Mary J. Blige
Known for: Acting
Mary Jane Blige (/blaɪʒ/; born January 11, 1971) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and philanthropist. She started her career as a backing singer on Uptown Records in 1989. She has released 13 studio albums, eight of which have achieved multi-platinum worldwide sales. Blige has sold over 80 million records, has won nine Grammy Awards, four American Music Awards, twelve Billboard Music Awards and has also received three Golden Globe Award nominations, including one for her supporting role in the film Mudbound (2017) and another for its second original song "Mighty River" for Mudbound; she also received a nomination for the Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actress and Best Original Song, becoming the first person nominated for acting and songwriting in the same year. In 1992, Blige released her first album, What's the 411?. Her 1994 album My Life is among Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time,[4] and Time magazine's All-Time 100 Albums. She received a Legends Award at the World Music Awards in 2006, and the Voice of Music Award from ASCAP in 2007. As of 2018, Blige has sold 80 million records worldwide. Billboard ranked Blige as the most successful female R&B/Hip-Hop artist of the past 25 years. In 2017, Billboard magazine named her 2006 song "Be Without You" as the most successful R&B/Hip-Hop song of all time, as it spent an unparalleled 15 weeks atop the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and over 75 weeks on the chart. In 2011, VH1 ranked Blige as the 80th greatest artist of all time. ln 2012, VH1 ranked Blige at number 9 in "The 100 Greatest Women in Music" list.
Filmography
Series
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
Self - Guest
2009
Series
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
Self- Guest
2009
Series
The Daily Show
Self
1996
Series
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
2015
Series
Late Show with David Letterman
Self - Musical Guest
1993
Series
Saturday Night Live
Self - Musical Guest
1975
Series
Top of the Pops
Self
1964
Series
Sherri
Self - Guest
2022
Series
The View
Self
1997
Series
The View
Self - Guest
1997
Series
Ghost Whisperer
Jackie Boyd
2005
Series
30 Rock
Mary J. Blige
2006
Series
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Self - Guest
2003
Series
Entourage
Mary J. Blige
2004
Series
How to Get Away with Murder
Rolanda
2014
Series
Empire
Angie
2015
Series
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
Self
2003
Series
American Idol
Self - Guest
2002
Series
American Idol
Self - Mentor
2002
Series
American Idol
Self - Performer
2002
Series
Strong Medicine
Simone Fellows
2000
Series
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
Self
1992
Series
black-ish
Mirabelle
2014
Series
Variety Studio: Actors on Actors
Self
2014
Series
America's Next Top Model
Self - Guest
2003
Series
Tamron Hall
Self - Guest
2019
Series
MTV Video Music Awards
Self
1984
Series
The Umbrella Academy
Cha-Cha
2019
Series
Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter
Self
2015
Series
The Tyra Banks Show
Self
2005
Series
Intimate Portrait
Self
1993
Series
Moesha
Mary J. Blige
1996
Series
New York Undercover
1994
Series
Lip Sync Battle
Self
2015
Series
People's Choice Awards
Self - Performer
1975
Series
All That
Self
1994
Series
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
Self
2009
Film
Thriller 40
Self
2023
Series
Power Book II: Ghost
Monet Stewart Tejada
2020
Series
American Music Awards
Self - Musical Guest
1974
Series
The Jamie Foxx Show
Ola Mae
1996
Series
In Living Color
1990
Series
The Jay Leno Show
Self
2009
Series
Scream: The TV Series
Sherry Elliot
2015
Series
Today
Self
1952
Series
Classic Albums
Self
1997
Series
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
Self - Guest
2001
Series
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
Self
2003
Series
MTV Unplugged
Self
1989
Series
The Shop
Self
2018
Series
Alan Carr: Chatty Man
Self
2009
Series
The Chris Rock Show
Self
1997
The Marriage Ref
Self - Panelist
2010
Film
Trolls World Tour
Queen Essence (voice)
2020
Series
Miley's New Year's Eve Party
Self - Musical Guest
2004
Series
Yo! MTV Raps
Self
1988
Series
In Vogue: The 90s
Self
2024
Out All Night
Self
1992
Film
Rock of Ages
Justice
2012
Series
Sean Combs: The Reckoning
Self (archive footage)
2025
Series
VH1 Storytellers
2005
Series
Lost Ollie
Rosy (voice)
2022
Series
One Life to Live
1968
Series
Impact x Nightline
2022
Series
The Crew Has It
2022
Film
2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Self
2021
Film
Mudbound
Florence Jackson
2017
Film
Rob Peace
Jackie Peace
2024
Film
Respect
Dinah Washington
2021
Film
Sherlock Gnomes
Irene (voice)
2018
Film
Body Cam
Renee Lomito-Smith
2020
Film
2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Self
2022
Series
Justin Lee Collins: Good Times
Self
2010
Film
Quincy
Self
2018
Film
Black Nativity
Platinum Fro
2013
Film
Taylor Swift: The 1989 World Tour - Live
Self - Musical Guest
2015
Film
Gangstresses
Mary J. Blige
2000
Film
We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial
Self
2009
Film
Yo! The Story of ‘Yo! MTV Raps’
Self
2012
Film
Behind the Shield: The Power and Politics of the NFL
Self (archive footage)
2022
Film
Teenage Paparazzo
Self (uncredited)
2010
Film
DMX: Angel
Guardian Angel
2001
Series
Soul Deep: The Story of Black Popular Music
Self
2005
Series
Fat Joe Talks
Self - Guest
2024
Film
2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Self
2024
Film
The Violent Heart
Nina
2020
Film
I Can Do Bad All By Myself
Tanya
2009
Film
You're Watching Video Music Box
Self (archive footage)
2021
Film
Soul Divas
Self
2007
Film
Pink Skies Ahead
Doctor Monroe
2020
Film
Beats Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest
Self
2011
Film
Michael Jackson: The One
Self
2004
Film
Genius. A Night for Ray Charles
Self
2004
Series
The Grammys
Self
1959
Film
Michael Jackson: Number Ones
Self (archive footage)
2003
Film
Prison Song
Mom
2001
Film
TMZ Presents: The Downfall of Diddy
Self (archive footage)
2024
Film
Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell
Self (archive footage)
2021
Film
Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade
Self
2013
Film
The Making of the Wiz Live!
Self
2015
Film
Mary J. Blige's My Life
Self
2021
Film
Betty and Coretta
Dr. Betty Shabazz
2013
Film
VH1 Divas Live 2: An Honors Concert for VH1's Save the Music
Self - Performer
1999
Film
George Michael: Freedom Uncut
Self
2022
Film
Grammy's Greatest Stories: A 60th Anniversary Special
Self
2017
Series
The Wine Down with Mary J. Blige
Self - Host
2023
Film
And You Don't Stop: 30 Years of Hip-Hop
Self
2004
Film
Elton John: One Night Only, The Greatest Hits
Self - Guest Appearance
2000
Film
George Michael: Freedom
Self
2017
Film
Songs & Visions
Self
1997
Film
JAY-Z: Fade to Black
Self
2004
Film
The Wiz Live!
Evillene
2015
Film
Happy to Be Nappy and Other Stories of Me
Self (voice)
2004
Hope for Haiti Now
Self
2010
Film
Can't Stop, Won't Stop: A Bad Boy Story
Self
2017
Film
Wham!: Last Christmas Unwrapped
Self
2024
Film
Be Inspired: The Life of Heavy D
Self
2012
Film
The Box
Evil Commander
2018
Film
Eric Clapton & Friends in Concert
Self - Guest star
1999
Film
THE SHOW: California Love
Self
2022
Film
Classic Albums: Jay-Z - Reasonable Doubt
Self
2007
Film
George Michael - Twenty Five
Self
2006
Film
An Intimate Evening with Mary J. Blige - Live from the House of Blues
Self
2005
Film
All Access: Front Row. Backstage. Live!
Self
2001
Film
Carole King and her Songs at the BBC
Self (archive footage)
2023
MTV 20: Jams
2001
Film
VH1 Divas Live: The One and Only Aretha Franklin
Self
2001
Film
Sting: Inside - The Songs of Sacred Love
Self - Special Guest Vocalist
2003
Film
Queens of Soul at the BBC
Self (archive footage)
2015
Film
Michael Bublé’s 3rd Annual Christmas Special
Self
2013
Film
VH1 Divas Celebrates Soul
Self
2011
Film
Jay-Z: MTV Unplugged
Self
2001
Mary J. Blige: VH1 Storytellers
Self
2008
Film
Mary J. Blige - Live in Los Angeles
2004
Film
Mary J. Blige: For My Fans
Self
2025
Film
Mary J. Blige: Live at Made in America
Self
2015