Queen Latifah
- Acting
- March 18, 1970 · Newark, New Jersey, USA
Biography
Dana Elaine Owens (born March 18, 1970), known professionally as Queen Latifah, is an American rapper, actress, and singer. Born in Newark, New Jersey, she signed with Tommy Boy Records in 1989 and released her debut album All Hail the Queen on November 28, 1989, featuring the hit single "Ladies First". Nature of a Sista' (1991) was her second and final album with Tommy Boy Records. Latifah starred as Khadijah James on the Fox sitcom Living Single from 1993 to 1998. Her third album, Black Reign (1993), became the first album by a solo female rapper to receive a RIAA certification, and spawned the single "U.N.I.T.Y.", which was influential in raising awareness of violence against women and the objectification of Black female sexuality. The record won a Grammy Award and peaked at No. 23 on the Billboard Hot 100. She then starred in the lead role of Set It Off (1996) and released her fourth album, Order in the Court, on June 16, 1998, with Motown Records. Latifah garnered acclaim with her role of Matron "Mama" Morton in the musical film Chicago (2002), receiving a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Latifah released her fifth album The Dana Owens Album in 2004. In 2007 and 2009, she released two more studio albums – Trav'lin' Light and Persona. She created the daytime talk show The Queen Latifah Show, which ran from 1999 to 2001, and again from 2013 to 2015, in syndication. She has appeared in a number of films, such as Bringing Down the House (2003), Taxi (2004), Barbershop 2: Back in Business (2005), Beauty Shop (2005), Last Holiday (2006), Hairspray (2007), Joyful Noise (2012), 22 Jump Street (2014) and Girls Trip (2017) and provided voice work in the Ice Age film series. Latifah received critical acclaim for her portrayal of blues singer Bessie Smith in the HBO film Bessie (2015), which she co-produced, winning the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie. From 2016 to 2019, she starred as Carlotta Brown in the musical drama series Star. In 2020, she portrayed Hattie McDaniel in the miniseries Hollywood. Queen Latifah has been referred to as the "Queen of Rap" by several media articles, as well as "rap's first feminist". Latifah became the first hip hop artist to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (2006). Latifah's work in music, film and television has earned her a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, two NAACP Image Awards, and an Academy Award nomination. Description above from the Wikipedia article Queen Latifah, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Known for
Filmography
- Ice Age: Boiling Point · Ellie (Voice)
- Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery · Self
- A GRAMMY Salute to 50 Years of Hip-Hop · Self
- 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony · Self
- Ladies First: A Story of Women in Hip-Hop · Self
- Bone Black: Midwives vs. the South · Executive producer
- In Her Element · Executive producer
- Sherri · Self
- The Jennifer Hudson Show · Self
- End of the Road · Brenda Freeman, Executive producer
- Payback · Self
- Hustle · Teresa Sugerman
- The Tiger Rising · Willie May, Executive producer
- You're Watching Video Music Box · Self
- 2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony · Self
- Maya and the Three · Gran Bruja (Voice)
- The Equalizer · Robyn McCall, Executive producer
- Hollywood · Hattie McDaniel
- When the Streetlights Go On · Detective Grasso
- The Little Mermaid Live! · Ursula
- Hip Hop: The Songs That Shook America · Self
- Untold Stories of Hip Hop · Self
- The Kelly Clarkson Show · Self
- Dear Mama: A Love Letter to Mom · Executive producer
- Ballet After Dark · Executive producer
- The Trap · Dr. Obayuwana
- And the Winner Isn't · Self
- Flint · Iza Banks, Executive producer
- Carpool Karaoke: The Series · Self
- Girls Trip · Sasha Franklin
- Star · Carlotta Brown
- Martha & Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party
- The Secrets of Emily Blair · Executive producer
- VH1 Hip Hop Honors: All Hail the Queens
- Ice Age: Collision Course · Ellie (Voice)
- Ice Age: The Great Egg-Scapade · Ellie (Voice)
- Miracles from Heaven · Angela Bradford
- The Perfect Match · Executive producer
- The Wiz Live! · The Wiz
- The Making of the Wiz Live! · Self
- The Late Show with Stephen Colbert · Self
- Scream: The TV Series · Executive producer
- Bessie · Bessie Smith, Executive producer
- Brotherly Love · Executive producer
- Lip Sync Battle · Self
- Hot Ones · Self
- Empire · Carlotta Brown
- Variety Studio: Actors on Actors · Self
- 22 Jump Street · Mrs. Dickson (uncredited)
- Late Night with Seth Meyers · Self
- The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon · Self
- Teach · Self
- Percentage · Executive producer
- House of Bodies · Nicole, Executive producer
- Steel Magnolias · M'Lynn, Executive producer
- Ice Age: Continental Drift · Ellie (Voice), Songs
- Yo! The Story of ‘Yo! MTV Raps’ · Self
- Finding Your Roots · Self
- Tony Bennett: Duets II - The Great Performances · Self
- Joyful Noise · Vi Rose Hill, Executive producer
- Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas · Ellie (Voice)
- Single Ladies · Producer
- The Voice · Self
- The Dilemma · Dana
- Let's Stay Together · Producer
- The Talk · Self
- Hot in Cleveland · Aunt Esther Jean Johnson
- Just Wright · Leslie Wright, Producer
- Valentine's Day · Paula Thomas
- Hollywood Singing & Dancing: A Musical History - 1980s, 1990s and 2000s · Self
- Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen · Self
- Michael Jackson Memorial · Self
- Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs · Ellie (Voice), Songs
- Zac Efron's Pool Party · Self
- We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial · Self
- The Secret Life of Bees · August Boatwright
- What Happens in Vegas · Dr. Twitchell
- Garrett's Gift
- Mad Money · Nina Brewster
- The Perfect Holiday · Mrs. Christmas, Producer