Quiz

Older brother Lance Owens, who was a police officer, died in an accident on the motorcycle Latifah had bought for him as a present. She still wears the motorcycle key around her neck.

First female rapper to be nominated for an Academy Award.

She was nicknamed Latifah (Arabic for delicate and sensitive) by a cousin while she was in her teens.

On a 2020 episode of Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (2012), research indicated that her paternal great-great-grandparents, Henry Coates and Edna Hallion, were an interracial married couple, with Henry being black and from Virginia and Edna being white and from New York. The two had married in 1906 and lived in New Jersey, where interracial marriage was never illegal. The show also found that Queen Latifah was descended from a line of free persons of color back to Juggy Owens, a midwife who was born c. 1766, and who was freed per her owner Mary Old in 1792.

As a fledgling rapper in 1987, she was first introduced by 16-year-old Jada Pinkett Smith as the opening act for hip-hop group Public Enemy at Baltimore's Palladium club before she even had a record deal.

Arrested for carrying a loaded handgun and marijuana on February 3, 1996.

Had to coach her Un ciclone in casa (2003) co-stars Steve Martin and Eugene Levy in hip-hop slang.

Sang "Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)" with Tony Bennett on his album "Duets II" (2011), prompting Bennett to equate her with his old friend Ella Fitzgerald.

She was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6915 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California, on January 4, 2006.

First woman to host the Independent Spirit Awards.

Had not done any musical theater since high school prior to her role as Matron "Mama" Morton in Chicago (2002).

Was the victim of a carjacking, which also resulting in the shooting of a friend of hers, Sean Moon. (luglio 1995)

First album she ever bought was Prince's "Purple Rain" (1984), which came with a poster that she hung on her bedroom wall.

Friends with Jada Pinkett Smith, and LL Cool J.

She won a Grammy Award in 1994 for Best Solo Rap Performance for "U.N.I.T.Y.".

Was set to star in Monster's Ball - L'ombra della vita (2001) alongside Robert De Niro with Sean Penn directing. Unfortunately, producers could not set up the film in time and it was delayed and recast. Her role went to Halle Berry and DeNiro's to Billy Bob Thornton.

Played power forward on the Irvington Public High School girls' basketball team and led them to two New Jersey state championships.

She was inducted into the 2011 New Jersey Hall of Fame for her contributions to Arts and Entertainment.

Under her birth name, Dana Owens, Queen Latifah and her longtime personal trainer, Jeanette Jenkins, bought a 2,026-square-foot, 3-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom Los Angeles home together in late 2009. The list price for the property was $1,397,000.

She told the audience at a 'Meet the Filmmaker' event at the Apple Store in SoHo, New York City, that her ideal first project as a director would either be a science-fiction film or a project based on a comic book (May 11, 2010).

Counts Il principe delle donne (1992) and Forrest Gump (1994) among her favorite movies.

Of all her roles to date (2008), her personal favorite is Cleopatra Sims from Set It Off - Farsi notare (1996).

Arrested for assaulting a photographer on February 6, 1996.

Resides in Colts Neck, New Jersey; Rumson, New Jersey; and Beverly Hills, California.

Ranked #72 on VH1's 100 Greatest Women of Rock N Roll.

Was in attendance at the wedding of her La vita segreta delle api (2008) co-star Alicia Keys to Swizz Beatz (July 31, 2010).

Was considered for the role of Sharona Fleming in Detective Monk (2002) which went to Bitty Schram. Coincidentally, Latifah had experience as a nurse in Il collezionista di ossa (1999).

Co-founder of Flavor Unit Entertainment.

Took Kirstie Alley's place as spokeswoman for Jenny Craig. (gennaio 2008)

DJ Tocadisco's song "Nobody (Likes the Records That I Play)" is based on a sample from the film Juice (1992) spoken by Queen Latifah.

Quotes Amandla Stenberg as one of her heroines.

Was listed as a potential nominee on the 2005 Razzie Award nominating ballot. She was listed as a suggestion in the Worst Actress category for her performances in the films La bottega del barbiere 2 (2004), The Cookout (2004), and New York Taxi (2004). However, she failed to receive a nomination.

Daughter of Rita Owens.

Friends with Grant Hill.

Is one of 27 actresses to have received an Academy Award nomination for their performance in a musical; hers being Chicago (2002). The others, in chronological order, are Bessie Love for La canzone di Broadway (1929), Grace Moore for Una notte d'amore (1934), Jean Hagen for Cantando sotto la pioggia (1952), Marjorie Rambeau for La maschera e il cuore (1953), Dorothy Dandridge for Carmen Jones (1954), Deborah Kerr for Il re ed io (1956), Rita Moreno for West Side Story (1961), Gladys Cooper for My Fair Lady (1964), Julie Andrews for Mary Poppins (1964), Tutti insieme appassionatamente (1965), and Victor/Victoria (1982), Debbie Reynolds for Voglio essere amata in un letto d'ottone (1964), Peggy Wood for Tutti insieme appassionatamente (1965), Carol Channing for Millie (1967), Kay Medford for Funny Girl (1968), Barbra Streisand for Funny Girl (1968), Liza Minnelli for Cabaret (1972), Ronee Blakley for Nashville (1975), Lily Tomlin for Nashville (1975), Ann-Margret for Tommy (1975), Lesley Ann Warren for Victor/Victoria (1982), Amy Irving for Yentl (1983), Nicole Kidman for Moulin Rouge! (2001), Catherine Zeta-Jones for Chicago (2002), Renée Zellweger for Chicago (2002), Jennifer Hudson for Dreamgirls (2006), Penélope Cruz for Nine (2009), Anne Hathaway for Les Misérables (2012), Meryl Streep for Into the Woods (2014), and Emma Stone for La La Land (2016).

Biography/bibliography in: "Contemporary Authors," Volume 264, pages 284-285. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale, Cengage Learning, 2008.

Counts Timothy Snell as her favorite personal stylist.

Born at 8:02 AM (EST).