“I couldn’t call Hollywood and say, ‘Send over all your 300-pound black girls,’ ” Daniels explained. “They’d laugh”….Daniels saw 500 girls, including one of his nieces. Ten finalists, none of whom had ever acted before, were put through an aspiring-thespian “boot camp.” “It was kind of like ‘American Idol,’ ” Daniels said. “But I still wasn’t happy. We were weeks away from filming, and I still hadn’t found Precious.”
But when he met Sidibe, he knew he’d found his star.
Unlike Precious, Sidibe is well spoken and cheerful. “I’m not her,” Sidibe said emphatically. “But, when I was 14 or 15, I saw myself in a different way. Back then, I envied a life that I’d made up in my mind. I broke free of that unhappiness and I decided to change — I was going to be happy with myself. No matter what I look like, no matter what people think.” Daniels realized that Sidibe’s attitude was crucial to playing Precious.
In this interview, Sidibe talks about how the love she shared with Mo’Nique helped them get through the most brutal of the movie’s abuse scenes. It is a thrill to witness this talented young woman’s confidence and joy. Like Ellen, I want her to stay just who she is.
Celebrate Abraham Lincoln's Birthday Celebrate the birthday of our 16th President with some of the classic movies about his life. Ahead of us this are are the Steven Spielberg epic, based on Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin, with Daniel Day-Lewis and Sally Field, which will be out in Decem
Tribute: Whitney Houston Was there ever anyone more gifted than Whitney Houston? She had the face and voice of an angel. She had beauty, talent, and success including an unprecedented seven number one songs in a row and with Dolly Parton's song "I Will Always Love You" the biggest selling single by a female artist in hi
Trailer: Darling Companion Kevin Kline, Diane Keaton, and Richard Jenkins star in the upcoming "Darling Companion," about a lost dog, coming in April.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYYoaspzzlg[/youtube]
Maps of Enchanted Places The Awl has a wonderful illustrated story by Victoria Johnson featuring maps of the imaginary worlds of children's literature. The maps of The Phantom Tollbooth, The Princess Bride, Winnie the Pooh, The Wizard of Oz, The Hobbit, and more are as inviting as the stories that take place there. And
Black Reel Awards Pay Tribute to "The Help" It is an honor and a privilege to be invited to participate in one of my very favorite annual movie awards presentations, the Black Reel Awards, which pay tribute to the greatest achievements of the African-American community to the year in film. For 2011, we are proud to recognize the extraordina
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posted January 15, 2010 at 5:24 pm
ABSOLUTELY LOVE GABBY!!!!!!!!!SHE MAKES ALL THE SIDBES PROUD!!!KEEP IT UP!!
MWAAHHH
posted January 17, 2010 at 3:41 pm
Wonderful to hear from another Sidibe! Thanks for writing!