Mo'Nique Wants to Spark Conversation Through Role in 'Blackbird'

— -- Oscar-winning actress Mo'Nique is back on the big screen in the independent film, “Blackbird,” and she’s receiving critical acclaim for her portrayal of a mother with a missing daughter and a son struggling with his sexuality identity.

The film was released in select theaters last month. In it, Claire Rousseau, played by Mo’Nique, discovers her son, Randy, with another man. She blames her daughter’s disappearance on his actions.

The 47-year-old actress has never shied away from controversial roles. She won an Academy Award for best supporting actress in 2009 for her role in the film, “Precious,” has said she hopes her portrayal of Rousseau starts a different conversation in churches about homosexuality.

“She is so grounded in her faith,” Mo’Nique said of her character in an interview with ABC News’ Amy Robach. “And she believes everything that's in that book called the Bible. And she believes everything that they say in the pulpit. And what we're hoping is that, for our church families, they go out this movie and they watch it.”

The actress added: “One thing about this movie -- and they say it in the movie, God is love. And there's no 'but' after that.”

Mo’Nique has said she wanted to play Rousseau since she saw the script.

“You see this mother [Rousseau] and how horrible she's being to her child in that moment. ... You're a mother yourself. Is that hard for you to do?” Robach asked.

The actress, who has four children, said it wasn’t hard “because you want to play her honest. “And I don't think she's a horrible mother. And she's not a bad person. ... So when you see people like that, they're not bad people because you see moments in the movie where she really loves her baby.”

Having a social impact is important to Mo’Nique, who said she believes it’s now “just the gay turn,” referring to the fight for equality for gays.

“It’s just the gay turn because at one time it was the black and white turn. And then we turned the corner. ... We're hoping maybe 20 years from now when our 9-year-old babies and -- my 11-year-old son, when they're adults they'll be able to look back and say, ‘How foolish was that that people would treat people that way?’” she said.

Referring to the current popularity on television of shows featuring minorities as stars, Robach asked Mo’Nique whether she was a fan of the sitcom “Black-ish.”

The actress replied that she was a fan of the stars, but pointed out that, with 9-year-old twins, she didn’t have a lot of time for television.

“If it's not 'SpongeBob' ... I don't know about it,” she said, laughing.

And as for whether people still call her Miss Parker -- the character she played on the popular series, “The Parkers” -- Mo’Nique acknowledged that they did.

“Listen, I will be Miss Parker until the day I take my -- I could be anywhere in the world, anywhere in the world other than Switzerland. Okay, Switzerland. And a little short, white old man said, ‘Hey, Miss Parker.’ I said, ‘Baby, you're not gonna call me Miss Parker. ... All around the world.’ Yes, yes,” she said.

“Blackbird” co-stars Isaiah Washington as Randy’s father, Lance Rousseau, and Julian Walker as Randy.