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By Christina Radish
 A labor of love for first-time feature writer-director Nnegest Likke, Phat Girlz is an edgy comedy about two frustrated plus-size women obsessed with their weight, while struggling to find love and acceptance in a world full of hot bodied babes.
Starring the hilarious Mo’Nique as Jazmin Biltmore, a smart-mouthed aspiring fashion designer, Phat Girlz came to fruition when Likke watched a 2001 DVD called The Queens of Comedy, and knew that the brash, bawdy comedy of the 38-year-old actress/comedienne would be ideal to bring the full-figured leading lady to life.
“It was the true fat girls’ story,” says Mo’Nique, when explaining her attraction to the project. “I could relate to it. And, the director looked just like me, so I understood her words. I knew what those words were saying, and I knew how special it would be, in the end, so how could I not be a part of something that special? Nnegest has accomplished something that very few do. Her vision came to life. So, if only one person shows up, she’s made history ‘cause forever, people will remember that there was a movie called Phat Girlz.”
Having gained attention and praise for her portrayal of Nicole “Nikki” Parker on the popular UPN comedy series The Parkers for five years, the former plus-size model has successfully launched a thriving film career, landing supporting roles in such films as Domino, Soul Plane and Baby Boy. For someone who was initially told by agents that she would never have a career in Hollywood because of her full-figured size, the Woodlawn, Maryland native believed in herself enough to never give up.
“I just simply believed,” says the Showtime at the Apollo host. “I believe I’m a sex symbol. I believe I’m beautiful. I believe I’m hot. I believe that, when I walk into a room, not just the men, but the women, too, look and say, ‘Who is that?’ So, I was never in a place of, ‘Well, I guess I should lose 20 pounds,’ because I’m not one to buy what you’re selling. I like my product. I believe in my product. And, because I believe in it so strongly, you believe in it too.”
 Although much has been made of the pounds being shed by some of her contemporaries, such as Queen Latifah and Missy Elliott, Mo’Nique says she’s happy just the way she is. “They’re doing that for them, and more power to them. I’m okay with my skin. You can’t introduce me to me. I know me. I ain’t fat by chance. I like a good steak with potatoes, sour cream and some A-1 sauce, and a piece of cheesecake. I’m not going to eat a salad with no dressing. I’m no rabbit.”
Next to Mo’Nique, the most important casting decision was the role of Tunde Jonathan, the well-educated, handsome Nigerian doctor who, while visiting the U.S. for an international medical convention, falls for Jazmin. It was key to Likke that she find an authentic African man, or someone with an authentic African flavor, for the role. That ideal man was found in Haitian born model-turned-actor Jimmy Jean-Louis.
“I kept messing up our kiss, so we could do it again and again and again,” reveals Mo’Nique. “Jimmy Jean-Louis is a brilliant actor, but he’s an incredible human being because he totally got the fat girl. When he touched my stomach, that was very real. And, when he rubbed the fat part of my arm, it was very gentle and very soft. And, the things he whispered in my ear, that no one else could hear, was very real. So, I had the pleasure of really getting to know that man that you met on screen. He was a gentleman, and very respectful. I called him and said, ‘Prepare your wife because it’s going to be a different walk for you. Women will love you, but fat girls will adore you, because you adored us.’”
During filming, Mo’Nique found out that she was pregnant with twins. Now almost six months old, David and Jonathan join their 20-year-old and 15-year-old brothers. Though she didn’t expect to get pregnant again, Mo’Nique says that she definitely wasn’t fighting it either.
“I found out, on the set, that I was pregnant. I went to Nnegest and said, ‘Can I talk to you?,’ and she said, ‘Sure, what do you need?’ I told her I was pregnant, and her face was like, ‘What?!’ I said, ‘I’m pregnant. The rabbit died. It’s real.’ She was like, ‘You know, we’re filming?,’ and I said, ‘Yes, sugar, but I’m a fat girl. That baby is well protected. Nothing’s going to go wrong.’ But, her face, in those moments, was classic.”
 Not something that runs in either her family or that of her fiancé, Sidney Hicks, Mo’Nique says that the fact that she was carrying twins was quite a shock. “Before they came in to give me the ultrasound, I joked with Sid and said, ‘Yo, what if we’re having twins?,’ and we both busted up, laughing. When the doctor came in, she said, ‘Oh, do you see the heartbeat?,’ and I started crying. And then, she said, ‘Uh oh.’ I was like, ‘Uh oh, what?’ You don’t say, ‘Uh oh,’ to a woman in stirrups with her figgy puddin’ out. She said, ‘Do you see the other one?’ I said, ‘God, you are somewhere gigglin’. God, you’re trippin’, but I’m going to take this one. Thank you.’”
“So, I called my best girlfriend, who had just had a baby five months prior to me having the twins, and I said, ‘I’ve got to tell you something.’ She said, ‘What?’ So, I said, ‘I’m pregnant.’ She was like, ‘Oh, my God!’ I said, ‘With twins.’ And, she said, ‘Bitch, you always gotta one up everybody.’”
Mo’Nique understands that, if you want a successful career in Hollywood, you have to remain focused. But, she also knows the importance of family, and how you can’t replace one with the other, or you’ll lose yourself.
“Don’t let Hollywood run your life,” she declares. “You run your life. I can’t give anyone that kind of power over me. This is going to go away one day, and I don’t want to be 50 with no kids, and no husband, and no friends. It’s easy to get caught in this thing called Hollywood so that, when you look up, you’ve lost everything. They say, if you have the riches, you’ve made it. Well, who can you share it with? People kill themselves, or take pills and become alcoholics and junkies, even though they have all that money, because they let somebody else determine who they are.”
Proclaiming her mother and grandmother as her heroes growing up, Mo’Nique says that her mom’s ability to feed her family on $20, and still keep her in check and show her how to be a good woman was invaluable.
“I had a life before Hollywood. I was a bank teller, I worked at Popeye’s drive-thru window, I sold clothes, I answered phones, so I know what this means. I also know what it’s like to go home and have people say, ‘I have homework. What are we going to eat tonight? My diaper is ######. Mommy, I need a haircut.’ I love my mother saying, ‘Mo’Nique, after we eat Thanksgiving dinner this year, it’s your turn to do the dishes.’ I’m just like you. My job is just something different. The moment I start floating, start getting nervous. As long as I don’t levitate, I ain’t no different than you.”
Mo’Nique also knows the importance of her fans, and that she wouldn’t have a career if it wasn’t for their support. “I’m obligated to take every picture, sign every autograph, and say please and thank you, because you all let me live like I live, you let me drive what I drive, and you pay for the diamonds on my fingers. So, I know my position. I appreciate that. I’m honored. I don’t take that for granted. I like eating steak when I feel like it, so I’ve gotta take that picture and sign that autograph, even when I’m tired, or even when I don’t want to.”
Regardless of all the negativity Mo’Nique experienced when she was trying to break into the business, she has since become a role model and an inspiration, not just to plus-size women, but to every woman who has been unhappy with her appearance. Now, she has some new ventures on the horizon that are sure to be a success.
“I have a cookbook that comes out in November, entitled Skinny Cooks Can’t Be Trusted. They don’t taste nothing. We will sample everything in the pot before we serve it. I’m also working on a ‘tween book, for girls ages 12-17. I was a big fan of Judy Blume, but there’s nothing out there like that anymore. There’s nothing that our girls can go to that says, ‘I’m going to go to high school. I got my period. I like this guy. Or, I like this girl.’ There’s nothing out there right now that addresses those issues. So, I’m really excited about that project.”
Audiences can also expect to see a more serious side of Mo’Nique when the dramatic thriller Shadowboxer opens on June 9. “It’s a film about assassins, with Helen Mirren, Cuba Gooding, Jr. And Joseph Gordon-Levitt. I play a crack-head. My character is a functional junkie, until you watch her deteriorate. When I walked on set, the director, Lee Daniels, said, ‘If you make me laugh, you don’t have a job.’ I said, ‘But, I’m the funny girl,’ and he said, ‘I know, but I believe you can go somewhere else.’ And, I didn’t want to disappoint him.
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