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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2009
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Precious Director, Star Earn 'Wows'

Expect astonishing Gabourey Sidibe and director Lee Daniels to stay in the spotlight

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(Newser) – Film festival darling Precious is a breakthrough not just for director Lee Daniels—who collected Tyler Perry and Oprah Winfrey to champion the movie—but also for star Gabourey Sidibe, who plays the abused main character. Though media reports paint her as “this downtrodden, ugly girl who got this role and now I’m awesome,” the truth is “I’ve been awesome, and then I got this role,” Sidibe tells New York.

Daniels, for his part, is enjoying praise from the likes of Oprah, who says of the film, “It was guttural. It was primal. It was—wow. That hit a nerve.” The director is “a little nervous about white people seeing this world,” he tells NPR, remembering abused children he knew growing up in West Philadelphia. “Because—this is mine. This is my world.”

Actress Gabourey Sidibe, right, and director Lee Daniels participate in a news conference for the film 'Precious' during the Toronto International Film Festival on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2009 in Toronto.
Actress Gabourey Sidibe, right, and director Lee Daniels participate in a news conference for the film 'Precious' during the Toronto International Film Festival on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2009 in Toronto.   (AP Photo/Evan Agostini)
Actress Gabourey Sidibe arrives to the red carpet for the gala screening of
Actress Gabourey Sidibe arrives to the red carpet for the gala screening of "Precious" during the Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2009.   (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Sean Kilpatrick)
Mariah Carey, Lee Daniels, Gabourey Sidibe, Paula Patton, and Lenny Kravitz, arrive for the screening of 'Precious' during the 62nd International film festival in Cannes, France, May 15, 2009.
Mariah Carey, Lee Daniels, Gabourey Sidibe, Paula Patton, and Lenny Kravitz, arrive for the screening of 'Precious' during the 62nd International film festival in Cannes, France, May 15, 2009.   (AP Photo/Matt Sayles)
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She is unequivocally comfortable in her body, in a very bizarre way. Either she’s in a state of denial or she’s so elevated that she’s on another level. I had no doubt in my mind that she had four or five boyfriends, easily. - Lee Daniels on Gabourey Sidibe

I learned to love myself, because I sleep with myself every night and I wake up with myself every morning, and if I don’t like myself, there’s no reason to even live the life. I love the way I look. I’m fine with it.
- Gabourey Sidibe

How many times have I seen and not seen the Preciouses of the world? How many times have I seen that girl on the street? How many times have I seen her on the corner of Michigan Avenue in Chicago, waiting on a bus?
- Oprah Winfrey

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