Gabourey Sidibe and her mother Alice Tan Ridley (Facebook)
Gabourey Sidibe’s mother revealed she was not a fan of her daughter playing her breakout role in Precious. Alice Tan Ridley is kicking off an entertainment career of her own and is opening up about her new gig as well as Sidibe’s debut acting part.
In a conversation with Refinery29, Ridley expressed her excitement over realizing her life-long dream: singing.
“I’ve been singing all my life and I hope to sing until I’m out of here,” Ridley said. “That’s been my dedication: to show people that you can still do what you love to do.”
The 63-year-old, whose fame was boosted when she became a finalist on “America’s Got Talent,” is releasing a new album. Titled Never Lost My Way, a Kickstarter campaign funded the LP.
Ridley revealed the title is a reminder that she “didn’t give up on my dreams.”
And Sidibe supported her mother’s wishes.
It was welcome for Ridley, who previously sang on New York City subways to support her family.
But her support for Sidibe was lost at first when it came to her daughter playing the character Precious in the 2009 novel-based film.
“I really didn’t want her to do that part that she did in the movie. But I’m so happy that she did,” Ridley said. “People still today see her as that person who went through that life. When they see me performing in the subway or onstage, they ask if I’m Precious’ mother — and I tell them no! My daughter’s name is not Precious. Her name is Gabourey Sidibe.”
Since then, Sidibe has gone on to work in TV. She starred in “American Horror Story” and scored a recurring role on the hit Fox drama “Empire.”
