---
name: "Janelle Monáe"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/janelle-monae"
fi1m_id: "janelle-monae"
imdb_id: "nm1847117"
tmdb_id: 1005852
wikidata_id: "Q234356"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "1 December 1985"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 5
average_fi1m_score: 73
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 5
updated: "2026-10-19T04:21:53.123620+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Janelle Monáe

## Identity

Janelle Monáe

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/janelle-monae
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** janelle-monae
- **IMDb ID:** nm1847117
- **TMDB ID:** 1005852
- **Wikidata ID:** Q234356
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janelle_Mon%C3%A1e, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q234356, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1847117/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1005852

Actor. Born 1 December 1985 in Kansas City, Kansas, USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 1 December 1985, Kansas City, Kansas, USA
- **Active:** 2014–present
- **Also known as:** Janelle Monáe Robinson
- **SAG Awards:** 1 SAG Award (1 won)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 73, as actor, over 5 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 2010s 73 (3), 2020s 73 (2)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 73 to 73 across 5 titles
- **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 2 at 60–79, 1 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 0 of 4 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Drama 3, Comedy 2, Adventure 1, Animation 1, Crime 1, Family 1
- **Screen time:** 10 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $820m across 5 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janelle_Mon%C3%A1e, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q234356, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1847117/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1005852

## Coming up

- *Bass X Machina* (2026-11-03), as Glory (voice) — [page](https://film.one/tv/bass-x-machina.md)

## Streaming the US now

- **Apple TV:** [*Hidden Figures*](https://film.one/film/hidden-figures.md) (80), [*Is God Is*](https://film.one/film/is-god-is.md) (74)
- **Disney+:** [*Moonlight*](https://film.one/film/moonlight.md) (89)
- **Netflix:** [*Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery*](https://film.one/film/glass-onion-a-knives-out-mystery.md) (72)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Janelle Monáe

> Janelle Monáe brings warmth without fuss and makes a supporting character feel worth knowing. We particularly value her in *Moonlight*, where Teresa’s steadiness matters as much as the more visibly troubled performances around her.

In *Moonlight* (2016), Teresa gives Chiron an adult whose steadiness is worth watching. Janelle Monáe does not need to make her the most conspicuous person in the scene; her presence matters because the boy struggles to speak comfortably to the people around him. We were moved by that calm, particularly alongside the painful volatility Naomie Harris brings to Paula. Monáe makes kindness feel like something a person can offer consistently, without needing an important speech to announce it.

Her live-action acting debut came with *Moonlight* and *Hidden Figures* (2016), in which she played Mary Jackson. Those early ensemble parts remain a useful way into her work, with their warmth, precision and lack of overt stylisation. *Harriet* (2019) brought another supporting role, before *Antebellum* (2020) gave her a first film lead. The critical reservations about that film concern its tone and storytelling; we would not use them to argue that she should remain in supporting parts. Rian Johnson’s *Glass Onion* (2022) makes a persuasive case for giving her more to do within an ensemble.

Barry Jenkins’s *Moonlight* gives us the clearest evidence of what she does well. Mahershala Ali makes Juan gentle without settling every question about his trustworthiness; Harris makes Paula painful company without reducing her to an obstacle. Monáe’s Teresa belongs beside them because her steadiness is given equal human weight, and the supporting cast makes Chiron’s difficulty in speaking matter. Jenkins’s three-part structure sometimes hurries past important years, a limitation these performances make worth accepting. The film leaves us interested in people it cannot stay with.

Monáe’s account of starting with a character’s motive, then building the outward performance, fits the restraint of Teresa. That is worth holding on to as the parts become larger and the plots demand more. We need not find every character reassuring, but we do want the same care over what that person wants from the people around them. For an introduction to her acting, choose *Moonlight* before making straight for the leading roles.

## Biography

Janelle Monáe Robinson is an American actor and singer. She was born on 1 December 1985 in Kansas City, Kansas, and studied at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York.

Monáe made her live-action film acting debut as Teresa in the 2016 drama *Moonlight*. The same year she appeared as Mary Jackson in *Hidden Figures*. Her other film roles include Andi Brand in *Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery* (2022). She voices Glory in the animated series *Bass X Machina* (2026).

Monáe has received multiple Grammy Award nominations for her music work.

*Sources: imdb.com, billboard.com, animationmagazine.net, britannica.com.*

## On Fi1m (5)

- *Is God Is* (2026), Fi1m 74, as Angie — [page](https://film.one/film/is-god-is.md)
- *Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery* (2022), Fi1m 72, as Andi Brand — [page](https://film.one/film/glass-onion-a-knives-out-mystery.md)
- *Hidden Figures* (2016), Fi1m 80, as Mary Jackson — [page](https://film.one/film/hidden-figures.md)
- *Moonlight* (2016), Fi1m 89, as Teresa — [page](https://film.one/film/moonlight.md)
- *Rio 2* (2014), Fi1m 50, as Dr. Monae (voice) — [page](https://film.one/film/rio-2.md)

## Complete filmography (23)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Bass X Machina* (2026), series, as Glory (voice) — coming soon, [page](https://film.one/tv/bass-x-machina.md)
- *Is God Is* (2026), as Angie — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/film/is-god-is.md)
- *Fitting In* (2024), Executive Producer
- *Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery* (2022), as Andi Brand — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/film/glass-onion-a-knives-out-mystery.md)
- *Human Resources* (2022), series, as Claudia (voice)
- *We the People* (2021), series, as (voice)
- *The Glorias* (2020), as Dorothy Pitman Hughes
- *Antebellum* (2020), as Veronica / Eden
- *Lady and the Tramp* (2019), as Peg (voice)
- *Harriet* (2019), as Marie Buchanon
- *UglyDolls* (2019), as Mandy (voice)
- *Welcome to Marwen* (2018), as GI Julie
- *Homecoming* (2018), series, as Jackie Calico / Alex Eastern
- *Dirty Computer* (2018), as Jane 57821 · Executive Producer, Music
- *Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams* (2017), series, as Alexis
- *Hidden Figures* (2016), as Mary Jackson, Songs — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/film/hidden-figures.md)
- *Moonlight* (2016), as Teresa — Fi1m 89, [page](https://film.one/film/moonlight.md)
- *Janelle Monáe: Live at Lowlands 2014* (2014), Music
- *Rio 2* (2014), as Dr. Monae (voice) — Fi1m 50, [page](https://film.one/film/rio-2.md)
- *Janelle Monáe: Live at iTunes Festival 2013* (2013), Music
- *Golden*, Actor
- *Don't Look*, as Producer
- *Never Saw Me Coming*, as Tanya Smith · Producer

## Gallery

- ![Janelle Monáe](https://film.one/media/person/96393/gallery-f4329c9c6d7c.jpg) Janelle Monáe — Myles Kalus Anak Jihem, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d3/Janelle_Monae_Paris_Fashion_Week_Autumn_Winter_2019_%28cropped%29.jpg/1280px-Janelle_Monae_Paris_Fashion_Week_Autumn_Winter_2019_%28cropped%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Janelle Monae signs books for fans at the National Book Festival, September 3, 2022. Photo by Elaina Finkelstein/Library of Congress. Note: Privacy and publicit](https://film.one/media/person/96393/gallery-eee8948c333b.jpg) Janelle Monae signs books for fans at the National Book Festival, September 3, 2022. Photo by Elaina Finkelstein/Library of Congress. Note: Privacy and publicit — Library of Congress Life, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bc/2022_National_Book_Festival_%2852343521771%29.jpg/1280px-2022_National_Book_Festival_%2852343521771%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Janelle Monae discusses her book, "The Memory Librarian," with Kyle Dargan on the Main Stage at the 2022 National Book Festival, September 3, 2022. Photo by Sha](https://film.one/media/person/96393/gallery-004d04826b50.jpg) Janelle Monae discusses her book, "The Memory Librarian," with Kyle Dargan on the Main Stage at the 2022 National Book Festival, September 3, 2022. Photo by Sha — Library of Congress Life, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/48/2022_National_Book_Festival_%2852343770158%29.jpg/1280px-2022_National_Book_Festival_%2852343770158%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Janelle Monae discusses her book, "The Memory Librarian," with Kyle Dargan on the Main Stage at the 2022 National Book Festival, September 3, 2022. Photo by Sha](https://film.one/media/person/96393/gallery-55809fd1d703.jpg) Janelle Monae discusses her book, "The Memory Librarian," with Kyle Dargan on the Main Stage at the 2022 National Book Festival, September 3, 2022. Photo by Sha — Library of Congress Life, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/2022_National_Book_Festival_%2852343772698%29.jpg/1280px-2022_National_Book_Festival_%2852343772698%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Janelle Monáe](https://film.one/media/person/96393/gallery-2075f3f612d8.jpg) Janelle Monáe — Image via TMDB
- ![Janelle Monáe](https://film.one/media/person/96393/gallery-2dd67dcd1491.jpg) Janelle Monáe — Image via TMDB
- ![Janelle Monáe](https://film.one/media/person/96393/gallery-7cdcc128ce75.jpg) Janelle Monáe — Image via TMDB
- ![Janelle Monae discusses her book, "The Memory Librarian," with Kyle Dargan on the Main Stage at the 2022 National Book Festival, September 3, 2022. Photo by Sha](https://film.one/media/person/96393/gallery-b28cfff545a5.jpg) Janelle Monae discusses her book, "The Memory Librarian," with Kyle Dargan on the Main Stage at the 2022 National Book Festival, September 3, 2022. Photo by Sha — Library of Congress Life, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8b/2022_National_Book_Festival_%2852343772848%29.jpg/1280px-2022_National_Book_Festival_%2852343772848%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Janelle Monae discusses her book, "The Memory Librarian," with Kyle Dargan on the Main Stage at the 2022 National Book Festival, September 3, 2022. Photo by Sha](https://film.one/media/person/96393/gallery-08d30a3a06cd.jpg) Janelle Monae discusses her book, "The Memory Librarian," with Kyle Dargan on the Main Stage at the 2022 National Book Festival, September 3, 2022. Photo by Sha — Library of Congress Life, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c1/2022_National_Book_Festival_%2852343831039%29.jpg/1280px-2022_National_Book_Festival_%2852343831039%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Janelle Monáe](https://film.one/media/person/96393/gallery-2d4852181e5a.jpg) Janelle Monáe — Image via TMDB
- ![Janelle Monáe](https://film.one/media/person/96393/gallery-254ff904e22e.jpg) Janelle Monáe — Image via TMDB
- ![Janelle Monáe](https://film.one/media/person/96393/gallery-fd0590d0262c.jpg) Janelle Monáe — Image via TMDB

## Awards

### SAG Awards — 1 won

- 2017: Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture (won), for *Hidden Figures*

### Other awards — 8 won, 2 nominated

- Ignyte Award for Best Anthology/Collected Works 2023: Ignyte Award for Best Anthology/Collected Works (nominated), for *The Memory Librarian: And Other Stories of Dirty Computer*
- Locus Award for Best Collection 2023: Locus Award for Best Collection (nominated), for *The Memory Librarian: And Other Stories of Dirty Computer*
- Kansas Music Hall of Fame 2022: Kansas Music Hall of Fame (won)
- Black Reel Award for Outstanding Breakthrough Performance 2017: Black Reel Award for Outstanding Breakthrough Performance (won), for *Hidden Figures*
- Black Reel Award for Outstanding Ensemble 2017: Black Reel Award for Outstanding Ensemble (won), for *Moonlight*
- Independent Spirit Awards 2017: Independent Spirit Robert Altman Award (won), for *Moonlight*
- Satellite Award for Best Cast – Motion Picture 2017: Satellite Award for Best Cast – Motion Picture (won), for *Hidden Figures*
- Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Cast 2016: Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Cast (won), for *Moonlight*
- MTV Video Music Award for Best Art Direction 2013: MTV Video Music Award for Best Art Direction (won), for *Q.U.E.E.N.*
- Teen Choice Award for Choice Music – Single 2012: Teen Choice Award for Choice Music – Single (won), for *We Are Young*

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/janelle-monae