Janelle Monáe has been making a transition into movie stardom for a while now. She made her theatrical film debut in 2016 with roles in both Hidden Figures and Moonlight -- the latter would, rather messily, go on to win Best Picture at the Oscars. Monáe was in Harriet this year, though wasn't nominated for her role. The star of the film, Cynthia Erivo, did get a Best Actress nomination for her performance, and she was also nominated for Best Original Song.
Monáe was on hand for a performance anyway. She opened the show with a medley that highlighted some movies that were released this year. She started by singing Mr. Rogers' "Won't You Be Neighbor" and then a cadre of backup dancers came out dressed up as characters from Joker, Us, Midsommar, and more. She then started in on her own "Come Alive (The War Of The Roses)," and Billy Porter came out to sing Elton John's "I'm Still Standing," which featured in Rocketman.
"Tonight we celebrate all the amazing talent in this room," Monáe said toward the end of her performance. "We celebrate all the women who directed phenomenal films. And I'm so proud to stand here as a black queer artist telling stories. Happy Black History Month."
Watch Monáe's Oscars performance below.
#Oscars Moment: @JanelleMonae kicks off the #Oscars with an opening number that leaves everyone feeling alive! pic.twitter.com/J76UFuqxby
— The Academy (@TheAcademy) February 10, 2020
Monáe is also starring in a film that's out in a few months, Antebellum, which only has a mysterious trailer to go along with it so far.
