TCA: Mo'Nique spreads herself thin

BY STUART LEVINE

Mo’Nique might be in high demand come the fall.

The comedian and author appeared on a panel Thursday at TCA as BET is set to launch her talkshow beginning Oct. 5. Yet, while the program might help her garner attention, it’s her film career that could get plenty of play as Oscar season approaches.

She stars in “Precious,” which received raves at the Sundance Film Festival and won the Grand Jury Prize. Mo’Nique took home the Special Jury Prize for acting.

“The Mo’Nique Show” will tape in Atlantabut BET execs are well aware of the pressures of an Oscar campaign. She’ll be tubthumping both for the film and herself.

According to Loretha Jones, BET’s president of original programming, the network is already on board with Lionsgate about allowing Mo’Nique to travel and, ultimately, make the talkshow’s production as flexible as possible.

“We’re going to make her available, and I’ve already reached out to Lionsgate offering our support,” she said. “We’re exteremly committed to Mo’Nique’s success across all media. We want people to see her film and then those people will follow her to BET.”

Mo’Nique is part of a growing contingency of minority latenight talkshow hosts. George Lopez begins Nov. 9 on TBS and Wanda Sykes will have a Saturday night show on Fox.