Mary J. Blige Says She’d ‘Love’ to Be a Full-Time Actress

Mary J. Blige has no plans to ever leave the music business, but she tells The BoomBox there's another profession she wouldn't mind trying on as a full-time vocation.

"It would probably be acting at this point, because if I wasn't doing this, I would love, love, love to have been an actress," she says. "After the experiences I've had with the acting jobs I've been given, it's like, man, this is it! This is the challenge, because you have to find this person and bring this person to life truthfully. Truthfully, so that everybody else can believe you. I think acting is the most selfless -- not selfish -- selfless thing you can do because it is totally not about you. You have to get rid of yourself 100%."

Blige's acting resume has mostly included appearances on television programs such as 'The Jamie Foxx Show,' 'Strong Medicine,' and 'Ghost Whisperer' as well as roles in the films 'Prison Song' and 'Angel: One More Road to Cross.' Contributing to the soundtrack of the Lee Daniels film 'Precious' last year put her in close proximity to observe a singing colleague put her all into losing herself for an acting role.

"To look at Mariah [Carey] and see what she did with that film, it's like, wow! She really did it because she went past the Mariah we all know -- with the hair and beautiful face. All of that Mariah stuff, it wasn't there. She got rid of herself! Wow, incredible. I know acting is something that I need to do. I don't care how old I get, I'm going to continue to pursue it because there's something in me that I've gotta get out! It needs to come out on screen. Everybody needs to see it coming out in another person, you know what I mean?

"If I," she stops, and quickly corrects herself, "when I do this Nina Simone movie, everyone's gonna see what needs to come out." The Simone biopic, talked about for more than five years, is slated for a 2012 release.

In the meantime, fans can get their Mary J. Blige acting fix through the recently released DVD of the Tyler Perry's 'I Can Do Bad All By Myself,' where Blige plays nightclub bartender who -- surprise, surprise! -- knows how to sing quite well.