Mo'Nique accepted her role to raise awareness of sexual abuse. A confessed victim of incest herself, the actress had great reservations about playing the part, but ultimately found the experience therapeutic.
A friend at college told Gabourey Sidibe about the open-call audition for the role of Precious. On the morning of the audition, her normal route to school was blocked by a film crew working on American Gangster (2007), so she went to the audition instead.
Precious is 16 years old but Gabourey Sidbe was 26 at the time of filming.
The first film to win the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance to be nominated for the Best Picture Oscar.
Very first Best Picture nominee to be directed by an African-American filmmaker.