Gabourey "Gabby" Sidibe, the star of Precious (2009), is a native of the Bedford Stuyvesant community in Brooklyn, New York.
Her mother is a former special education teacher who gave up her career and became a street performer while her father is a Senegalese cab driver.
Her parents split when she was a youngster and Gabby grew up in Harlem. Though she was cast in school plays as a child, Sidibe had no interest in acting. She had witnessed her mother's financial struggles as a street singer and wanted the security that an education and a desk job would give her. After attending local colleges, Gabby pursued a degree in psychology at Mercy College. She was in the middle of preparing for an exam when a friend phoned her about an audition for the newest effort from Lee Daniels, Precious (2009).
Instead
of attending class, she ended up being cast in the title role as
Claireece "Precious" Jones, a taciturn, sixteen year-old who is pregnant
for the second time after being raped by her father and is also on the
receiving end of constant physical abuse by her mother. As grim as the
subject matter is, Precious (2009) has become critical success and a source of inspiration for many. While her co-stars, Mo'Nique and Mariah Carey
have both received a great deal of critical attention, it is Gabby who
is the revelation as Precious, a character whose personality is quite
different from her own. Anyone expecting a damaged young woman with no
self-esteem is in for a shock after meeting the charming Sidibe. She
hopes that her success in the film will motivate others to chase their
dreams.
Precious (2009) has opened other doors for Sidibe. She has also completed shooting Yelling to the Sky (2011), a project from the Sundance Lab that also stars Zoe Kravitz and has other projects in the works.
- IMDb Mini Biography By: digitaldiva
Her mother is a former special education teacher who gave up her career and became a street performer while her father is a Senegalese cab driver.
Her parents split when she was a youngster and Gabby grew up in Harlem. Though she was cast in school plays as a child, Sidibe had no interest in acting. She had witnessed her mother's financial struggles as a street singer and wanted the security that an education and a desk job would give her. After attending local colleges, Gabby pursued a degree in psychology at Mercy College. She was in the middle of preparing for an exam when a friend phoned her about an audition for the newest effort from Lee Daniels, Precious (2009).
- IMDb Mini Biography By: digitaldiva
Trivia
Has been a fan of the singing group 'N Sync since she was a teen and has attended 23 of their concerts.
Studied psychology at Mercy College, New York City.
Attended The City College of New York whose alumni include Edward G. Robinson Woody Allen, Ira Gershwin, Paddy Chayefsky, Stanley Kubrick, Eli Wallach among many others.
Attended the Borough of Manhattan Community College whose most famous alumnus is Queen Latifah.
Daughter of Alice Tan Ridley.
Parents split when she was younger.
Her father is from Senegal. Her mother is African-American, and is originally from Georgia.
Is one of 10 African-American actresses to be nominated for the
Best Actress Oscar. The others in chronological order are: Dorothy Dandridge, Diana Ross, Cicely Tyson, Diahann Carroll, Whoopi Goldberg, Angela Bassett, Halle Berry, Viola Davis, and Quvenzhané Wallis.
Personal Quotes
I learned to love myself, because I sleep with myself every night
and I wake up with myself every morning, and if I don't like myself,
there's no reason to even live the life. I love the way I look. I'm fine
with it. And if my body changes, I'll be fine with that.
I don't know what it's like to be Precious, but--you know
what?--she's not an alien to me. Not because she's a big girl. I've had
to deal with difficult things in my life because of how I look. I have
been made fun of for my dark skin by my older brother - he has lighter
skin. In school the lighter-skinned or pretty girls would make fun of
me. I don't know what it's like here or other places, but in the US it's
definitely a big deal. Darker-skinned people sit at the back of the
church, you know?
People are always like 'wow you are so strong,' but I think of it
is my strength came from weakness in a lot of ways [...] because I just
got so tired, it was like being beaten. That's what made me kind of
start to stand up, for myself.
I am the only consistent person in my life and so I better like
myself, and I better love myself. And I really better know that I'm as
beautiful as anyone else.
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