Gabourey Sidibe
Gabourey Sidibe (Gabby) is an American actress who starred in the film 'Precious', co-starred in several seasons of the television series 'American Horror Story', and co-stars in the musical drama series 'Empire.'
Gabourey Sidibe in Precious
Gabourey Sidibe in American Horror Story
Gabourey Sidibe in Empire (with Jussie Smollett)
Gabby was a struggling young woman trying to make ends meet when she was offered the starring role in the 2009 movie 'Precious.' And the rest is history! Gabby's talent, drive, and winning personality propelled her into a rewarding show business career and worldwide fame.
In this memoir Gabby talks about her life - and what led up to her success - with humor, candor, and modesty.
Gabby was born and raised in New York City.
Gabourey Sidibe as a baby visiting her grandmother in Senegal
Her mother, Alice Tan Ridley, worked as a professional singer and schoolteacher, and was a devoted mom to Gabby and her older brother Ahmed. Gabby notes that Alice "shines as bright as a diamond because she is a goddamned STAR."
Gabourey Sidibe and her mother Alice
Gabby's father, Ibnou Sidibe, is a Muslim from Senegal. He worked as a cabdriver and never smiled or laughed. To Gabby, he "seemed like the most boring man in the world" - who brought gloom and darkness into the home. Alice and Ibnou had an unhappy marriage.
In Senegal, men are allowed to have multiple wives, and Ibnou (secretly) followed his native traditions. He married his Senegalese cousin Tola, had a child with her, and inveigled Alice to invite Tola to stay with them. So Ibnou had two wives in the same apartment....for a while. When Alice caught on, she happily left with Gabby and Ahmed (who were about nine and ten at the time).
Money was tight and Alice, Gabby, and Ahmed squeezed into a single room in the home of Alice's sister Dorothy.
Young Gabourey Sidibe
They stayed for two years before scoring a subsidized studio apartment in a Harlem high rise. Space was still scarce, and the family shared a bunk bed: Alice and Ahmed on the bottom and Gabby on top. The rest of their belongings consisted of a couch, dresser, and table to hold their TV, VCR, and Super Nintendo. They had one chair that Gabby sat on to do homework and look out at the skyline. Five years later the family got a two-bedroom apartment in the building, and Ahbed and Gabby got their own rooms....while Alice slept on a sofa in the living room.
As a child, Gabby didn't realize they were poor but knew they weren't rich because they weren't white. Gabby thought being rich was "only for white people and Michael Jackson." As Gabby got older she started to worry about money, and was floored when Alice quit her school job to sing in the subway. She thought, "Are you fucking crazy? Quit your job!!!!????"
Alice singing in the subway
Ironically, Alice's subway vocals netted about 800 to 900 dollars a week, much more than her teaching job. But Gabby was still uneasy, concerned that Alice might lose her voice. Gabby became very anxious, and this may have contributed to her problems in later life, when she suffered from an eating disorder, panic attacks, and depression.....plus she flunked out of school.
Gabby was never very close to her father, even as a small child. When Ibnou told six-year-old Gabby that he would live with her when he got to be an old man - and she would care for him like a good Muslim woman - she thought 'HELL NO' and decided not to be a Muslim anymore. Gabby's decision was probably reinforced the next year, when Ibnou took young Gabby and Ahmed to Senegal, to see his family.
Gabby writes, "The first two weeks of the trip were magical", with lots of fun and games. Then Ibnou left, and his family "went from being welcoming to being monsters." Grandma became cold and cruel and let the uncles hit Gabby and Ahmed. And the girls called Gabby 'Patapoof', which is Wolof (the Senegalese language) for fat. When Alice sent packages to her kids, the relatives took everything for themselves. Gabby longed to go home and when she finally got back to New York vowed never to set foot in Senegal again (though she's softening that stance now that she's an adult).
When Gabby was 21 and completely unemployable, she saw an ad for a 'phone actress' (phone sex worker) and went for an interview.
Gabby expected to see "a dungeon with girls in ripped underwear talking into phone receivers", but found a normal office with phone talkers, a receptionist, and a trainer for the ladies. Gabby notes that the 'phone girls', usually plus-size black women, portrayed themselves as "good ol' American white" - since most callers expected this. Gabby did well at the job, earned promotions, and finally became the person who trains applicants.
Gabby says that she took what she learned on the phone sex job and applied it to the real world. She learned "to talk to people, to flirt with everyone, to lead with her personality, and to deal with rumors"....because her co-workers whispered that she was a lesbian who slept her way up the ladder. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Gabourey Sidibe likes boys 💕
Gabby was 'boy crazy' since junior high school. However - since she's 'fat' (her words) - Gabby thinks most guys she meets are out of her league. Moreover, the issue of men has gotten even more complicated with fame. According to Gabby, before she became an actress she had her league figured out. She was probably going to marry a cabdriver since "her league included cabbies, sanitation workers, security guards, and maybe grocery-story managers."
Now that Gabby's a Hollywood bigwig, her league is all messed up. She doesn't have to marry a cabbie anymore, but she's pretty sure she "can't date the Liam Hemsworths and Michael B. Jordans" either. So she's thinking.....maybe she can date a high school teacher or something? LOL
Gabby has a great sense of humor and makes fun of herself. However, she doesn't like for other people to call her a 'fat bitch' or to stuff pillows in their clothing to 'be Gabby' for Halloween. The actress is offended that people's opinions are based on her body. She says, "It seems as if I cured cancer or won a Nobel Prize someone would say, "Sure that's great but her body is just disgusting." Gabby blows this criticism off, however, and notes "I am dope at any and every size. I am smart. I am funny. I am talented. I am gorgeous, I am black. I am a bad bitch." (You go Gabby!)
After years of trying to get ahead, Gabby went back to college (a few times) and finally got lucky when a friend tipped her off to an audition for a movie called Push (the original title of Precious). Gabby was skeptical, but tried out for the part. The film was a huge success, Gabby was nominated for a Golden Globe and an Academy Award, and her career took off from there.
One of the proudest moments of Gabby's life was at the White House Correspondents Dinner when President Obama was in office. Gabby got in a line of people waiting to meet POTUS and FLOTUS, carrying a slip of paper with her name....to be given to a woman who would announce her to the first couple. When the woman began to say Gabby's name, President Obama cut her off and said, "I know who she is!" He told Gabby, "You're the BOMB, girl!", and hugged her and kissed her on the cheek. Gabby writes, "Yeah....the President of the U.S. said I was the bomb! What else do you need to know." Ha ha ha
Gabourey Sidibe with President Obama
In addition to the topics I've mentioned above, Gabby writes about many other things, including: Twitter (she's an avid Tweeter); virgins (and not being one); psychics (who predicted her success); hair (her mother spent hours braiding her hair on weekends); dating (not so easy); boyfriends (not so great); award shows (you need nice clothes); death rumors (she supposedly died from an asthma attack); therapy (which helped her); weight-loss surgery (which she's had)....as well as friends, relatives, and more. And it's all entertaining and fun.
Gabby's a natural writer with a unique voice and I very much enjoyed the book. I'd highly recommend it to readers who like celebrity memoirs.
Rating: 4 stars
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