Mary J. Blige Covers Paper Magazine + Video Performance at The 7th Annual Night Life Awards

Set to appear as Justice Charlier in Rock of Ages, about the film Blige says, “”All I can say is I had a blast. Tom Cruise was always just so helpful and constantly giving. Just watching him and Catherine Zeta-Jones transform into their characters, it was like, OMG these people are incredible!”

Blige is also gearing up for her role as Nina Simone in the biopic about her life, she confesses, “Nina was different from me in a lot of ways. She was courageous and confident. I’m just growing into that, but she was like that ever since she was a little girl — she was never afraid during a period when there was so much racism. She was always bold. I have a lot to draw from — all the trials and tribulations and battles. But my God, I hope I can do the work and pull it off.”