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Mary J. Blige

Highest Rated: 97% Mudbound (2017)

Lowest Rated: 28% Sherlock Gnomes (2018)

Birthday: Jan 11, 1971

Birthplace: Bronx, New York, USA

Mary J. Blige made an immediate impression with her 1992 debut What's the 411?, and has remained one of R&B's more consistent artists in the decades since. Born in the Bronx, Blige had a tumultuous childhood; her father was a Vietnam vet with post-traumatic stress disorder; and Blige was molested by a family friend at a young age. She found solace in singing in church, but by age 16 had dropped out of school and was abusing various drugs. She was however still singing, and a cassette demo of her covering Anita Baker's "Caught Up in the Rapture" began making the rounds-- initially through her mother who was dating an Uptown Record executive. She was signed to the label and teamed with producer Sean Combs (then Puff Daddy), who oversaw much of the debut. A semi-autobiographical album, What's the 411? was framed with recordings from Blige's answering machine. Combs' production drew from modern hip-hop but allowed Blige to shine as a vocalist, She paid tribute to one role model, Chaka Khan, with a cover of Rufus' "Sweet thing" which joined "You Remind Me" and "Real Love:" as the album's hit singles. However Blige's newfound success coincided with one of her toughest personal periods, as she spiraled into depression and further drug use; it was also reported that she was in an abusive relationship with Jodeci member K-Ci Hailey. All of this was channeled into her second album, My Life, which was hailed as a modern R&B landmark. This time the classic soul influence was stronger than the hip=hop, and Blige had a hand in writing every song. Blige's personal life continued to inform her music; 1997's more upbeat Share My World celebrated her kicking both the drugs and the relationship with Hailey. She mined the same personal territory in 2001's No More Drama which produced her greatest hit, the Number One single "Family Affair." Meanwhile she launched an acting career, initially with music-related TV guest roles, but in 2004 she acted Off Broadway in the drama The Exonerated, playing a woman serving time for a crime she didn't commit. This led to her playing a variety of musical and dramatic roles, including starring as a supervillain in the Netflix series "The Umbrella Academy" (2019). She briefly hosted an Apple Music webcast, The 411, and surprised the first guest Hillary Clinton by singing a highly topical Bruce Springsteen song. As a recording artist Blige remains enormously popular; as of 2019 each of her thirteen studio albums has hit the Top Ten. During 2018 she was nominated for Academy Awards for the film "Mudbound," both as supporting actress and performer of the title song. She has become an entrepreneur, starting the Matriarch label and releasing her own brands of perfume and sunglasses. During 2019 she toured with Nas; the two also collaborated on the single "Thriving" which continued Blige's longtime message of personal strength.

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Highest rated movies

97% 85% Mudbound Watchlist
91% 73% The Wiz Live!
Watchlist
82% 42% Pink Skies Ahead
Watchlist
78% All Access: Front Row. Backstage. Live!
Watchlist
74% 94% Rob Peace Watchlist 72% 58% Trolls World Tour Watchlist 68% 95% Respect Watchlist
62% 81% I Can Do Bad All By Myself
Watchlist
60% 40% Mary J. Blige's My Life Watchlist
57% 75% Champs
Watchlist

Filmography

Movies

Credit
74% 94% Rob Peace Jackie Peace (Character),
Executive Producer
$374.7K 2024
No Score Yet 98% Mary J. Blige's Real Love Executive Producer - 2023
No Score Yet 94% Mary J. Blige's Strength of a Woman Executive Producer - 2023
68% 95% Respect Dinah Washington (Character) $24.3M 2021
60% 40% Mary J. Blige's My Life Self,
Executive Producer
- 2021
82% 42% Pink Skies Ahead Dr. Monroe (Character) - 2020
53% 79% The Violent Heart Nina (Character) - 2020
43% 34% Body Cam Renee Lomito-Smith (Character) - 2020
72% 58% Trolls World Tour Queen Essence (Voice) - 2020
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Remix: Hip Hop X Fashion Unknown (Character) - 2019
No Score Yet 100% The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel Executive Producer - 2019
28% 36% Sherlock Gnomes Irene Adler (Voice) $43.1M 2018
97% 85% Mudbound Florence Jackson (Character) - 2017
40% 47% Can't Stop, Won't Stop: A Bad Boy Story Self - 2017
No Score Yet 75% Chris Brown: Welcome to My Life Self - 2017
57% 75% Champs Unknown (Character) - 2015
91% 73% The Wiz Live! Unknown (Character) - 2015
51% 51% Black Nativity Lucy (Character) $7.0M 2013
No Score Yet 69% Betty & Coretta Betty Shabazz (Character) - 2013
43% 55% Rock of Ages Justice (Character) $38.5M 2012
62% 81% I Can Do Bad All By Myself Tanya (Character) $51.7M 2009
No Score Yet No Score Yet Sting - Inside: The Songs of Sacred Love Unknown (Character) - 2003
No Score Yet 94% Prison Song Mom (Character) - 2001
78% No Score Yet All Access: Front Row. Backstage. Live! Self $995.1K 2001

TV

Credit
No Score Yet 82% Power Book II: Ghost Monet (Character) 2020-2024
No Score Yet 28% The Drew Barrymore Show Guest 2023
No Score Yet 50% The Late Show With Stephen Colbert Guest 2023
94% 97% Lost Ollie Rosy (Voice) 2022
No Score Yet 12% The View Music Performer,
Guest
2013-2017 2019 2022
No Score Yet No Score Yet Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen Guest 2012 2020-2021
No Score Yet No Score Yet Celebrity IOU: Joyride Guest 2021
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Ellen DeGeneres Show Music Performer,
Guest
2013-2014 2017 2021
78% 61% The Umbrella Academy Cha-Cha (Character) 2019
45% No Score Yet The Academy Awards Music Performer 2018
No Score Yet No Score Yet Close Up With The Hollywood Reporter Guest 2018
No Score Yet No Score Yet Variety Studio: Actors on Actors Guest 2018
No Score Yet 42% Jimmy Kimmel Live! Music Performer,
Guest
2008-2009 2014 2017
No Score Yet 44% The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Music Performer,
Guest
2014 2017
No Score Yet No Score Yet The BET Life of Unknown (Guest Star) 2016
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Wendy Williams Show Music Performer,
Guest
2014-2015
92% 57% black-ish Unknown (Guest Star) 2015
84% 48% Empire Unknown (Guest Star) 2015
No Score Yet 61% Late Night With Seth Meyers Guest 2015
No Score Yet No Score Yet Tavis Smiley Guest 2014
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Talk Guest 2013
No Score Yet 74% The X Factor Music Performer 2011 2013
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Dr. Oz Show Guest 2010 2013
No Score Yet No Score Yet 106 & Park Guest 2013
No Score Yet No Score Yet Great Performances Music Performer 2012
No Score Yet 59% The Voice Unknown (Guest Star),
Guest
2012
No Score Yet 54% American Idol Unknown (Guest Star),
Music Performer,
Judge
2010 2012
No Score Yet No Score Yet Alan Carr: Chatty Man Guest 2011
No Score Yet No Score Yet Dancing With the Stars Music Performer 2011
33% No Score Yet The Marriage Ref Guest 2011
31% No Score Yet The Jay Leno Show Music Performer 2009
No Score Yet 58% So You Think You Can Dance Music Performer 2009
No Score Yet No Score Yet Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Unknown (Guest Star) 2009
No Score Yet No Score Yet Late Night With Jimmy Fallon Guest 2009
78% 92% 30 Rock Mary J. Blige (Guest Star) 2009
No Score Yet No Score Yet Rachael Ray Guest 2009
No Score Yet No Score Yet VH1 Storytellers Self 2008
No Score Yet No Score Yet America's Next Top Model Unknown (Guest Star) 2007
65% 82% Entourage Mary J. Blige (Guest Star) 2007
No Score Yet 87% Ghost Whisperer Unknown (Guest Star) 2007
No Score Yet 57% Saturday Night Live Music Performer 1993 2006
No Score Yet No Score Yet Moesha Unknown (Guest Star) 1999
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Jamie Foxx Show Unknown (Guest Star) 1998