1970-03-18 Newark, New Jersey, USA
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.
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Ice Age: Boiling Point | Ellie (voice) | 2027-02-04 |
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Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery | Self | 2025-09-13 |
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A GRAMMY Salute to 50 Years of Hip-Hop | Self | 2023-12-10 |
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2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony | Self | 2023-11-03 |
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Hustle | Teresa Sugerman | 2022-06-03 |
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End of the Road | Brenda Freeman | 2022-09-09 |
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The Tiger Rising | Willie May | 2022-01-07 |
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2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony | Self | 2021-11-20 |
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You're Watching Video Music Box | Self (archive footage) | 2021-12-03 |
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The Little Mermaid Live! | Ursula | 2019-11-05 |
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The Trap | Dr. Obayuwana | 2019-04-01 |
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Girls Trip | Sasha Franklin | 2017-07-21 |
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And the Winner Isn't | Self | 2017-12-08 |
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Flint | Iza Banks | 2017-10-28 |
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Ice Age: The Great Egg-Scapade | Ellie (voice) | 2016-03-19 |
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Ice Age: Collision Course | Ellie (voice) | 2016-06-23 |
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Miracles from Heaven | Angela Bradford | 2016-03-17 |
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The Making of the Wiz Live! | Self | 2015-11-25 |
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Bessie | Bessie Smith | 2015-05-16 |
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The Wiz Live! | The Wiz | 2015-12-03 |
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22 Jump Street | Mrs. Dickson (uncredited) | 2014-06-05 |
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Teach | Self | 2013-09-06 |
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House of Bodies | Nicole | 2013-04-19 |
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Joyful Noise | Vi Rose Hill | 2012-01-13 |
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Steel Magnolias | M'Lynn | 2012-10-07 |
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Tony Bennett: Duets II - The Great Performances | Self | 2012-03-06 |
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Yo! The Story of ‘Yo! MTV Raps’ | Self | 2012-06-07 |
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Ice Age: Continental Drift | Ellie (voice) | 2012-06-27 |
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The Dilemma | Dana | 2011-01-13 |
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Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas | Ellie (voice) | 2011-11-24 |
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Valentine's Day | Paula Thomas | 2010-02-10 |
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Just Wright | Leslie Wright | 2010-05-14 |
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We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial | Self | 2009-01-18 |
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Unearthing the Lost World | Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs | Self | 2009-10-27 |
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Hollywood Singing & Dancing: A Musical History - 1980s, 1990s and 2000s | Self (archive) | 2009-08-11 |
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Zac Efron's Pool Party | Self | 2009-04-01 |
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Michael Jackson Memorial | Self | 2009-07-07 |
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Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs | Ellie (voice) | 2009-06-26 |
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What Happens in Vegas | Dr. Twitchell | 2008-05-07 |
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Mad Money | Nina Brewster | 2008-01-17 |
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The Secret Life of Bees | August Boatwright | 2008-09-17 |
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Garrett's Gift | 2008-02-01 | |
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Arctic Tale | Narrator | 2007-06-17 |
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The Perfect Holiday | Mrs. Christmas | 2007-12-12 |
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Hairspray | Motormouth Maybelle | 2007-07-19 |
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Life Support | Ana | 2007-03-10 |
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Ice Age: The Meltdown | Ellie (voice) | 2006-03-29 |
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Last Holiday | Georgia Byrd | 2006-01-13 |
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Stranger Than Fiction | Penny Escher | 2006-09-09 |
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Beauty Shop | Gina Norris | 2005-04-22 |
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The Muppets' Wizard of Oz | Aunt Em | 2005-05-20 |
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Sesame Street: What's the Name of That Song? | Self | 2004-03-06 |
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Barbershop 2: Back in Business | Gina | 2004-01-20 |
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The Cookout | Security Guard | 2004-09-03 |
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Taxi | Isabelle 'Belle' Williams | 2004-10-06 |
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Bringing Down the House | Charlene Morton | 2003-03-07 |
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Scary Movie 3 | Aunt Shaneequa / The Oracle | 2003-10-24 |
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Mama Africa | Host | 2002-06-07 |
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Chicago | Matron Mama Morton | 2002-12-10 |
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Platinum Comedy Series: Roasting Shaquille O'Neal | Self - Host | 2002-01-29 |
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The Country Bears | Cha-Cha | 2002-07-26 |
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Brown Sugar | Francine | 2002-10-05 |
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Through the Years of Hip Hop Volume 1 Graffiti Extras | 2002-03-05 | |
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Living with the Dead | Midge Harmon | 2002-04-28 |
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Bringing Out the Dead | Dispatcher Love (voice) | 1999-10-22 |
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One Love: The Bob Marley All-Star tribute | Self - Perfomer | 1999-12-01 |
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The Bone Collector | Thelma | 1999-11-04 |
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Sphere | Alice 'Teeny' Fletcher | 1998-02-13 |
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Living Out Loud | Liz Bailey | 1998-10-30 |
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Hoodlum | Sulie | 1997-08-27 |
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Set It Off | Cleo | 1996-11-06 |
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I Hate The Way I Look | Self | 1994-03-21 |
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Who's the Man? | Queen Latifah | 1993-04-23 |
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My Life | Theresa | 1993-11-12 |
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Juice | Ruffhouse M.C. | 1992-01-17 |
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Jungle Fever | Lashawn | 1991-06-07 |
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House Party 2 | Zora | 1991-10-23 |
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Slammin' Rap Video Magazine Vol. 1 | Self | 1990-01-01 |
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The Earth Day Special | Self | 1990-04-22 |
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Girls Trip 2 | Sasha Franklin | |
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King of the South |