Mary J. Blige recalls the first time she received praise for her acting. "When I was 7, I performed in a school Christmas play, and the feedback from students and teachers was that I, along with another guy in the play, did exceptionally well," she shares.
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| Mary J Blige in 'Power Book II: Ghost.' STARZ |
"That moment made me feel like, 'Maybe I can really do this,' and I always wanted to pursue acting after that positive response. But at some point, I shifted my focus to the music business."
Choosing music early on certainly paid off for Blige. She has sold over 100 million albums globally, won nine Grammy Awards, and will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this October. And she’s not slowing down.
Her latest release, "Breathing," featuring rapper Fabolous, is the lead single from her upcoming 15th studio album. According to Blige, the key to longevity in the music industry is being true to herself.
"I’ve been in control of my music for years," she tells Reporter. "My fans connect with it because I’m not following trends or doing what others tell me. It’s about having my own identity, which I’ve had for a long time. It feels amazing to be authentic, not chasing what everyone else is doing, but just being me."
Becoming Mary J. Blige the iconic singer ended up benefiting her acting career. She rekindled her passion for acting after appearing on The Jamie Foxx Show in 1998, where she mixed singing and acting in the episode "Papa Don’t Preach," also starring Ron Isley.
"I played a character named Ola Mae, and the feedback was great. People were impressed, and that made me think, 'Okay, maybe I can do this.' Then I started getting roles like in Strong Medicine and Ghost Whisperer, and I just kept going, improving my craft."
Her dedication led to a major breakthrough in 2018 when she earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Florence Jackson in Dee Rees' powerful drama Mudbound, co-starring Rob Morgan and Carey Mulligan.
She also received another nomination for Best Original Song for “The Mighty River,” making history with two nominations in a single year.
Blige never rests on her success, always pushing forward. This was evident in 2020 when Power Book II: Ghost premiered, a spinoff of Power, created by her friend Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and featuring Clifford “Method Man” Smith, Jr. The show’s success has expanded the Power universe, and Blige’s portrayal of the tough queenpin Monet Tejada has sparked numerous memes. Some fans even refer to her as Monet.
Before the second half of Ghost's fourth and final season, which premiered in June, resumed on Sept. 6, Blige appeared on the big screen in Rob Peace, a heartbreaking true story written and directed by Chiwetel Ejiofor.
The film shares a striking similarity with Ghost, as both feature characters involved in drug dealing on college campuses. However, Rob Peace’s motivations are different from the fictional Tariq's, as he was driven by his desire to help his father and his community.
Blige plays Rob Peace’s mother, Jackie, alongside Jay Will, whom she praises for his performance. "Jay was amazing. He truly became Rob," she says. "When I stepped into the role of Jackie, he was already fully immersed in Rob, and he completely blew me away."
Their chemistry was instant. "We connected right away," she recalls. "It just clicked."
Ejiofor revealed that he cast Blige first, and her involvement, even before the pandemic, helped get the film made. At the time, neither Blige nor Ejiofor, who also portrays Peace’s father and adapted the script from the 2014 best-seller The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace by Jeff Hobbs, had met.
"He reached out to my agency, saying he wanted me to play Jackie. After reading the script, I learned it was a true story, and it moved me deeply. It reminded me of my own mom and many other mothers raising children in tough environments."
Peace's real-life mother was thrilled that Blige took on the role. "She was so sweet and supportive," Blige says. "She was proud that it was me because she knew I could relate to her story."
Blige has also successfully merged her music with film and television. Last year, she debuted two Lifetime movies, Real Love and Strength of a Woman, based on two of her popular songs, starring BMF's Ajiona Alexus and Da’Vinchi.
"That was my idea, along with my team at the time, to turn some of my songs into movies," she explains. "There’s one more coming, Family Affair, which is a continuation, and both Da’Vinchi and Ajiona will be part of it."
As Ghost prepares to conclude on Oct. 4, just in time for her Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction and the release of her new album, Blige reflects on her journey with the series. "It’s definitely bittersweet," she admits.
"I had an amazing time. Monet helped me through a lot in my personal life. Playing her was like therapy, especially after my divorce [from Kendu Isaacs in 2018]. Monet was a fierce character, and embodying her, with all her anger and strength, was therapeutic."
