Entertainment | Film & Cinema

Precious' surreal premiere in Hollywood

Gabby recalls meeting Oprah, and Mariah Carey talks acting milestones

  • AP
  • Published: 00:00 November 4, 2009
  • Tabloid

  • Actress Gabourey Sidibe, star of the new film "Precious: Based on the novel 'Push' by Sapphire", poses at the AFI Fest 2009 gala screening of the film in Hollywood on Sunday.
  • Image Credit: Reuters
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The cast and crew of Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire continued their unexpected journey from a scrappy little screening 10 months ago at the Sundance Film Festival to a star-studded gala at the legendary Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.

"I'm speechless," said director Lee Daniels on Sunday. "I'm humbled and speechless. That's the best way to describe it. I just can't... I wish I had the words. Dreamlike? Sort of surreal."

While at Sundance, where the $10-million (Dh36.72 million) film took top honours, Daniels got a call from Oprah Winfrey, who ultimately joined fellow entertainment mogul Tyler Perry in serving as after-the-fact executive producers.

Shortly thereafter, Gabourey "Gabby" Sidibe, who marks her film debut in the title role, had an audience with Winfrey. "Unfortunately, I forgot everything about it," Sidibe recalled. "It's so weird, because she's such a big deal to me, that when she speaks, I don't hear anything. It's like it's so weird. It's like hysterical blindness in a way. All I can remember is her saying my name over and over, and that can't be right."

Precious has earned strong critical notices for two unlikely recipients: Mariah Carey and Mo'Nique. Mo'Nique, the stand-up comic, talk-show diva and comic-actor, plays Clareece's monstrous, abusive mother.

Carey has a role as social worker — a small part, but one the music superstar views as a milestone in her acting career. "I mean I had one milestone that almost had me under the stone," she laughed, referring to the 2001 bomb Glitter.

"I didn't realise that you really have to be selective with the people that you work with and you have to have that support system and you have to work with people that you feel are geniuses and Lee Daniels is a genius in my book."

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