Starring as a dowdy social worker in 'Precious: Based on the Novel PUSH by Sapphire', the glamorous singer talks about the transformation she undergoes for her part.
- Jul 31, 2009
AceShowbiz - In "Precious: Based on the Novel PUSH by Sapphire", Mariah Carey tones down her glamorous side to be an old-fashioned social worker, and she now shares on her transformation into the role that earned her critical praise at 2009 Sundance Film Festival. Having a chat with MTV News, the 39-year-old reveals that the reason why she agrees to the transformation lies in the fact that she trusted director Lee Daniels.
"It's a whole thing, but Lee Daniels is a bona-fide genius so I put myself in his hands," Carey praised the filmmaker, before going on further by pointing out Lee's vision of her changeover. "And he was like, 'No makeup. We're going to put dark stuff under your eyes. You're hair is going to be cut and short and brown. And you're gonna wear big clothing and it's going to be a whole thing.' "
Despite having to put off the glamor for a while, the wife of actor Nick Cannon stated that the looks are only a part of the character. "That's all the exterior, but really what I had to tap into was who this woman was," she noted. Of her Mrs. Weiss role itself, the Grammy-winning singer said, "My character in 'Precious' is the antithesis of me. She is a social worker. She's very demure. She's very stoic. She's just like, 'I'm doing my job,' she has an accent."
As for her co-stars Mo'Nique and Gabourey Sidibe, Carey has nothing but good words. "There's a very deep scene with Mo'Nique, who plays the mother, and she deserves an Oscar for this performance," she gushed. "I'm saying it now and I really hope she gets that because that's what she deserves - I've never seen a performance like this."
Set in Harlem in 1987, "Precious" revolves around Claireece "Precious" Jones, an overweight, illiterate sixteen-year-old African-American girl born into a life no one would want. Abused by her mother and raped by her father, she is pregnant for the second time and reaches the ninth grade without being able to read or write. Instead of being swallowed by depression, she tries to break from the chains of ignorance by digging deep into her own resources.
Originally titled "Push: Based on the Novel by Sapphire", this drama film won the Audience Award and the Grand Jury Prize for best drama at 2009 Sundance Film Festival. It stars Gabourey Sidibe as Precious and supported by Paula Patton and Lenny Kravitz among others. The script is provided by Damien Paul, while the movie will be released in limited U.S. theaters on November 6.
