Gabourey Sidibe

1.1. Childhood and Education

Sidibe was born in the Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn neighborhood of New York City and was raised in Harlem. Her mother, Alice Tan Ridley, is an American R&B and gospel singer who gained wider recognition after appearing on the fifth season of America's Got Talent in 2010. Her father, Ibnou Sidibe, is from Senegal and worked as a taxi driver. During her formative years, Sidibe lived with her aunt, the renowned feminist activist Dorothy Pitman Hughes. She pursued higher education, earning an associate degree from Borough of Manhattan Community College and attending, though not graduating from, City College of New York and Mercy College, where she majored in psychology.

1.2. Early Career and Entry into Acting

Before embarking on her acting career, Sidibe worked as a receptionist at The Fresh Air Fund's office. At the age of 25, while still attending college and working as a receptionist, she auditioned for the lead role in the film Precious. Despite having no prior acting experience and portraying a character significantly younger than herself (a 16-year-old), she secured the part, which became her debut performance. She recounted in 2012 that before being cast in Precious, actress Joan Cusack advised her to quit the entertainment business, citing its image-conscious nature. Sidibe, however, chose to persist.

2.1. Breakthrough with "Precious"

Sidibe's acting debut in the 2009 film Precious marked a significant turning point in her career. In the film, she portrayed the main character, Claireece "Precious" Jones, a 16-year-old Black girl in Harlem who is pregnant with her father's second child and subjected to severe physical and emotional abuse by her mother. The film garnered widespread critical acclaim, earning numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and the Grand Jury Award at the Sundance Film Festival. Sidibe's performance was particularly lauded, earning her the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead. She also received nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama and the Academy Award for Best Actress, making her the eighth Black actress to be nominated for the latter.

2.2. Film Roles

Following her success in Precious, Sidibe appeared in several other films. In 2011, she played Latonya Williams, a bully, in Yelling to the Sky, a film that originated as a Sundance Lab project. The same year, she had a role as Odessa Montero in the comedy film Tower Heist. In 2012, she appeared as Sharice in Seven Psychopaths. Her film credits in 2014 included Beth in White Bird in a Blizzard, Jen in Life Partners, and a cameo as herself in Top Five. In 2015, she played Winketta in Gravy, followed by the role of Banu in Grimsby in 2016. Later, she appeared as Sam in Come As You Are (2019), Dawn in Antebellum (2020), and Rudy in Asking for It (2021).

2.3. Television Roles

Sidibe has established a significant presence in television. From 2010 to 2013, she was a main cast member of the Showtime series The Big C, portraying Andrea Jackson. She has also been a recurring presence in the American Horror Story anthology series, appearing as Queenie, a young witch, in Coven (2013-2014). She returned to the series as Regina Ross, a secretarial school student, in Freak Show (2014-2015), and reprised her role as Queenie in Hotel (2015-2016) and Apocalypse (2018).

From 2015 to 2020, Sidibe starred as Becky Williams, the head of A&R, in Lee Daniels's Fox musical drama series Empire alongside Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson. She was promoted to a series regular for the second season of Empire. Additionally, she appeared as Denise in the Hulu series Difficult People (2015-2017). Sidibe also served as a host for an episode of Saturday Night Live in 2010. Her voice acting credits include Keisha in an episode of Glenn Martin, DDS (2011), Tamera in BoJack Horseman (2017), Hilary Mole in Doc McStuffins (2017), and Francis in the upcoming Disney Channel animated series StuGo (2025-present). She also provided various voices in Brad Neely's Harg Nallin' Sclopio Peepio (2016) and portrayed Ella Fitzgerald in an episode of Drunk History (2016). In 2022, she appeared in an episode of American Horror Stories as Jaslyn Taylor and starred as Emily Harris in the television film All I Didn't Want for Christmas. In 2023, she was a host on The Prank Panel.

2.4. Other Media Activities

Beyond film and television, Sidibe has extended her work into other media. She provided the voice of the character Mux in the 2023 video game High on Life. She has also appeared in music videos, including Foster the People's "Don't Stop (Color on the Walls)" (2011) and Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx's "(I Wanna) Channing All Over Your Tatum" (2014). Sidibe has also been a guest on popular talk shows such as The Oprah Winfrey Show and The Mo'Nique Show, often discussing her career and personal journey.

6.1. Film

6.2. Television

6.3. Video Games

• High on Life (2023) - Mux

6.4. Music Videos

• Foster the People: "Don't Stop (Color on the Walls)" (2011)
• Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx: "(I Wanna) Channing All Over Your Tatum" (2014)