Despite Her Impressive Acting Resume, Janelle Monáe Doesn’t Consider Herself A ‘Serious Actor’

Over the years, Janelle Monáe has shown to be quite the multihyphenate. On top of an incredible music discography, Monáe has been quite the scene stealer in movies like Moonlight, Hidden Figures, and most recently, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. Still, she thinks of herself as a musician first.

In a recent interview with W, Monáe revealed that she still feels as though she’s dipping her toes in the acting waters.

“I’m still not a serious actor,” she said. “It’s all about playing, being silly. When you see me in a film, I don’t want you to see Janelle Monáe.”

Still, she said the elements of a film, like characters and a storyline, come into play when she makes her albums.

“…my albums are all concept albums, so they center around characters like the Dirty Computer, the Electric Lady, the ArchAndroid,” she said. “It’s in my blood to play characters and to do world-building.”

Perhaps we’ll get to see these theatrics at work soon. Earlier this month, she shared a video on Instagram of herself in the studio, playing what sounded like a snippet of a new song.

Janelle Monáe is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.