She represents CoverGirl Queen cosmetics collection, Queen and Queen of Hearts fragrance lines, and she’s a spokeswoman for Curvation Ladies underwear and Jenny Craig. Now she’s hosting her second daytime talk show, The Queen Latifah Show. Who is she? She was born Dana Elaine Owens, ambitious damsel from Newark, New Jersey. Little did she know, she was destined for greatness.
The year was 1989. Owens, renamed Queen Latifah, (Latifah means, delicate and very kind) aspired to become one of best female MCs the hip hop world had ever known. Fueled by her first single “Wrath of My Madness”, her first album All Hail the Queen was released by Tommy Boy Records. The album poised the then 19-year-old Owens to become a force to be reckoned with in the entertainment industry.
Fast forward to 1991, with two hip hop albums under her belt, Latifah was bit by the acting bug, landing supporting roles in the 1991 and 1992 films House Party 2 and Juice. In 1993, while riding the success of her third album, Black Reign, she landed the starring role of the ambitious and outspoken Khadijah James on the Fox sitcom, Living Single. She was also the writer and performer of the show’s theme music. Gaining high ratings among mostly African-American audiences, the popular sitcom lasted until 1998.
Her recurring roles during the second season of the NBC hit, The Fresh Prince of Bell-Air, led her to the role of the no-nonsense Cleo in the 1996 box-office hit, Set It Off.
In 1998 and 1999, the film roles kept coming as she landed supporting roles in the Holly Hunter film Living Out Loud. She, also, landed a role in The Bone Collector, alongside film icons Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie.
Although the Queen had previously received some critical acclaim, she gained mainstream success after being cast as Matron “Mama” Morton in blockbuster musical Chicago, a film that subsequently won the Best Picture Academy Award. Latifah received the Oscar nomination, Best Supporting Actress for her role, but lost to co-star Catherine Zeta-Jones. Latifah is one of three hip-hop artists to receive an Academy Award nomination in an acting category. The others are Will Smith and Jamie Foxx.
Fast forward to 2013, the 43-year-old Queen is a household name, hosting her second Daytime Talk Show, The Queen Latifah Show. Premiering on September 16, 2013. The CBS show reached 1.8 million viewers in its first week.
Executively produced by Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith among others, The Queen Latifah Show features celebrity interviews, human interest stories, musical performances, cooking segments with well known chefs, and her take on pop culture news. Queen Latifah also ventures into communities across the country to share amazing stories, celebrate individuals who give back to their communities and to deliver life-changing surprises.
The first episode, which featured an interview by actor John Travolta and a performance by Willow Smith, presented the highest-rated daytime television première of the year and the second highest-rated première since 2009, when The Dr. Oz Show made its début.
From September 13, 1999 until August 31, 2001, her other talk show of the same name gained favorable attention, catering to a younger hipper audience. The current show, however, is not a revival of the original. It was described as the “Dear Abby for the Hip-Hop Generation”. The series covered various topics and included interviews with celebrities and non-celebrities, alike.
With the current daytime talk show circuit, dominated by Ellen DeGeneres, Steve Harvey, Wendy Williams, Maury Povich; The Queen diligently strives to also maintain her place in talk show history.
Despite all of her success, the Queen takes pride in remaining true to herself by reflecting who she truly is. She has matured both as a person and as an entertainer and tends to keep her longevity intact, but pushing just a bit further and setting the bar, just a bit higher.
The Queen Latifah Show airs weekdays on CBS. Be sure to check your local listings.
All Hail the Queen!