It was Mo'Nique, after all, who caused even bootylicious Beyonc to bow down to bigness by stealing the show - and the diva's moves - at the 2005 BET Awards. Mo, wearing a cleavage-baring mini-dress and stilettos, and assisted by a posse of similarly thick dancers, opened the show with a rump-shaking rendition of "Crazy in Love" that had Beyonc, the rest of the audience, and millions of viewers up on their feet applauding, in jaw-dropping delight. (Go to www.1monique.com/mainv3.html.)
The dance sealed the deal, making Mo'Nique the official poster child for the big girls. It's a title she relishes. "When we were rehearsing for the show," she says, "the ladies said, 'Mo'Nique, they're going to see our panties.' I told them that's OK. Just shake what your mama gave you and I guarantee you will make history!"
Mo'Nique's new comedy, Phat Girlz, which opens Friday, keeps with the voluptuous theme. Nnegest Likk, who wrote and directed the movie on a $2.5 million budget, knew she wanted Mo'Nique to star after watching the comedian perform in the Queens of Comedy video.
In Phat Girlz, Mo'Nique plays an aspiring fashion designer who struggles to find acceptance. The story explores love and self-esteem issues.
"I wanted to write a plus-size story, which is my story," says Likk, who despite being a curvy size 14, has a hard time finding a sexy dress in Hollywood, the land of skin and bones. "I didn't want anybody in a fat suit or anybody 'acting' like they were fat."
Mo'Nique loved the script as soon as she started reading it. "I remember I was taking a bath and the water turned from hot to cold," she said. "I told [Likk], 'Baby, you have got yourself a hit and I would be honored to be in it.' "
Blame the film for Mo'Nique's skipping breakfast: She was so busy talking it up, she didn't have time to order.
