Singer Janelle Monae finds critical acclaim as two of her movies score Oscar best picture nods

Monae stars in both 'Hidden Figures' and 'Moonlight,' which will compete for the best picture Oscar prize at the ceremony on Feb. 26. 'I consider myself not just an actor or a musician or singer, but an artist-storyteller, and my hope is to continue to tell untold, unique, universal stories in unforgettable ways,' she said.

|
Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP
Janelle Monae attends the 8th Annual Essence Black Women in Music at NeueHouse Hollywood on Feb. 9, 2017, in Los Angeles.

The journey from pop star to serious thespian is littered with casualties. For every Justin Timberlake, there are big-name hitmakers whose movie careers have stalled with dubious and disappointing results.

Which is just one reason why Janelle Monae's magical movie ride is so noteworthy. The Grammy-nominated performer made her acting debut last year with two films – and both are nominated for best picture at Sunday's Academy Awards.

She first wowed critics in her small but pivotal role in "Moonlight" as Teresa, the nurturing girlfriend of a drug dealer who befriends an introverted, impoverished boy who senses he is different.

But her biggest breakout would come with "Hidden Figures," portraying one of three pioneering black women at NASA whose contributions to the space race were critical, but overlooked by history. As engineer Mary Jackson, Monae shows a depth and range that wowed critics and proved she could hold her own along a star-studded cast.

Though Monae may be one of the biggest surprises of the Oscar season, the 31-year-old sees her acting ascension as part of her natural progression as an artist (she studied acting for years).

"I always did both, and I consider myself not just an actor or a musician or singer, but an artist-storyteller, and my hope is to continue to tell untold, unique universal stories in unforgettable ways," said Monae in an interview.

Monae's career so far has certainly been unforgettable. Her albums – a captivating mix of funk, psychedelic soul, R&B and pop – have been critically lauded, and her electric stage presence recalls James Brown or Prince, who was a close friend and mentor. She's a CoverGirl spokeswoman and a fashion muse known for her eclectic style: On this day, her hair was dotted with eye ornaments.

Space permeated Monae's artistic world long before "Hidden Figures" – her alter ego was a futuristic android, Cindi Mayweather, and on her last album, she paid tribute to Sally Ride, the first American woman to travel in space. She even dreamed of being an astronaut.

"I've been obsessed with space and sci-fi. I was obsessed, and still am, with Mae Jemison," she said of the first black woman in space.

And yet Monae was unaware of the story of Jackson or the other central characters in "Hidden Figures," based on Margot Lee Shetterly's book of the same name.

Jackson was one of the black female "human computers" working for NASA in the segregated South; while the main character, Katherine Johnson (played by Taraji P. Henson), was responsible for the mathematical formula that launched John Glenn into orbit, Jackson petitioned and won her case to study engineering at an all-white school to further her career at NASA.

"I thought it was a fictitious story," she said. "Once I found out that these women in fact did exist, and they did contribute to the space race and were an integral part of helping us win the space race, I wanted to make sure that no other young boy or girl or American, human being, went through life without knowing these phenomenal, brilliant-minded women."

Monae was cast as Jackson after the Oscar-nominated Henson and Oscar winner Octavia Spencer (up for another Oscar for her portrayal of Dorothy Vaughan) were on board.

"We auditioned everyone, and we were having a hard time finding someone who had the fire of Mary Jackson," said director Theodore Melfi. "And then in walks Janelle, who auditioned, and I think she was burning up inside herself. She's such an activist and such a passionate and strong woman, she lit it up for us and did Mary Jackson so much justice and depth."

Sharing billing with heavyweights on only her second film could have been intimidating, but Monae credits her co-stars with making her feel at ease.

"Octavia and Taraji are my big sisters. The sisterhood that you see on screen is genuine," she said.

Spencer echoed those sentiments and called Monae a "brilliant artist."

"She chose material that she responded to. You can't just pick films that don't resonate with you. If you pick films that don't resonate with you, then chances are, it probably won't resonate with anyone," she said.

Monae cared so deeply about both projects that she took a break from recording to devote herself to them. "I felt like these movies are bigger than me; it was for humanity. These movies bring people together."

Monae's advocacy also spills outside her art. She was one of the performers at the Women's March in Washington a month ago and has been outspoken in her support of gay rights, Black Lives Matter, and other causes.

Melfi expects that sincerity to be present in Monae as she navigates her way through Hollywood.

"I don't think you're going to see someone who does a fluff movie," he said. "I think she's going to do movies that mean something to people and that can help shine a light on someone who's suffered an injustice or some kind of movie that builds faith or builds character."

And that next project could include her own script: Monae envisions science fiction movies where black people play the leads and stories about other hidden figures in African-American history.

"I feel empowered to continue writing and telling the stories that I feel we so desperately need," she said.

You've read  of  free articles. Subscribe to continue.
Real news can be honest, hopeful, credible, constructive.
What is the Monitor difference? Tackling the tough headlines – with humanity. Listening to sources – with respect. Seeing the story that others are missing by reporting what so often gets overlooked: the values that connect us. That’s Monitor reporting – news that changes how you see the world.

Dear Reader,

About a year ago, I happened upon this statement about the Monitor in the Harvard Business Review – under the charming heading of “do things that don’t interest you”:

“Many things that end up” being meaningful, writes social scientist Joseph Grenny, “have come from conference workshops, articles, or online videos that began as a chore and ended with an insight. My work in Kenya, for example, was heavily influenced by a Christian Science Monitor article I had forced myself to read 10 years earlier. Sometimes, we call things ‘boring’ simply because they lie outside the box we are currently in.”

If you were to come up with a punchline to a joke about the Monitor, that would probably be it. We’re seen as being global, fair, insightful, and perhaps a bit too earnest. We’re the bran muffin of journalism.

But you know what? We change lives. And I’m going to argue that we change lives precisely because we force open that too-small box that most human beings think they live in.

The Monitor is a peculiar little publication that’s hard for the world to figure out. We’re run by a church, but we’re not only for church members and we’re not about converting people. We’re known as being fair even as the world becomes as polarized as at any time since the newspaper’s founding in 1908.

We have a mission beyond circulation, we want to bridge divides. We’re about kicking down the door of thought everywhere and saying, “You are bigger and more capable than you realize. And we can prove it.”

If you’re looking for bran muffin journalism, you can subscribe to the Monitor for $15. You’ll get the Monitor Weekly magazine, the Monitor Daily email, and unlimited access to CSMonitor.com.

QR Code to Singer Janelle Monae finds critical acclaim as two of her movies score Oscar best picture nods
Read this article in
https://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Movies/2017/0225/Singer-Janelle-Monae-finds-critical-acclaim-as-two-of-her-movies-score-Oscar-best-picture-nods
QR Code to Subscription page
Start your subscription today
https://www.csmonitor.com/subscribe