- Born
- Birth nameJanelle Monáe Robinson
- Height5′ (1.52 m)
- Janelle Monáe is an American musical recording artist, actress and model signed to her own imprint, Wondaland Arts Society, and Atlantic Records.
She was born in Kansas City, Kansas, to Janet, a janitor, and Michael Robinson Summers, a truck driver. In 2010, Monáe released her first full-length studio album, The ArchAndroid. In March 2012, "We Are Young" by Fun., on which Monáe appears as a guest vocalist, reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, her first appearance in the US Top 10. Monáe's music has garnered her six Grammy Award nominations.
Monáe has excelled at film acting and picking roles, having had major parts in Moonlight (2016), Hidden Figures (2016), Lady and the Tramp (2019) and Harriet (2019). In 2020, she played the lead in the horror film Antebellum (2020).
- IMDb mini biography by: Pedro Borges
- ChildrenNo Children
- ParentsMichael Robinson SummersJanet Robinson
- RelativesKimmy(Sibling)Marsai Martin(Cousin)
- Often wears minimalistic black-and-white suits with a quiff hairstyle
- Is a huge science fiction fan who grew up watching "The Twilight Zone" religiously on television.
- Janelle has begun a non-profit organization called "FemTheFuture," the purpose of which is to educate and assist school-age girls and young ladies of color in real life matters (e.g. financial literacy) that are not normally taught in inner city schools.
- They made their film debut in 2016, co-starring in Moonlight (2016) and Hidden Figures (2016). Both films were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture at The Oscars (2017), with Moonlight (2016) ultimately winning the accolade.
- Received the "Breakthrough Award" at the 10th annual Essence Black Women In Hollywood event, February, 2017.
- Is claustrophobic.
- I've always wanted people to ask questions about the music. Some songs you get. Some songs you may not. And I think that's the beauty of art: to question and to ask, to understand the deeper meaning after two or three or four listenings. I appreciate that as a writer because sometimes the mystery, when it's gone, is not as interesting. I love the mystery behind things.
- I feel myself becoming the fearless person I have dreamt of being. Have I arrived? No. But I'm constantly evolving and challenging myself to be unafraid to make mistakes.
- [observation, 2014] I'd be honored to experiment more with holograms and maybe make a whole band - but I love my band. I wouldn't want them to be holograms.
- I've never viewed myself as "just" a musician or singer. I'm a storyteller who wants to tell untold, meaningful, universal stories in unforgettable ways. I want to do it all, study it all and find my place in it.
- I had a strong visceral reaction to the Moonlight (2016) script, partly because I felt I knew all of these characters. I grew up with a drug dealer like Juan in my neighborhood who was a mentor to local young people. I had a family member who was addicted to crack, like Paula. Chiron himself reminded me of my little cousin - they were all characters I could relate to from my upbringing. And I've played the role of Teresa in real life: my family and friends always have a shoulder to lean on with me.
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