"Empire's" Sidibe On Showing A "Round Brown Little Girl" She Has Value

Gabourey Sidibe Says She Is Proud To Show Round Brown Little Girls They Have Value

Awwwww sweet PRECIOUS Love! Empire returns tonight and Gabourey Sidibe is spilling the beans on what we can expect from her character.

Check out some juicy tidbits from a recent interview with Sidibe via Page Six:

For Sidibe’s character, the season promises more visibility. Becky has a promotion and, with the arrival of new character J-Poppa (Mo McRae of “Murder in the First” and “Sons of Anarchy”), a chance for love.

“My first soap opera romance,” said Sidibe, 32. “Empire” in a recent interview with The Associated Press.

AP: What’s ahead for Becky?

Sidibe: At the end of last season, Becky went from assistant to Lucious to a promotion, and she’s now the head of A&R (artists and repertoire). She now has more power than she ever had. She’s not serving someone, she’s not taking phone calls or making appointments for other people. She has her own roster of clients that she’s dealing with. So it’s really fun.

AP: Are you and Becky alike?

Sidibe: I’m not as much a go-getter as Becky is. We are similar in the way that we’re smarter than people think we are, but I think she works a lot harder than I do. And she’s much more serious than I am.

AP: You were 24 and studying to be a psychologist when “Precious” launched you unexpectedly into an acting career. How have you changed since then?

Sidibe: I’ve learned it doesn’t help to say, ‘No, I can’t do it.’ I’ve learned that fear is not useful. I’m surprised how many things I’ve bumped into over the last eight years that scared me to death and that, when I actually came across them, I didn’t even feel it. It’s interesting how well I’ve been able to forget to have fear.

AP: You’ve become known as someone who refuses to be defined by limited standards for women’s looks. Do you feel a responsibility to act as a role model?

Sidibe: When I was a young girl, I didn’t see enough of myself on TV or in magazines. And representation is very important to everyone, but especially to girls like me, and people like me, whether it be because of my body, because of my race, because of my skin color, because of my awkwardness or where I come from.

While it makes me nervous to represent for anyone, I am extremely proud that some brown, round little girl sitting in front of the TV can look at me and that exists as well and that she has some value. That is the most important thing in the world. … What’s surprising is that it doesn’t always come from kids. I get it from the brown, round little girl but also the skinny white man. I think I am a round peg trying to fit into a square hole. And I think that’s what people relate to.

We do love the fact that Gabourey is so successful and someone that EVERYONE can relate to, not just the people who fit the standard of beauty that Hollywood usually loves to promote.

Are you excited for the Season 2 premiere of “Empire” tonight?

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