What’s next for Precious Star Gabourey Sidibe?
There is Oscar buzz around the performance of Gabourey Sidibe in the movie Precious. Her performance is said to be authentic, touching and in a word incredible. So what will she do after the hype of Precious has subsided? Will Hollywood open its wide arms and embrace this talented woman? No. Hollywood’s arms simply don’t extend quite that wide. There is really no room for the obese in Tinstletown. Sure there are artsy movies like this on that call for a certain type, but they are few and far between. In an ideal world there would probably be roles for her, but black actresses have a tough time getting roles period. Just ask Halle Berry who went from her Oscar Award winning performance in Monster Ball to the dismal Catwoman. Jennifer Hudson won an Oscar for Dreamgirls and to date we have seen her In the Secret of Bees and Sex in the City. Winning an Oscar is a major coup, but it is not insurance of a successful future. Actors have to pay rent just like the rest of us so they can’t just sit and wait for the next great role in some cases they are just happy to have a next role. Today, I read that a new movie, Skank Robbers by Jamie Foxx and Martin Lawrence is on the horizon. Martin Lawrence created the character Sheneneh on his show Martin in the mid 90s and Foxx portrayed the character Wanda in the Fox Show Living Color. Both characters were unflattering stereotypes of black women. The film was probably inspired in part by the success of the gender-bending character Tyler Perry created, Madea. So why would Oscar winning Foxx be a part of something like this? He’s got bills to pay and the parts are scare. So while I wish Sidibe well I simply don’t feel she will be a fit in Hollywood.
Tags: black men, race, media, Tom Joyner, black america, CNN, Current Events, Black People, Oprah Winfrey, Black women, Michael Baisden, Oprah, Tyler Perry, cbs, Tom Joyner Morning Show, working women, television, obesity, Precious, fat, the movie Precious, Gabourey Sidibe, jamie foxx, martin lawerence, Oscar
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November 12, 2009 at 1:45 am
I liked “The Secret Life of Bees.” What’s wrong with that?
good parts are difficult for ALL good actors and actresses. Please don’t feed the stereotype that it’s harder out there for black actors and actresses then it is for non-blacks in the industry. More and more we find that people like Foxx, Perry, Lee and others have the power to put together vehicles to showcase fine actors of various hues. We in turn need to turn out with our money and support those efforts. I agree, Foxx has bills to pay, and if we like what he does, we need to support it so he can pay his bills, and continue to put out things we want to see, not hideous stereotypical takes on ourselves. As far as parts for overweight actresses, you’re right, they’re rare as hen’s teeth. I trust she will consult a personal trainer if she wants to be a working actress in Hollywood.