Queen Latifah Biography (1970-)

Original name, Dana Elaine Owens; born March 18, 1970, in Newark, NJ; daughter of Lance (a policeman) and Rita (a schoolteacher) Owens. Addresses:Agent: 151 El Camino Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90212.; Publicist: Amanda Silverman, PMK/HBH New York, 650 Fifth Ave., 33rd Floor, New York, NY 10019.; Contact: c/o Tommy Boy Records, 1747 First Ave., New York, NY 10128; Flavor Unit Entertainment, 155 Morgan St., Jersey City, NJ 07302.

Nationality
American
Gender
Female
Occupation
Singer, actress
Birth Details
March 18, 1970
Newark, New Jersey, United States

Famous Works

  • CREDITS
  • Television Appearances
  • Series
  • Khadijah James, Living Single (also known as My Girls), Fox, 1993-1997
  • Host, Queen Latifah Show, 1999
  • The Remarkable Journey, 2000
  • Miniseries
  • Diana, Mama Flora's Family, CBS, 1998
  • Midge Harmon, Living with the Dead (also known as Talking to Heaven), CBS, 2002
  • Movies
  • Glinda the Good Witch, The O.Z., Fox, 2002
  • Specials
  • Time Warner Presents the Earth Day Special, ABC, 1990
  • Rap City Rhapsody, PBS, 1991
  • Host, Racism: Points of View, MTV, 1991
  • Rock the Vote, Fox, 1992
  • "I Hate the Way I Look," ABC Afterschool Specials, ABC, 1993
  • Seven Deadly Sins: An MTV News Special Report, MTV, 1993
  • New Year's Eve '94, Fox, 1993
  • Host, Music in Movies '93, ABC, 1993
  • Host, Met Life Presents the Apollo Theatre Hall of Fame, NBC, 1994
  • Host, AT&T Presents: Queen Latifah and Friends, Fox, 1994
  • Cohost, Smart Kids, Fox, 1994
  • Celebrity First Loves, Fox, 1995
  • 1995 NBA All-Star Stay in School Celebration, NBC, 1995
  • Comic Relief VII, HBO, 1995
  • Intimate Portrait: Queen Latifah, Lifetime, 1997
  • Celebrity Weddings InStyle, Lifetime, 1998
  • Ladies Home Journal's Most Fascinating Women of '98, CBS, 1998
  • Motown 40: The Music Is Forever, ABC, 1998
  • The 1998 Soul Train Christmas Starfest, syndicated, 1998
  • One Love: The Bob Marley All-Star Tribute, TNT, 1999
  • Presenter, VH1 Divas 2000: A Tribute to Diana Ross, VH1, 2000
  • Soul Train Christmas Starfest, syndicated, 2000
  • Greatest TV Moments: Sesame Street Music A-Z, 2000
  • Digital Divide: Technology and Our Future (documentary), PBS, 2000
  • Interviewee, Intimate Portrait: Kim Fields, Lifetime, 2001
  • Interviewee, I Am My Mother's Daughter, Lifetime, 2001
  • Interviewee, Well, Shut Ma' Mouth! The Powerful History of Black Humor (documentary), syndicated, 2002
  • Episodic
  • "Big Brother," In Living Color, 1990
  • "Celtic Celebration," Comic Strip Live, 1991
  • Late Night with David Letterman, 1991
  • Marissa Redman, "Working It Out," The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, NBC, 1991
  • Dee Dee, "She Ain't Heavy," The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, NBC, 1991
  • Guest, Soul Train, 1994, 2002
  • "Wedding Bell Blues," Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, ABC, 1994
  • "The Concert," Roc, 1994
  • Voice of herself, "Lady Hawke," The Critic, 1995
  • Host, Mad TV, Fox, 1997
  • (Uncredited) "Ellen Unplugged," Ellen, ABC, 1997
  • Late Show with David Letterman, 1998, 1999, 2003
  • Robin Jones, "Yeah Baby!," Spin City, 2000
  • Robin Jones, "Sleeping with the Enemy," Spin City, 2000
  • Guest, The View, 2001, 2003
  • TRL, 2003
  • The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, 2003
  • Cohost, The View, 2003
  • Saturday Night Live, NBC, 2003
  • Also appeared in The Arsenio Hall Show, syndicated; Russell Simmons' Def Comedy Jam; Behind the Movie, VH1; and Sesame Street, PBS.
  • Awards Presentations
  • The 24th Annual NAACP Image Awards, NBC, 1992
  • The 19th Annual American Music Awards, ABC, 1992
  • The 1993 Billboard Music Awards, Fox, 1993
  • The Essence Awards, Fox, 1994
  • The 26th Annual NAACP Image Awards, NBC, 1994
  • VH1 Honors, VH1, 1994
  • 1994 MTV Music Video Awards, MTV, 1994
  • 1994 Billboard Music Awards, Fox, 1994
  • Host, The American Music Awards, ABC, 1995
  • The 9th Annual Soul Train Music Awards, syndicated, 1995
  • Presenter, The 4th Annual VH1 Honors, VH1, 1997
  • The 12th Annual Soul Train Music Awards, 1998
  • The 1998 Billboard Music Awards, 1998
  • 30th NAACP Image Awards, Fox, 1999
  • Host, 14th Independent Spirit Awards, Independent Film Channel andBravo, 1999
  • 72nd Annual Academy Awards Presentation, ABC, 2000
  • Host, The 15th Annual Soul Train Music Awards, syndicated, 2001
  • Presenter, The 28th Annual American Music Awards, ABC, 2001
  • The 5th Annual Sears Soul Train Christmas Starfest, The WB, 2002
  • Presenter, The 45th Annual Grammy Awards, CBS, 2003
  • Host, 17th Annual Soul Train Music Awards, The WB, 2003
  • Television Work
  • Specials
  • Executive producer, AT&T Presents: Queen Latifah and Friends,Fox, 1994
  • Series
  • Executive producer, Queen Latifah Show, 1999
  • Film Appearances
  • Lashawn, Jungle Fever, Universal, 1991
  • Zora, House Party 2, New Line Cinema, 1991
  • Ruffhouse M.C., Juice (also known as Angel Town 2), Paramount, 1992
  • Who's the Man, New Line Cinema, 1993
  • Theresa, My Life, Columbia, 1993
  • Cleopatra "Cleo" Sims, Set It Off, New Line Cinema, 1996
  • Sulie, Hoodlum, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1997
  • Liz Bailey, Living Out Loud, New Line Cinema, 1998
  • Alice "Teeny" Fletcher, Sphere, Warner Bros., 1998
  • Nurse Thelma, The Bone Collector, Universal, 1999
  • Voice of Dispatcher Love, Bringing Out the Dead, Paramount, 1999
  • Cha-Cha, The Country Bears, Buena Vista, 2002
  • Francine, Brown Sugar (also known as Seven Days), TwentiethCentury-Fox, 2002
  • Voice of Dove, Pinocchio (animated), Miramax, 2002
  • Host, Mama Africa, Wellspring, 2002
  • Matron "Mama" Morton, Chicago, Miramax, 2002
  • Charlene Morton, Bringing Down the House, Buena Vista, 2003
  • Film Executive Producer
  • Bringing Down the House, Buena Vista, 2003
  • RECORDINGS
  • Albums
  • All Hail the Queen, Tommy Boy, 1989
  • (With David Bowie) Fame 90, EMI, 1990
  • How Do I Love Thee, Tommy Boy, 1991
  • Latifah's Had It up 2 Here, Tommy Boy, 1991
  • Nature of a Sista', Tommy Boy, 1991
  • X-tra Naked, Tommy Boy, 1992
  • Black Reign, 1993
  • Order in the Court, Motown, 1998
  • Also performed on the albums Join the Band, Monster TV Rap Hits, and Strictly Hip-Hop Reggae Fusion, and recorded the song "U.N.I.T.Y."
  • Music Videos
  • Appeared in "Not Tonight" by Lil' Kim, "Lay it Down" by Meredith Brooks,and "Hip Hop Hooray" by Naughty by Nature.
  • WRITINGS
  • Film Music
  • Additional lyrics, "Mr. Big Stuff," The Associate, Buena Vista, 1996
  • Songs, Girls Town, 1996
  • Books
  • Introduction, Baby, All Those Curves and Me with No Brakes: 500 New No-fail Pick-Up Lines for Men and Women, Hyperion, 1998
  • (With Karen Hunter; autobiography) Ladies First: Revelations from a Strong Black Woman, William Morrow & Company, 1999

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

    Periodicals
    • Cosmopolitan, February, 1999, p. 176
    • Essence, October, 1993, p. 56; January, 1998, p. 70; May, 1999, p.122
    • Interview, November, 1996, p. 22
    • Jet, July 20, 1998, p. 34
    • New York, December 3, 1990, p. 124
    • People Weekly, November 29, 1993, p. 73
    • Rolling Stone, October 17, 1991, p. 19
    • TV Guide, October 16, 1993, p. 23