Gabby Sidibe feels like she’s living out a Hollywood dream. The 24-year-old, who grew up in Harlem and had acted only in college productions, snagged the coveted lead role in Precious.

Making her debut as the obese and abused teenage single mom was a challenge Gabby wasn’t afraid to take. Parade.com’s Jeanne Wolf found out that, while the emotionally demanding role took a toll on Sidibe, it also changed her life.

“I had auditioned for Lee Daniels and I went to a meeting expecting to do another one. Then he just suddenly said, ‘I want you to be in my movie as Precious.’ I started crying. I just lost it. I know that sounds like a cliche, but it happened so fast that I was overwhelmed…”

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