The 2009 Oscar-winning film Precious—based on the novel Push by author Sapphire—reintroduced us to Claireece Jones, a 16-year-old, broken-and-battered girl living in the hard-knock streets of 1980s New York. Playing the role of that groundbreaking character happened to be a then-26-year-old Gabourey Sidibe, whose iconic embodiment of the protagonist catapulted her career to new heights. Although the adaptation made the starlet the face of many memes that still live in cyberland today, this Harlem-raised entertainer is now known for so much more than the chicken-stealing scene at the top of social media’s joke list. These are quotes from Gabourey Sidibe that belong on a T-shirt!
After her debut in Precious, Sidibe’s momentum continued with celebrated portrayals in the 2011 comedy Tower Heist, a box-office hit directed by Brett Ratner, as Odessa, Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk’s FX phenomenon American Horror Story as Queenie (2013-2018), and Lee Daniels’ uber-successful series Empire as the honorable Becky (2015-2020), among others. Each production saw Sidibe in an impactful light that shined on and off the big screen. The now 41-year-old powerfully aided in putting plus size women in position in Hollywood, beating the odds and proving that she deserved a seat at every table read–even if that meant pulling up her own chair.
In 2016, she crushed body cruelty by posing for Lane Bryant’s 2016 ad campaign, #ThisBody Is Made to Shine, alongside fellow actress Danielle Brooks and models Ashley Graham, Candice Huffine, and Alessandra Garcia. The full-figured clothing giant’s notable marketing run aimed to cultivate body-positive conversations and depict how these controversial celebrities overcame the shame often attached to the negativity surrounding self-expression in the curvy community. Sidibe’s participation in the fashion-forward course of action was quite monumental, as it highlighted her bravely embracing what society deemed insecurities in the brand’s all-black lingerie.
The following year, in 2017, Sidibe released her memoir, “This Is Just My Face: Try Not to Stare,” where she detailed everything from her upbringing in the Big Apple and pre-acting days as a phone sex operator to unapologetically coming into her (fat) womanhood and breaking into a superficial industry that (ultimately) changed her life and the lives of those inspired by her might to conquer its adversities. All of these years later, the married mom-of-two is still respected for showing that she’s literally a movement by herself, defying social norms and proudly trusting her talent to be a staple for the fluffies who may have forgotten that we’ve always been the stuff.
From movies and books to interviews and Instagram posts, Sidibe has had some memorable one-liners (or more) that have encouraged us all and prompted us to own our sexiness (thanks to her steamy love scene in that one Empire episode, wink wink). Take a look at our favorites below!
Quotes from Gabourey Sidibe We Use as Daily Affirmations
1. “I’ve gone through real, real periods where I hated my body. I hated it. It felt like an enemy. But… my body has carried me through my entire life. You know what I did? I just started loving my body out loud.”
2. “Even if other people think they see you, they don’t. You see you. Your opinion matters more than anything.”
via YouTube (Author Events)
3. “Be the Cabbage Patch Doll you want to see in the world.”
4. “I could lose weight. That is a fact. But I am dope at any and every size. I am smart. I am funny. I am talented. I am gorgeous. I am Black. I am fat. Sometimes I’m a b*tch. At all times, I am a bad b*tch.”
via “This Is Just My Face: Try Not to Stare” (Goodreads)
5. “Don’t let anyone else take away your joy. If they don’t want to be with you or around you, let them go. Pick up your sh*t and keep going. You came into this world by yourself, and the next person’s lungs don’t help you breathe.”
via “This Is Just My Face: Try Not to Stare” (Goodreads)
6. “There have been curvy women since the dawn of time. To say that we are in now is rude ’cause it says that we won’t be in tomorrow.”
via YouTube (Entertainment Tonight)
7. “I’m really sick and tired of sparking conversation. I’m just living my life.”
via Entertainment Tonight
8. “I know I’m fat, you know I’m fat. Why do we have to keep talking about it?”
9. “As long as you have a body, no matter what that body looks like, people will feel like they can talk about it. My body isn’t any different… just because it’s a little bigger and it’s in the limelight. Like, people are talking about junior high schoolers’ bodies, too. And it’s like unfair. Can you mind your own body?”
via YouTube (Cityline)
10. “I don’t have a bucket list. I just, like, say ‘yes’ to life. No bucket list for me. I’m just floating.”
via YouTube (On Demand Entertainment)
11. I just want to thank my God for ordering my steps. For everything that my life was and everything that it is now.”
via YouTube (NAACP Image Awards Speech)
12. I’m super cool, I’m really cute, and I smell good.”
via YouTube (Elvis Duran Show)
13. You have to live with yourself every day, so you have to make sure that your brain, your emotions, your sanity is in check.”
via YouTube (Elvis Duran Show)
14. “I get a rap for being confident, but I have to put my confidence on multiple times a day. It’s like lipstick. You know what I mean? Like… lipstick will wear off, confidence will wear off, sanity will wear off. You have to work at it, and I worked.”
via YouTube (Elvis Duran Show)
As you may know, it’s been 16 years since Sidibe stepped on the scene in Precious. However, almost two decades later, she’s still making an impact. We are so proud of our sister in plush.
Keep leaving your mark on the world, Gabby. We are rooting for you — we are all rooting for you!
Which of these quotes from Gabourey Sidibe were your favorites? Let us know in the comments!
