Acclaimed Actress Addresses Recent Hollywood Controversy, Talks Wage Inequality and Reveals Next Creative Steps in News One Now First-Ever Primetime Special

buzzz worthy. . .

Roland Martin with Mo'Nique

Photo Credit Lindsey Wright / TV One and The FrontPage Firm

Silver Spring, MD  - TV One has announced that News One Now - the first morning news program in history to focus on news and analysis of politics, entertainment, sports, and culture from an explicitly African American perspective - will air its first-ever primetime special with the Oscar® winning actress Mo'Nique on Sunday, March 22nd at 10PM/EDT. Recently recorded in Atlanta, Host and Managing Editor Roland Martin sat down for a one-on-one interview to discuss the recent controversy surrounding reports that Mo'Nique experienced backlash following her groundbreaking role in Precious. Mo'Nique also opened up about wage inequality in Hollywood, her current approach to sustaining a career in the entertainment industry and her role in the upcoming independent film Blackbird. "NewsOneNow has featured some of today's top Blacks in Hollywood, whether its Eddie Murphy, Tyler Perry, Jamie Foxx, Kerry Washington or directors Spike Lee, Ava DuVernay and Gina Prince-Bythewood. But we don't just focus on their latest project; we also offer them a platform to speak about the business of Hollywood, and the political issues and challenges they face as African Americans," said Martin. "We are pleased to extend and deepen the discussion in our first primetime special with the multi-talented and award-winning  Mo'Nique, who offered our audience never-before-revealed information, as well as her focus on charting her own path to success in the entertainment industry."

Excerpts from the interview below:

On wage inequality in Hollywood:

"When you hear our sisters Patricia Arquette and Gwyneth Paltrow, who our are White sisters in this business, and they're saying we want wage equality, we want to be treated equal, well if they're saying it, what do you think we're (actresses of color) getting?"

On reputation of being demanding:

"When I watch Mr. Daniels make statements like I was demanding, and I was difficult, Mr. Daniels knows that is not true because he and I have never had an issue at all. If I were that person, why ever would you offer me the role of 'Gloria' in The Butler, why ever would you offer me the role of 'Cookie' in Empire?"  

On the personal toll endured by pursing fame:

"This is my third marriage. (With) the first two marriages, I was chasing (fame) and really didn't understand what it is to be a wife... Now that my son is 25, we have a very strained relationship because during that time when he was a little boy I was out chasing, so my prayer was 'please give me another chance'."