Oscar Nominees: Before They Were Famous

Actress Mo'Nique has worked as a bank teller, a chicken restaurant employee and even a supervisor at a phone sex line. In her early 20s, she discovered stand-up comedy, and she has been at home onstage ever since. Mo'Nique, pictured here in a yearbook photo, is nominated for best supporting actress for playing Mary, an abusive mother, in "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire." (Courtesy Millford Mill Academy Yearbook)