Gabourey Sidibe

Sidibe in 2015, photo by DFree/Bigstock.com

Place of Birth: Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S.

Date of Birth: May 6, 1983

Ethnicity:
*Senegalese (father)
*African-American (mother)

Gabourey Sidibe is an American actress and author. Her name is pronounced GAB-ə-ray SID-i-bay.

Her father, Ibnou Sidibe, is a Senegalese-born taxi driver. The surname Sidibe is of Fulani origin.

Her mother, Alice Tan Ridley, is African-American, originally from Georgia, and was an R&B singer. Her aunt is activist, public speaker, author, and pioneering African-American small business owner Dorothy Pitman Hughes.

Gabourey starred in the 2009 film Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for the role. She was studying for a psychology degree at Mercy College when the opportunity to audition for the film came up.

Gabourey’s maternal grandparents likely are named Ray Ridley and Lessie.

Sidibe in 2009, photo credit: gdcgraphics