‘The Parkers’: Did Mo’Nique and Dorien Wilson Get Along in Real Life?

The Parkers was one of UPN’s top shows. Starring Mo’Nique and Countess Vaughn, the series following the lives of a mother and daughter enrolled at the same California community college was a big hit with fans and one of the highest-rated programs on the network.

One thing viewers especially loved was the cat and mouse game between Nikki Parker (Mo’Nique) and Professor Stanley Oglevee (Dorien Wilson). Determined to win over her “man,” Nikki tried and schemed incessantly to win over the professor, who spent the majority of the show running away from her affections.

But off screen, what was their relationship like? Did Mo’Nique and Dorien Wilson get along?

Mo’Nique’s character on ‘The Parkers’ regularly annoyed Dorien Wilson’s

It was clear from the moment he was introduced in the inaugural season in 1999 that Professor Oglevee had zero interest in Parker. Still, she persisted, explaining she just needed to wear him down, just like her grandmother did with her grandpa.

She spent five seasons obsessing over the teacher, harassing him, stalking him, and chasing away his girlfriends. By a miracle, she wound up falling for someone she was supposed to marry in the final season in 2004. But Professor Oglevee, having realized he loved Parker, interrupted the ceremony and married her instead.

What was Mo’Nique and Dorien Wilson’s relationship like off-camera?

Speaking about their off-screen relationship in a 2000 interview with The Baltimore Sun, Mo’Nique described Wilson as a close friend. She also mentioned that their chemistry was so strong, some fans even thought they were together in real life, though Mo’Nique was married to her now-ex-husband Mark Jackson at the time.

For his part, Wilson has also spoken highly of his former co-star, telling Radio One Digital in 2018 that he viewed her and his other co-stars as family.

“It sounds so cliche, but that’s exactly what it was,” he added in an appearance on The Feature Presentation with DJ Suss One.

Wilson went on to recall some of the “great” times he had with Mo’Nique throughout the show, like when they would bond over life experiences. “… We were — and still are — tight. She’s good people,” he continued.

Will there ever be a reboot of ‘The Parkers’?

Over the years, talks of a reboot have emerged. Both Wilson and Vaughn have even thrown their support behind a revival of the series, but there’s no official plan in the works.

In the meantime, fans can revisit old episodes of the show on Netflix, which obtained the rights to The Parkers in 2020. Happy watching!