Why I Love ...
Baltimore
Oscar-winning actress
Mo’Nique on the town
that made her famous
Actress Mo’nique (born Monique Imes)
vaulted herself onto Hollywood’s A-list
last year with her Oscar-winning turn
as an abusive mother in Precious: Based
on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire. But the
Baltimore native had already been a star
in her hometown for more than a decade
by then, having worked her way up the
stand-up comedy ranks and owning her
own comedy club.
Known for her unpredictable brand
of pull-no-punches irreverence,
Mo’Nique seems to pride herself on
keeping it real, and she credits her
Baltimore roots with giving her that
grounded sensibility.
“For me, Baltimore is a very real
place,” she says. “I grew up in a diverse
neighborhood, and that community,
with the crabs and the harbor, gave
me a very real sense of home. There’s
a sense of realness about Baltimore
that I carry with me to this day.”
That sense of realism has propelled
the comedienne’s career in recent years,
whether she was hosting Mo’Nique’s Fat
Chance (a beauty pageant for plus-size
women on the Oxygen channel), talking
with incarcerated women in her 2007
documentary I Coulda Been Your Cell-
mate or hosting her own BET talk show.
As her comedy has become increasingly
personal, Mo’Nique has emerged as the
ultimate relatable everywoman.
“I really do think I’m the typical
Despite the o;ers her historic Oscar win
brought, Mo’Nique seems determined to stay
true to her roots, embarking on a nationwide
stand-up comedy tour rather than “going Holly-
wood.” When asked about the future, she insists
she’s happy with where her career is right now
and that her primary goals have nothing to do
with showbiz.
“I have 4-year-old twins, a son who’s 6 and
another son who’s 19,” she says, referring to her
increased focus on her health. “So my biggest
challenge right now has nothing to do with this
business. It has to do with making sure I live
long enough to meet my grandchildren. Whatever tomorrow brings is OK.”
The best
places to ...
GRAB A BITE
Ocean Pride Seafood
1534 York Road, Lutherville;
410-321-7744 • “Whenever
I go back to Baltimore,
I make sure I get me some
crabs at Ocean Pride,”
Mo’Nique says of the casual
crab shack, a favorite of
locals and visitors alike.
LEARN ABOUT
AFRICAN;AMERICAN
HISTORY
The National Great
Blacks in Wax Museum
1601–03 E. North Ave.;
410-563-3404 • This unique
attraction pays tribute to
iconic Baltimore residents
such as Frederick Douglass
and Thurgood Marshall as
well as dozens of other
influential figures from
African-American history.
SEE STAND;UP
COMEDY
The Baltimore
Comedy Factory
36 Light St.; 410-547-7798
• “Gatsby’s nightclub
was where I told my
first joke on stage,” the
comedienne-turned-
actress recalls, but
this comedy
club above
Burke’s
Restaurant
was “where
I first realized
I wanted to do
comedy for real.”
