Queen Latifah 1970–

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Queen Latifah 1970–

(Dana Elaine Owens)

Personal

Born Dana Elaine Owens, March 18, 1970, in East Orange, NJ; daughter of Lancelot (a police officer) and Rita (a teacher) Owens.

Addresses

Home—NJ. Agent—William Morris Agency, 1325 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10019.

Career

Musician, actor, film producer, and author. Performer with Ladies Fresh, c. 1988; recording artist; recordings include All Hail the Queen, 1989; Nature of a Sista', 1991; Latifah's Had It up 2 Here, 1991; How Do I Love Thee, 1991; She's a Queen: A Collection of Hits, 2002; and Order in the Court2; Black Reign; New Jersey Drive; Trav'lin' Light, 2007. Actor in films, including: (as Lashawn) Jungle Fever, 1991; (as Zora) House Party 2, 1991; (as Ruffhouse M.C.) Juice, 1992; (as Theresa) My Life, 1993; (as Cleo Sims) Set It Off, 1996; (as Sulie) Hoodlum, 1997; (as Teeny Fletcher) Sphere, 1998; (as Liz Bailey) Living Out Loud, 1998; (as Thelma) The Bone Collector, 1999; (as voice of Dispatcher Love) Bringing out the Dead, 1999; (as Cha-Cha) The Country Bears, 2002; (as Francine) Brown Sugar, 2002; (as voice of Dove) Pinocchio, 2002; (as Matron Mama Morton) Chicago, 2002; (as Charlene Morton) Bringing down the House, 2003; (as Aunt Shaneequa) Scary Movie 3, 2003; (as Gina) Barbershop 2: Back in Business, 2004; (as security guard) The Cookout, 2004; (as Belle Williams) Taxi, 2004; (as Gina Norris) Beauty Shop, 2005; (as Georgia Byrd) Last Holiday, 2006; (as voice of Ellie) Ice Age: The Meltdown, 2006; (as Penny Escher) Stranger than Fiction, 2006; (as Ana) Life Support, 2007; (as Motormouth Maybelle) Hairspray, 2007; (as Mrs. Christmas) The Perfect Holiday, 2007; and (as Nina Brewster) Mad Money, 2008. Actor in television movies and television series, including The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, 1991; Living Single, 1997-98; and Spin City, 2001.

Awards, Honors

Grammy Award for Best Solo Rap Performance, 1994, for "U.N.I.T.Y."; Acapulco Black Film Festival Award for Best Actress, 1997, for Set It Off; Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress, and British Academy of Film and Television Arts Award for Best Supporting Actress, Broadcast Film Critics Association Critics Choice Award for Best Acting Ensemble (with others), Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture (with others), Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress, and Black Reel Award for Best Actress, all 2003, all for Chicago; BET Award for Favorite Actress, 2003; Teen Choice Award for Best Movie Actress—Comedy, 2003, and Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture, 2004, both for Bringing Down the House; BET Comedy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress, 2004, for Barbershop 2; Black Movie Awards nomination for Outstanding Performance by an Actress, 2005, for Beauty Shop, 2006, for Last Holiday; honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, 2006; Hollywood Film Festival Film Award for Ensemble of the Year (with others), 2007, for Hairspray; Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie, 2007, and Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television, 2008, both for Life Support; named among VH1's 100 Greatest Women of Rock 'n' Roll.

Writings

(With Karen Hunter) Ladies First: Revelations of a Strong Woman, foreword by Rita Owens, William Morrow (New York, NY), 1999.

(Author of story, with Shakim Compere) The Cookout (screenplay), Lions Gate Films, 2004.

Queen of the Scene (for children), illustrated by Frank Morrison, Laura Geringer Books (New York, NY), 2006.

Sidelights

Queen Latifah—her stage name is Arabic for "fragile and sensitive"—is an American rap and hip-hop artist who has also gained acclaim as the first woman rapper to be nominated for an Academy award. Harnessing her talent, her natural charisma, and her commanding, energetic presence, Queen Latifah has expanded her audience through her work in films such as Bringing Down the House, Chicago, Last Holiday, and Hairspray. In her many public appearances, as well as in books such as her inspiring memoir Ladies First: Revelations of a Strong Woman and the picture book Queen of the Scene, she also works to inspires others to learn from her success.

Queen Latifah was born Dana Owens, in 1970 and grew up in New Jersey, where her father worked as a police officer. In high school, she was a key member of her school's basketball team, and her first job was at Burger King. Fortunately for Queen Latifah, her musical talent allowed her to find a more lucrative career, however, and by age eighteen she was rapping as part of Ladies Fresh. In 1988 she made her solo recording debut with the single "Wrath of My Madness," followed by her album All Hail the Queen. Combining jazz, rap, and rock, Queen Latifah brings a strong woman-centered viewpoint to her music. This view also runs through Ladies First, which reveals Queen Latifah's unique take on her sometimes difficult, sometimes controversial, and ultimately inspiring life.

With Queen of the Scene Queen Latifah turns to a younger audience, gearing her story to early elementary-grade readers. Illustrated by award-winning artist Frank Morrison and accompanied by a CD, Queen of the Scene introduces readers to a confident young girl whose belief in her own abilities allows her to work toward success in everything she tries, and have fun at the same time. Basketball, stickball, and hula-hooping are sports she excels at, and the girl has no qualms about stating the obvious: She's good! Queen of the Scene is "delivered with lots of sass," according to School Library Journal contributor Mary Hazelton, and "is sure to appeal to those who can celebrate their own special gifts." In praise of Queen Latifah's "rollicking" rhyming text, an Ebony critic cited the author for illustrating "the elements of self-respect," while in Publishers Weekly a critic dubbed the picture book a "sassy debut."