The Buzz Around Gabourey Sidibe: Wonderfully 'Precious'

"Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire" has broken some theatrical records—and in no small thanks to newcomer lead Gabourey Sidibe.

The Sundance Festival favorite had been building massive buzz on the Web and off. New York audiences talked up the film, directed by Lee Daniels (the man behind "Monster's Ball") and produced by Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry. Opening weekend searches were coming from about two-thirds of the nation, led by Southern states.

All this has translated into a box-office record for a film opening in under 50 theaters: Playing on only 18 screens, "Precious" pulled in $1.8 million for the opening weekend. That works out to a staggering $104,025 per theater, which slips the drama into the top 15 per-theater-averages of all time. (Only a mere $5,460 kept it from cracking the Top 10 slot, currently occupied by "Brokeback Mountain.")

The clamor has rippled even more online: Search numbers have leapt up 525%, putting the drama into the top 600 searches on Yahoo! in the past seven days. 

Much attention has been focused on the cast, and now even more people are turning their eyes (and focusing their searches on) Sidibe—her Web profile's up about 480%. Here's a look at the Hollywood neophyte who might be making a date with Oscar one day soon. 

Odds Against
Stepping into the lead role, Sidibe had to take on some monumental tasks, besides just holding her own in a standout cast that includes mega-stars like Mo'Nique, Mariah Carey, and Lenny Kravitz.

The 26-year-old had to play an abused, obese 16-year-old convincingly. She had to be good enough to satisfy fans of a 1996 literary classic. And, she had to portray a character, Precious Jones, who weighs in at more than 300 pounds in an industry that tends to slim down its leading ladies.

Turning on the Charm...and the Talent
It turned out that Sidibe, a psychology student and receptionist, couldn't have been more perfect for the role. The New York native wasn't unfamiliar with bright lights, hanging out at the performances of her gospel-singer mom. But that hard lifestyle of constantly trying to get gigs was exactly why Sidibe aimed for a steady desk job. Her best friend convinced her to audition, and so Sidibe competed with 1,000 others testing for the part.

As The New York Times puts it, "she blew everyone away." The director fell in love ("with all my soul"). Since then, others have fallen in line. She has already received one prestigious award. Rolling Stones critic Peter Travers calls her "glorious," and her talk-show appearances literally leave people cheering.

Far From Precious
While she was Brooklyn-born and Harlem-raised, Sidibe's similarities to the character Precious ends there. Sidibe is one of six kids, and her mother Alice Tan Ridley is a loving teacher as well as a gospel singer—known by NYC locals as the godmother of soul of the Times Square subway station. To understand the horribly abused Precious, the college student fell into familiar academic mode and delved into research about abuse. Given all the Oscar talk around her performance, Sidibe's studying more than paid off. 

Level-Headed Grownup
In a Huffington Post interview, Sidibe said she felt "immense responsibility" to do Precious justice, and that her confidence came from her age (24, when she auditioned): "I know Precious because I know who I am." Sidibe keeps it real. She also said that a role model doesn't come "because I'm in a movie. My first responsibility is to my family and to myself."

Fame isn't over yet, although Sidibe understands that her background and build, atypical for Hollywood, mean people make snap judgments. “I think people look at me and don’t expect much," she told an Indiewire reporter, "even though, I expect a whole lot." In her new career as an actor, Sidibe sees her new life as "an office job...and my office happens to be a red carpet or a room full of interviewers." Now that's a grownup attitude.