| Gabourey Sidibe | |
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| Biographical Information | |
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Gabourey Sidibe is an American actress, born on May 6, 1983, who made her breakthrough role in the film, Precious, which led to a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress. After Precious, Gabourey has garnered roles in television series such as The Big C, and she co-starred on the American Horror Story series, Coven and Freak Show. She currently portrays Becky Williams on Fox's TV series, Empire.
Early life
Sidibe was born in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York, and she was raised in Harlem. She was born to Alice Tan Ridley, an American R&B and gospel singer, and Ibnou Sidibe, a Senegal-raised cab driver. During childhood, Sidibe lived with her aunt, Dorothy Pittman Hughes. She attended Borough of Manhattan Community College, City College of New York, and Mercy College. Before acting, she worked as a receptionist at The Fresh Air Fund.
Career
Sidibe made her acting debut in Precious, portraying Claireece "Precious" Jones, a 16-year old mother of two children, whom are the results of being raped by her father, attempting to escape abuse from her mother. The film won many awards, and led to Gabourey's nomination and win for the Academy Award for Best Actress. She was also nominated for a Golden Globe in the category of Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture Drama for Precious.
She portrayed Latonya Williams in the film, Yelling to the Sky. She also appeared in Tower Heist, offered vocals for American Dad!, and landed a main role in The Big C.
In April 2013, it was announced that Sidibe would be joining the cast of the third season of American Horror Story, portraying Queenie, a young witch.[15] She returned to the series for its fourth season, American Horror Story: Freak Show as a secretarial school student, Regina Ross.
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