Mary J. Blige Looks Back at Her Most Iconic Roles
Welcome to Look Back At It, a monthly column where some of the most iconic Black actresses in Hollywood reminisce and reflect on the roles that made them stars. For this month’s installment, Mary J. Blige breaks down her career—from Mudbound and How to Get Away With Murder to her current Starz series, Power Book II: Ghost.
In 2018, the musician and actress Mary J. Blige became the first Black woman to be nominated in multiple categories in the same year at the Academy Awards. She earned two nominations for her work in Dee Rees’s Mudbound—one for Best Original Song and the other for Best Supporting Actress. “Those were complete surprises,” says Blige as she reflects on the moment. “I wasn’t even confident about my acting [at that time], but that let me know, ‘You can act.’”
Throughout her career, Blige has honed her skill while playing an array of iconic women like Dr. Betty Shabazz in Betty & Coretta and Dinah Washington in Respect. She’s also guest-starred on the popular television shows Black-ish, Empire, and How to Get Away With Murder. Now, she’s Monet Tejada, the fierce matriarch at the heart of Power Book II: Ghost.
“One thing that threads through all of my characters is that they’re all no-nonsense,” she says. “They’re all strong women. I have to play characters like that to be able to pull from a real place. Can I play a weak woman? Probably. But right now, this is what it is.”
Now, she’s setting her sights behind the camera. Her production company, Blue Butterfly, already has two movies with Lifetime, and she says there’s more to come. “Maybe I’ll direct one day, but I don’t know if I have the patience to deal with people,” Blige adds with a laugh.
Below, Blige takes us through her most iconic roles to share the deep friendships she’s made on set, the joys of acting with people she admires, and the ways she’s evolved onscreen.
Tanya in I Can Do Bad All By Myself (2009)
This content is imported from youTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
“This was the first time that I officially met Taraji [P. Henson]. We acted together and then became friends. I Can Do Bad All By Myself reminds me of her and our friendship.”
Dr. Betty Shabazz in Betty & Coretta (2013)
This content is imported from youTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
“I got to work with one of the most amazing actresses in the business and an amazing woman. I felt so proud and grateful to stand beside Angela Bassett while working on Betty & Coretta. She’s one of the best. I mean, she’s right there with Meryl Streep for me. I watched Angela transform her face and everything on this film. It was the most unbelievable thing to watch. I still go to her for inspiration.”
Angel in Black Nativity (2013)
This content is imported from youTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
“Oh my God. I was not happy with this. Moving on.”
Evillene in The Wiz Live! (2015)
This content is imported from youTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
“I had a ball playing that evil witch. We had a good time.”
Rolanda in How to Get Away With Murder (2016)
This content is imported from youTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
“It was an honor to do Viola Davis’s hair in How To Get Away With Murder, which was one of the biggest shows at the time. Being her hairstylist was crazy, but also amazing.”
Florence in Mudbound (2017)
This content is imported from youTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
“Wow, what a historical moment. This was amazing on every level. I was completely caught off guard and surprised by how much the critics and the audience loved this film. And the Oscar nominations were a big surprise. Mudbound was challenging because I was going through so much in my life and was so insecure. And for the film, I had to peel back the things that were making me feel secure. You couldn’t wear weaves and you couldn’t wear lashes and you couldn’t wear nails. You had to have on old-timey clothes. I had be that person. That was a challenge because it kind of hurt my feelings a little bit, but it also gave me confidence in just looking like that. That’s who I am.”
Cha-Cha in The Umbrella Academy (2019)
This content is imported from youTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
“I had a blast. The word fun comes to mind when I think about The Umbrella Academy. We lived in Canada for five months and I met some great people. And, of course, I learned how to shoot guns and do martial arts.”
Dinah Washington in Respect (2021)
This content is imported from youTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
“It was nice to work alongside Jennifer Hudson and be that character. Flipping the table over was just so therapeutic.”
Monet in Power Book II: Ghost (2020-present)
This content is imported from youTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
“Now, I’m comfortable with just falling into [acting]. Monet has given me so much confidence and she’s one of my favorite roles that I’ve played. For this character, I have to visit dark places in my real life. I have to go back to those places and grab that stuff to get those emotions to Monet. But this show is so much fun. The cast is amazing. The writing is amazing. It’s a blessing. I’m just so grateful to Courtney [A. Kemp, the show’s creator] and 50 [Cent, the show’s producer].”
Juliana Ukiomogbe is the Assistant Editor at ELLE. Her work has previously appeared in Interview, i-D, Teen Vogue, Nylon, and more.
