Mary J. Blige Opens Up About Finding Confidence While Filming 'Mudbound'

Mary J. Blige is on the cover of Essence‘s November issue, out on newsstands Friday (October 20).

Here’s what the 46-year-old singer and actress had to say:

On gaining confidence in her role as Florence Jackson in Netflix’s Mudbound: “Shedding Mary J. Blige for Florence gave Mary J. Blige some confidence… like a lot of it. [On set] I could hear people whispering, ‘She’s so beautiful.’ And I was like, ‘Who the hell are they talking about?’”

On getting into character for the role: “I had just come back from performing on the Bad Boy Family Reunion tour with all the nails and the wigs, and I wasn’t trying to depart from that. So when it came time to get into character, I was like, ‘Can I wear a lace-front wig? Can I get some lashes?’”

On letting her guard down: “If I didn’t let go and give into the character, the movie probably wouldn’t be what it is right now. It was the one thing that needed to be done, and I couldn’t let Dee [Rees] down.”

For more from Mary, head to Essence.com.