Queen Latifah
Biography
Queen Latifah is an American rapper, singer, and actress whose debut album, All Hail the Queen, arrived in 1989 when she was nineteen. Black Reign (1993) was certified gold by the RIAA, a first for an album by a solo female rapper, and the single U.N.I.T.Y. won a Grammy. From 1993 to 1998 she played Khadijah James, the lead on Fox's Living Single, and she later played Carlotta Brown on the musical drama Star from 2016 to 2019. Her work as Matron Mama Morton in Chicago (2002) earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She also hosted the syndicated talk show The Queen Latifah Show, first between 1999 and 2001 and then between 2013 and 2015, voiced Ellie in the Ice Age films, and co-produced and starred in Bessie (2015), which won the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Television Movie. From 2021 through 2025 she played the lead on CBS's The Equalizer.
56years old
Turns 57 on March 18in 167 days
- Born Newark
- Star sign: PiscesThe sign runs February 19 to March 20
- Dana Elaine Owens (birth name)Also credited as Dana Owens
Movie Career
- Films
- 45
- Career span
- 31 years1991 to 2022
Genres
First and latest
Photos
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A first
Queen Latifah took the stage for the Super Bowl XXXII halftime show. That performance made her the first rapper ever to appear in a Super Bowl halftime show.
Behind the award
Queen Latifah earned a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award nomination for playing Matron "Mama" Morton in Chicago. She was the first hip-hop woman to get an Oscar nomination.
About the name
At age eight, Queen Latifah came across the name Latifah in a book of Arabic names. In Arabic it means "delicate" and "very kind," and she took it as her stage name.
Big break
Latifah was cast as Matron "Mama" Morton in Chicago, a musical that took the Academy Award for Best Picture. That role brought her mainstream success, though she had already earned some critical acclaim.
Behind the camera
With her business partner Shakim Compere, Latifah co-launched a production company in 1995. It was called Flavor Unit Records and eventually became Flavor Unit Entertainment.
Queen Latifah movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
Mike Thurmeier directed three of these films, Carlos Saldanha two and Steve Martino two. Five actors appear in five of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
John Leguizamo's page
Denis Leary's page
Seann William Scott's page
Josh Peck's page
Ray Romano's page
Keke Palmer's page
Mike ThurmeierDirector, 3 films, 2009 to 2016
All films by Mike Thurmeier
All films by Carlos Saldanha
Steve MartinoDirector, 2 films, 2012 to 2016
All films by Steve Martino
Box office
What Queen Latifah's films earned in cinemas worldwide.
Combined worldwide box office
$4.9 billion
35 of the 45 films have a worldwide figure.
Of the 45 films: 35 worldwide figure; 1 us gross only; 7 never in cinemas; 1 streaming, short cinema run; 1 figure not found.
- 35Worldwide figure
- 1US gross only
- 7Never in cinemas
- 1Streaming, short cinema run
- 1Figure not found
Highest grossing
The eight biggest films earned 77% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.
- 1$887M18.3% of the total
- 2$877M18.1% of the total
- 3$661M13.6% of the total
- 4$409M8.4% of the total
- 5$307M6.3% of the total
- 6$219M4.5% of the total
- 7$217M4.5% of the total
- 8$151M3.1% of the total
$1.1 billionfrom the other 27 films with a worldwide figure, 23% of the total
Awards
Twelve awards and honors from 1994 to 2011, four of them major.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAG Awards | |||
| 2008 | Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie | Life Support | Won |
| 2003 | Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | Chicago | Won |
| Grammy Awards | |||
| 1995 | Best Rap Solo Performance | U.N.I.T.Y. | Won |
| 1994 | Best Rap Solo Performance | Won | |
| Other honors | |||
| 2011 | New Jersey Hall of Fame | Won | |
| 2008 | NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special | Life Support | Won |
| 2007 | Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Cast | Hairspray | Won |
| 2004 | Women Film Critics Circle Awards | Won | |
| 2003 | BET Award for Best Actor & Actress | Bringing Down the House | Won |
| 2003 | Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actress – Comedy | Bringing Down the House | Won |
| 2002 | Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Cast | Chicago | Won |
| 1995 | Soul Train Music Award for Sammy Davis, Jr. – Entertainer of the Year | Won | |
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.