Mo’Nique Says Her Stand-Up Special Will Help Fans “Understand Why I Swing Like I Swing”

Mo’Nique is returning with a brand new stand-up special, and we now have our first look. Netflix released a behind-the-scenes teaser and announced its release date on Feb. 22, and in the teaser, the star provides some glimpses of what to expect from the documentary. “When you walk away from this one, when you’ve turned your TV off from this one, you’ll say, ‘Now we understand that woman,'” she says in the behind-the-scenes teaser. “For 32 years, I have been funny, and I’m grateful for that gift. But this show right here really allows you to understand why I swing like I swing.”

The special, entitled “My Name is Mo’Nique,” premieres on Netflix this spring. Directed by L. Frazier and executive produced by Mo’Nique and her husband Sidney Hicks, the special will showcase the award-winning actor and comedian, and will balance comedy with insights about her life and upbringing in Baltimore.

“Mo’Nique delivers a career defining, powerhouse stand-up performance in her unprecedented return to the stage,” the official synopsis reads. “From the mean streets of Baltimore and remembering her Grandma Mimi’s warnings about men, to why she ‘ACCEPTS’ the sometimes-harsh realities that come with life, Mo’Nique with her unique brand of candor, fearlessness, and humor reveals all of herself, and leaves nothing on the table.”

Previously, she celebrated the project on Instagram in November 2022. “THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!!!” she wrote. “My sweet babies thanks to everyone that came out and celebrated this moment with us. MY NAME IS MO’NIQUE LIVE COMEDY TAPING COMING ON NETFLIX! WHAT A MOMENT!! I LOVE US 4REAL❤️❤️”.

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The project comes in the midst of a career renaissance for Mo’Nique, who won an academy award for best supporting actress for “Precious” in 2010. In 2022, she starred in 50 Cent’s “BMF,” and she opened up to POPSUGAR about her feelings about the character in a February interview. “She truly is love,” she said. “She truly is in her community trying to make a difference. Everybody may not agree with how she makes the difference, but she genuinely loves her community.” Up next, in addition to the special, Mo’nique is set to star in “Precious” director Lee Daniels’s horror film “The Deliverance.”

Ahead, check out first-look photos, the teaser, and more.