440 Got it? Go ahead? Monique's been around a long time. 0:13:05.120 --> 0:13:07.559 I'm sure this is your first time seeing how shady 0:13:07.559 --> 0:13:17.520 the industry is. But you know what, baby, it's life. 0:13:17.559 --> 0:13:21.280 It's not just Hollywood, It's it's across the board, and 0:13:21.400 --> 0:13:23.640 you just deal with it accordingly. And you have to 0:13:23.679 --> 0:13:25.760 ask the question, will you be willing to take a 0:13:25.840 --> 0:13:28.360 stand or will you consider to stay in the shade? 0:13:28.720 --> 0:13:30.160 Do you think that a lot of black people we 0:13:30.320 --> 0:13:32.880 take opportunity over money because we feel like it's not 0:13:32.880 --> 0:13:34.600 a lot of opportunity out there for us. We say, oh, 0:13:34.600 --> 0:13:36.000 we at least if I get in this position in 0:13:36.000 --> 0:13:38.800 the next person, you'll get paid. You know. That's that's 0:13:38.840 --> 0:13:41.120 a great question, And I think it really depends on 0:13:41.160 --> 0:13:45.280 the situation. You know, again, I can't judge anyone's situation, 0:13:45.559 --> 0:13:48.959 but I really think it depends on the situation at hand. 0:13:49.200 --> 0:13:50.960 You know, there was a story about this brother, Kirk 0:13:51.000 --> 0:13:54.640 flood Um baseball player, and I hope I'm saying this 0:13:54.760 --> 0:13:57.440 name correctly. And because of that brother is why we 0:13:57.520 --> 0:14:01.480 have free agency. And doing his time period, he was 0:14:01.520 --> 0:14:04.840 taking a stands in you're not paying us for our worth, 0:14:05.280 --> 0:14:08.320 and there were other players saying just be quiet and 0:14:08.440 --> 0:14:12.560 accepted because we've gotten an opportunity. Well, that man died, 0:14:13.360 --> 0:14:17.120 broke and ill, and then when they did the documentary 0:14:17.240 --> 0:14:20.720 documentary on him, all the players said that was alive 0:14:20.800 --> 0:14:23.280 during that time and played with him. He was right. 0:14:24.080 --> 0:14:27.320 We was just too afraid that we would get shut 0:14:27.360 --> 0:14:30.240 out and we had to feed our families. So again, 0:14:30.280 --> 0:14:33.520 you don't know people's situations, but it's just unfortunate. It 0:14:33.600 --> 0:14:35.840 takes some of us to leave here for people that 0:14:35.920 --> 0:14:38.720 didn't say they were right. Absolutely. Now, when you won 0:14:38.840 --> 0:14:41.400 the Academy award, was that a gift or was it 0:14:41.440 --> 0:14:45.720 a curse? Or was it both? It was appreciated, and 0:14:45.920 --> 0:14:49.360 any award I've ever won, I'm appreciative of it, But 0:14:49.440 --> 0:14:52.760 it wasn't the Academy that was that award that made 0:14:52.800 --> 0:14:55.360 me feel like this is that award. And I find 0:14:55.360 --> 0:14:58.200 it interesting because when we speak about what black people 0:14:58.240 --> 0:15:00.720 do and don't do, even when I come to us 0:15:01.080 --> 0:15:04.440 to do the interviews, no one's ever asked me how 0:15:04.520 --> 0:15:06.880 I felt the night that I'm won the Image Award, 0:15:07.320 --> 0:15:10.920 which is ours. No one's ever put value into our award. 0:15:11.160 --> 0:15:14.200 It's always the Oscar and I understand it because we've 0:15:14.200 --> 0:15:17.680 been conditioned to believe that's it. That's what I say 0:15:17.680 --> 0:15:19.400 about the Grammys when I see all these rappers and 0:15:19.400 --> 0:15:21.160 stuff there. I didn't even win a Grammar in the Grammy, 0:15:21.160 --> 0:15:22.840 but you don't feel that you don't even show up 0:15:22.880 --> 0:15:24.760 to the the b T Hip hop awards are to be 0:15:24.800 --> 0:15:28.640 when they call your neighbor. That's accept your award for you. 0:15:28.920 --> 0:15:32.760 It's like the moment we put value into us is 0:15:32.760 --> 0:15:36.000 the moment it becomes valuable. With the elbow point when 0:15:36.000 --> 0:15:38.120 you won out of school, you really was feeling yourself 0:15:38.120 --> 0:15:49.160 like I am the hit right now. No, baby, you 0:15:49.160 --> 0:15:51.680 know being an actress is something that literally fell in 0:15:51.760 --> 0:15:53.720 my lap. But you're from the bottom though, like you 0:15:53.840 --> 0:16:04.960 was a stand up comic. Is that I'm never head, baby, 0:16:04.960 --> 0:16:07.760 don't make me bring Drake to the show. Don't do 0:16:07.800 --> 0:16:13.600 it from the stage comments, Yes, they come up from 0:16:13.640 --> 0:16:16.320 that stage. Win the Academy award. That's a big big deal, 0:16:17.840 --> 0:16:20.800 you know. To to win any award is a big 0:16:20.840 --> 0:16:24.160 big deal for me because whenever they call my name, 0:16:24.200 --> 0:16:28.120 I'm that little girl standing in my bathroom mirror saying, 0:16:28.200 --> 0:16:30.400 one day with a brush in my hand and a 0:16:30.480 --> 0:16:33.000 tail around my body, I'm that little girl. And I 0:16:33.000 --> 0:16:35.480 don't care what award it is, but the trophies that 0:16:35.520 --> 0:16:40.360 I'm really appreciative of. My son's football trophy. Talk about 0:16:42.160 --> 0:16:45.240 one is twenty five. Michael's eleven, and the twins David 0:16:45.280 --> 0:16:48.480 and Jonathan are nine. Now, y'all gotta understand why the 0:16:48.520 --> 0:16:51.680 football trophies are the biggest trophies and the hits residence 0:16:51.760 --> 0:16:55.600 because Michael is a superstar football player. Baby. He runs 0:16:55.640 --> 0:16:59.200 all around these children, touchdowns, tackles. He's getting it. But 0:16:59.320 --> 0:17:02.960 the twins, okay, they don't. They don't really do it 0:17:03.040 --> 0:17:05.919 like that. So when they got their trophies, we were 0:17:06.000 --> 0:17:11.159 so proud. We were like, these on the trophies right here, baby. 0:17:11.400 --> 0:17:14.080 But now did I show off with those trophies? Yes? 0:17:14.160 --> 0:17:16.440 I did. I called all my friends and said, y'all 0:17:16.480 --> 0:17:18.560 don't even want to see none of this, baby, the 0:17:18.720 --> 0:17:22.520 Hicks Brothers trophy. Do you ever think about going and 0:17:22.600 --> 0:17:24.760 doing another stand up comedy tour about That's the same 0:17:24.800 --> 0:17:28.399 thing I've never stopped. I've never stopped like a full tour. 0:17:28.680 --> 0:17:30.639 Like before I came here to New York, I was 0:17:30.640 --> 0:17:35.159 in cents a Tucky doing the improfit Censor Tucky. Okay, 0:17:35.200 --> 0:17:40.040 it's Cincinnati and Kentucky, baby, but crossed the street over 0:17:40.240 --> 0:17:43.159 on the other and they call it Censor Tucky. I 0:17:43.240 --> 0:17:45.639 was confused to listen, baby, that don't sound like a 0:17:45.640 --> 0:17:48.040 difficult person to me. Let me tell you, I love 0:17:48.119 --> 0:17:52.359 that circuit because it gives me the opportunity to say 0:17:52.400 --> 0:17:55.440 thank you, and it gives me the opportunity to continue 0:17:55.440 --> 0:17:57.960 to say no to things that just don't make sense. 0:17:58.880 --> 0:18:03.080 And when I was listening to Richard Pryor, Richard Pryor's 0:18:03.119 --> 0:18:05.639 best work and my humble opinion for me, was in 0:18:05.680 --> 0:18:08.800 the clubs. It was when it was intimate, right there 0:18:09.160 --> 0:18:11.560 in your face. You could feel that I'm smoking, you 0:18:11.560 --> 0:18:14.120 can feel I'm drinking, you can feel the waitresses. That 0:18:14.240 --> 0:18:16.960 was the best for me, and I love that intimacy. 0:18:17.160 --> 0:18:19.199 I love being on that club stage, and we are 0:18:19.320 --> 0:18:22.520 right there together even after all of that, and they 0:18:22.520 --> 0:18:24.280 say more, why would you come back to the clubs? 0:18:24.640 --> 0:18:27.560 Because I can and I'm supposed to. And it's my 0:18:27.600 --> 0:18:30.240 way of saying thank you and thank y'all for letting 0:18:30.280 --> 0:18:32.280 me to continue to say no to things that don't 0:18:32.320 --> 0:18:34.160 make sense. That means you're making a lot of money 0:18:34.160 --> 0:18:43.320 in them clubs. This HBO. Bessie said, yeah, what is Bessie? 0:18:44.280 --> 0:18:46.520 What is this? Blacks? Where the black balling coming from? 0:18:46.520 --> 0:18:52.560 You're getting all his working man? Now, now you could 0:18:52.760 --> 0:18:56.040 day the face that's the playground face. I don't know. 0:18:56.520 --> 0:18:59.800 They said mean things about me in the sind ybe No, 0:19:00.520 --> 0:19:02.320 they don't want to get on the sea saw with me. 0:19:02.440 --> 0:19:06.720 I go no. You know again, you know how they say, 0:19:06.800 --> 0:19:09.880 don't believe everything you hear and half of what you see. 0:19:10.400 --> 0:19:12.960 It was so easy to jump to the negative. It 0:19:13.040 --> 0:19:15.879 was so easy. And people said, Monique, how do you 0:19:15.920 --> 0:19:18.879 feel that some of your peers or people were saying 0:19:18.920 --> 0:19:21.040 this and that. I said, y'all, I'm no different than 0:19:21.080 --> 0:19:24.359 the sister that working the burger king. Somebody started a 0:19:24.440 --> 0:19:27.080 rumor and it kept spreading and it went to all 0:19:27.080 --> 0:19:29.680 the burger kings in that region, and no one came 0:19:29.720 --> 0:19:31.680 to the sister that was frying to god dag on 0:19:31.760 --> 0:19:34.960 burgers and asked her, what really happened? Did you really 0:19:35.040 --> 0:19:36.840 drop the burger on the floor and put it back 0:19:36.840 --> 0:19:38.399 in the bun and give it to the president of 0:19:38.440 --> 0:19:41.320 the company. No one ever took the time out to ask. 0:19:41.400 --> 0:19:45.320 So it's just being able to say for what really happened. 0:19:45.520 --> 0:19:48.520 And I appreciate the brothers and sisters to say, mo, 0:19:48.720 --> 0:19:52.040 what happened instead of jumping to that place of this 0:19:52.119 --> 0:19:58.159 is what went down and we know it. Bessie Smith 0:19:59.400 --> 0:20:02.520 was one of the greatest blue singers of our time, 0:20:03.119 --> 0:20:09.040