Happy Birthday: Queen Latifah

Queen Latifah

Born: March 18, 1970 in Newark, New Jersey, USA

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

[on moving from singing to acting] My mom taught me to never put all my eggs in one basket. I figured if I wasn’t the best rapper, then I shouldn’t completely rely on rap.

[on being considered a role model] There’s no way I can represent for everyone. I can’t represent for all women or all big women or all black women. It’s important for people not to make celebrities their source of who they should be in life. I can’t take on the pressure of being perfect. Nobody is.

I don’t have to really be in the 60s. Every time I hail a cab in New York, and they pass me by and pick up the white person, then I get a dose of it. Or when they don’t want to take you to Harlem. I grew up with that.

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