Queen Latifah
Born: 1970-03-18 in Newark, New Jersey, USA
Known For: Acting
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.
Filmography
2027
- Ice Age: Boiling Point as Ellie (voice)
2025
- Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery as Self
2023
- 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony as Self
- Ladies First: A Story of Women in Hip-Hop
- Bone Black: Midwives vs. the South ... (Executive Producer)
- A GRAMMY Salute to 50 Years of Hip-Hop as Self
2022
- The Jennifer Hudson Show as Self
- Sherri as Self - Guest
- Hustle as Teresa Sugerman
- End of the Road as Brenda Freeman
- Payback as Self - Funeral Attendee (archive footage)
- The Tiger Rising as Willie May
2021
- The Equalizer as Robyn McCall
- Maya and the Three as Gran Bruja (voice)
- You're Watching Video Music Box as Self (archive footage)
- 2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony as Self
2020
- Hollywood as Hattie McDaniel
- When the Streetlights Go On as Detective Grasso
2019
- The Kelly Clarkson Show as Self
- The Trap as Dr. Obayuwana
- The Little Mermaid Live! as Ursula
- Dear Mama: A Love Letter to Mom ... (Executive Producer)
- Hip Hop: The Songs That Shook America as Self
- Untold Stories of Hip Hop as Self
- Ballet After Dark ... (Executive Producer)
2017
- Girls Trip as Sasha Franklin
- Carpool Karaoke: The Series as Self
- Flint as Iza Banks
- And the Winner Isn't as Self
2016
- Ice Age: Collision Course as Ellie (voice)
- Star as Carlotta Brown
- Miracles from Heaven as Angela Bradford
- Ice Age: The Great Egg-Scapade as Ellie (voice)
- The Perfect Match ... (Executive Producer)
- Martha & Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party
- The Secrets of Emily Blair ... (Executive Producer)
- VH1 Hip Hop Honors: All Hail the Queens
2015
- The Late Show with Stephen Colbert as Self
- Hot Ones as Self
- Empire as Carlotta Brown
- Lip Sync Battle as Self
- Scream: The TV Series ... (Executive Producer)
- Bessie as Bessie Smith
- Brotherly Love ... (Executive Producer)
- The Wiz Live! as The Wiz
- The Making of the Wiz Live! as Self
2014
- The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon as Self - Guest
- Late Night with Seth Meyers as Self
- Variety Studio: Actors on Actors as Self
- 22 Jump Street as Mrs. Dickson (uncredited)
2013
- Percentage ... (Executive Producer)
- House of Bodies as Nicole
- Teach as Self
2012
- Finding Your Roots as Self
- Ice Age: Continental Drift as Ellie (voice)
- Joyful Noise as Vi Rose Hill
- Steel Magnolias as M'Lynn
- Yo! The Story of ‘Yo! MTV Raps’ as Self
- Tony Bennett: Duets II - The Great Performances as Self
2011
- Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas as Ellie (voice)
- The Dilemma as Dana
- Single Ladies ... (Producer)
- Let's Stay Together ... (Producer)
2010
- Hot in Cleveland as Aunt Esther Jean Johnson
- Just Wright as Leslie Wright
- The Talk
- Valentine's Day as Paula Thomas
2009
- Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen as Self - Guest
- Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs as Ellie (voice)
- Zac Efron's Pool Party as Self
- Michael Jackson Memorial as Self
- Unearthing the Lost World | Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs as Self
- Hollywood Singing & Dancing: A Musical History - 1980s, 1990s and 2000s as Self (archive)
- We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial as Self
2008
- What Happens in Vegas as Dr. Twitchell
- Mad Money as Nina Brewster
- The Secret Life of Bees as August Boatwright
- Garrett's Gift
2007
- Hairspray as Motormouth Maybelle
- Life Support as Ana
- The Perfect Holiday as Mrs. Christmas
- Who's Your Caddy? ... (Executive Producer)
- Arctic Tale as Narrator
2006
- 30 Rock as Regina Bookman
- Ice Age: The Meltdown as Ellie (voice)
- Last Holiday as Georgia Byrd
- Stranger Than Fiction as Penny Escher
- The Hip Hop Project ... (Executive Producer)
- VH1 Rock Honors
2005
- The Tyra Banks Show
- The Reichen Show as Self - Guest
- The Muppets' Wizard of Oz as Aunt Em
- Beauty Shop as Gina Norris
- Hogan Knows Best
2004
- Entourage as Dana Elaine Owens
- Taxi as Isabelle 'Belle' Williams
- The Cookout as Security Guard
- Barbershop 2: Back in Business as Gina
- Sesame Street: What's the Name of That Song? as Self
2003
- America's Next Top Model as Guest
- The Ellen DeGeneres Show as Self
- Scary Movie 3 as Aunt Shaneequa / The Oracle
- Eve as Simone
- Bringing Down the House as Charlene Morton
- I Love the '80s Strikes Back
2002
- American Idol as Self
- Brown Sugar as Francine
- Chicago as Matron Mama Morton
- Mama Africa as Host
- The Country Bears as Cha-Cha
- Through the Years of Hip Hop Volume 1 Graffiti Extras
- Living with the Dead as Midge Harmon
- Platinum Comedy Series: Roasting Shaquille O'Neal as Self - Host
2001
- The Fairly OddParents as Pam Dromeda (voice)
- Good Day Live as Self
1999
- The Bone Collector as Thelma
- Bringing Out the Dead as Dispatcher Love (voice)
- One Love: The Bob Marley All-Star tribute as Self - Perfomer
- The Early Show as Self
1998
- Sphere as Alice 'Teeny' Fletcher
- Living Out Loud as Liz Bailey
- Mama Flora's Family as Diana
1996
- The Daily Show as Self
- Spin City as Robin Jones
- Set It Off as Cleo
- The Rosie O'Donnell Show as Self - Guest
1995
- MADtv as Self - Hostess
1994
- Ellen as Queen Latifah (uncredited)
- The Critic as Queen Latifah (voice)
- I Hate The Way I Look as Self
1993
- Late Night with Conan O'Brien as Self - Guest
- Living Single as Khadijah James
- Intimate Portrait as Self (archive footage)
- My Life as Theresa
- Who's the Man? as Queen Latifah
1992
- The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
- Hangin' with Mr. Cooper as Queen Latifah
- Juice as Ruffhouse M.C.
- MTV Movie & TV Awards as Self - Presenter
1991
- House Party 2 as Zora
- Jungle Fever as Lashawn
- Roc
- The Jenny Jones Show
1990
- The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air as Marissa Redman
- Slammin' Rap Video Magazine Vol. 1 as Self
- The Earth Day Special as Self
1988
- LIVE with Kelly and Mark as Self - Guest
- Yo! MTV Raps as Self
1984
- MTV Video Music Awards as Self
1981
- Entertainment Tonight as Self
1979
- CBS News Sunday Morning as Self
1975
- Saturday Night Live as Self - Host
1973
- Rock Concert as Self
1959
- The Grammys as Self - Host
1953
- The Oscars as Self
1952
- Today as Self