---
name: "Queen Latifah"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/queen-latifah"
fi1m_id: "queen-latifah"
imdb_id: "nm0001451"
tmdb_id: 15758
wikidata_id: "Q1112005"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "18 March 1970"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 9
average_fi1m_score: 62
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 9
updated: "2026-10-05T14:00:08.254011+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Queen Latifah

## Identity

Queen Latifah

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/queen-latifah
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** queen-latifah
- **IMDb ID:** nm0001451
- **TMDB ID:** 15758
- **Wikidata ID:** Q1112005
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_Latifah, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1112005, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001451/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/15758

Actor. Born 18 March 1970 in Newark, New Jersey, USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 18 March 1970, Newark, New Jersey, USA
- **Active:** 2002–present
- **Also known as:** Dana Owens, Dana Elaine Owens
- **Frequently works with:** [Denis Leary](https://film.one/person/denis-leary.md), [John Leguizamo](https://film.one/person/john-leguizamo.md), [Lori Forte](https://film.one/person/lori-forte.md), [Patrick Worlock](https://film.one/person/patrick-worlock.md), [Ray Romano](https://film.one/person/ray-romano.md), [Seann William Scott](https://film.one/person/seann-william-scott.md), [Carlos Saldanha](https://film.one/person/carlos-saldanha.md), [John C. Donkin](https://film.one/person/john-donkin.md)
- **SAG Awards:** 2 SAG Awards (2 won)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 62, as actor, over 9 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 2000s 65 (6), 2010s 45 (2), 2020s 72 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 62 to 59 across 9 titles
- **Score spread:** 0 at 80+, 5 at 60–79, 4 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 1 of 7 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Comedy 9, Adventure 4, Animation 4, Drama 4, Family 4, Romance 2
- **Screen time:** 15 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $3,505m across 8 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_Latifah, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1112005, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001451/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/15758

## Coming up

- *Ice Age: Boiling Point* (2027-02-03), as Ellie (voice)

## Streaming the US now

- **Disney+:** [*Ice Age: The Meltdown*](https://film.one/film/ice-age-the-meltdown.md) (61), [*Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs*](https://film.one/film/ice-age-dawn-of-the-dinosaurs.md) (56), [*Ice Age: Continental Drift*](https://film.one/film/ice-age-continental-drift.md) (53)
- **Peacock:** [*Stranger Than Fiction*](https://film.one/film/stranger-than-fiction.md) (78)
- **Paramount+:** [*Chicago*](https://film.one/film/chicago.md) (73)
- **Netflix:** [*Hustle*](https://film.one/film/hustle.md) (72)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Queen Latifah

> Queen Latifah never acts as though she needs the part. She walks on, looks about her and lets the film come to her, which is why she is at her best in musicals and least stretched in the comedies built around her.

Most of the cast of Rob Marshall's *Chicago* (2002) are visibly working. Queen Latifah, as the jail matron Mama Morton, is not, or does not let us see it. She sings 'When You're Good to Mama' as a woman naming her price to people who are going to pay it, and she does not push the number so much as wait for it. Our review put her beside Catherine Zeta-Jones as the two performers who knew exactly what film they were in. We sat up when she came on, and it took a minute to see why: nobody else on screen was that relaxed, and in a film cut that fast, relaxation reads as authority.

That is her whole method, and it took her a while to find a screen for it. She was a rapper first, with *All Hail the Queen* in 1989, and came to acting through small film parts from 1991, *Jungle Fever* among them, and five seasons of the sitcom *Living Single* (1993 to 1998). *Set It Off* (1996) gave her a lead, as Cleo Sims, a bank robber in an outlaw ensemble, and a following. *Chicago* gave her the rest of the industry. What followed was a run of leads in comedies and musicals, voice work in the *Ice Age* films, producing through Flavor Unit, *Hairspray* (2007) as Motormouth Maybelle, and, on television, *Bessie* (2015), which she also produced, and *The Equalizer* (2021), in which she plays Robyn McCall.

The pattern in that list is plain. She is best where there is a song. The stillness that becomes authority when she is about to sing can, in a comedy written around her, look like a performer waiting for the film to catch up. The mainstream comedies she led drew mixed notices, *Bringing Down the House* (2003) among them; we have not reviewed it and will not judge it here, but the pattern fits.

There is a smaller lesson in Marc Forster's *Stranger Than Fiction* (2006), where she plays Penny Escher. We liked the film, and our review had nothing in particular to say about her. In a picture with no use for her voice and no room for her to take charge, she does the job and nothing more. That is a choice, not a failing. It is also a waste.

She has said that she lives to do a musical, that there is nothing like it anywhere else in the film business. She has also said she looks for parts that show what a woman is capable of, which accounts for the matrons, the singers and, now, the fixer on television. Give her a song. The rest she can manage in her sleep, and sometimes it looks as though she does.

## Biography

Queen Latifah is an American actor, rapper and singer. Born Dana Elaine Owens on 18 March 1970 in Newark, New Jersey, she began her career in hip-hop before moving into acting with early film roles including Jungle Fever (1991).

She starred as Khadijah James in the television series Living Single (1993–1998). Her performance as Matron 'Mama' Morton in the musical film Chicago (2002) earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

Queen Latifah played Penny Escher in Stranger Than Fiction (2006). She has also appeared in films such as The Bone Collector (1999), Bringing Down the House (2003) and 22 Jump Street (2014), and provided the voice of Ellie in the Ice Age animated series.

*Sources: imdb.com, en.wikipedia.org.*

## On Fi1m (9)

- *Hustle* (2022), Fi1m 72, as Teresa Sugerman — [page](https://film.one/film/hustle.md)
- *Ice Age: Collision Course* (2016), Fi1m 37, as Ellie (voice) — [page](https://film.one/film/ice-age-collision-course.md)
- *Ice Age: Continental Drift* (2012), Fi1m 53, as Ellie (voice) — [page](https://film.one/film/ice-age-continental-drift.md)
- *Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs* (2009), Fi1m 56, as Ellie (voice) — [page](https://film.one/film/ice-age-dawn-of-the-dinosaurs.md)
- *Hairspray* (2007), Fi1m 72, as Motormouth Maybelle — [page](https://film.one/film/hairspray-2007.md)
- *Ice Age: The Meltdown* (2006), Fi1m 61, as Ellie (voice) — [page](https://film.one/film/ice-age-the-meltdown.md)
- *Stranger Than Fiction* (2006), Fi1m 78, as Penny Escher — [page](https://film.one/film/stranger-than-fiction.md)
- *Scary Movie 3* (2003), Fi1m 52, as Aunt ShaNeequa — [page](https://film.one/film/scary-movie-3.md)
- *Chicago* (2002), Fi1m 73, as Matron Mama Morton — [page](https://film.one/film/chicago.md)

## Complete filmography (99)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Ice Age: Boiling Point* (2027), as Ellie (voice)
- *Bone Black: Midwives vs. the South* (2023), Executive Producer
- *In Her Element* (2023), Executive Producer
- *End of the Road* (2022), as Brenda Freeman · Executive Producer
- *Hustle* (2022), as Teresa Sugerman — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/film/hustle.md)
- *The Tiger Rising* (2022), as Willie May · Executive Producer
- *Maya and the Three* (2021), series, as Gran Bruja (voice)
- *The Equalizer* (2021), series, as Robyn McCall · Executive Producer
- *Hollywood* (2020), series, as Hattie McDaniel
- *When the Streetlights Go On* (2020), series, as Detective Grasso
- *The Little Mermaid Live!* (2019), as Ursula
- *Dear Mama: A Love Letter to Mom* (2019), Executive Producer
- *Ballet After Dark* (2019), Executive Producer
- *The Trap* (2019), as Dr. Obayuwana
- *Flint* (2017), as Iza Banks · Executive Producer
- *Girls Trip* (2017), as Sasha Franklin
- *Star* (2016), series, as Carlotta Brown
- *The Secrets of Emily Blair* (2016), Executive Producer
- *VH1 Hip Hop Honors: All Hail the Queens* (2016), Actor
- *Ice Age: Collision Course* (2016), as Ellie (voice) — Fi1m 37, [page](https://film.one/film/ice-age-collision-course.md)
- *Ice Age: The Great Egg-Scapade* (2016), as Ellie (voice)
- *Miracles from Heaven* (2016), as Angela Bradford
- *The Perfect Match* (2016), Executive Producer
- *The Wiz Live!* (2015), as The Wiz
- *Scream: The TV Series* (2015), series, Executive Producer
- *Bessie* (2015), as Bessie Smith · Executive Producer
- *Brotherly Love* (2015), Executive Producer
- *Empire* (2015), series, as Carlotta Brown
- *22 Jump Street* (2014), as Mrs. Dickson (uncredited)
- *Percentage* (2013), Executive Producer
- *House of Bodies* (2013), as Nicole · Executive Producer
- *Steel Magnolias* (2012), as M'Lynn · Executive Producer
- *Ice Age: Continental Drift* (2012), as Ellie (voice), Songs — Fi1m 53, [page](https://film.one/film/ice-age-continental-drift.md)
- *Joyful Noise* (2012), as Vi Rose Hill · Executive Producer
- *Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas* (2011), as Ellie (voice)
- *Single Ladies* (2011), series, Producer
- *The Dilemma* (2011), as Dana
- *Let's Stay Together* (2011), series, Producer
- *Hot in Cleveland* (2010), series, as Aunt Esther Jean Johnson
- *Just Wright* (2010), as Leslie Wright · Producer, Music Consultant
- *Valentine's Day* (2010), as Paula Thomas
- *Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs* (2009), as Ellie (voice), Songs — Fi1m 56, [page](https://film.one/film/ice-age-dawn-of-the-dinosaurs.md)
- *The Secret Life of Bees* (2008), as August Boatwright
- *What Happens in Vegas* (2008), as Dr. Twitchell
- *Garrett's Gift* (2008), Actor
- *Mad Money* (2008), as Nina Brewster
- *The Perfect Holiday* (2007), as Mrs. Christmas · Producer
- *Who's Your Caddy?* (2007), Executive Producer
- *Hairspray* (2007), as Motormouth Maybelle — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/film/hairspray-2007.md)
- *Arctic Tale* (2007), as Narrator
- *Life Support* (2007), as Ana
- *Stranger Than Fiction* (2006), as Penny Escher — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/stranger-than-fiction.md)
- *30 Rock* (2006), series, as Regina Bookman — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/tv/30-rock.md)
- *The Hip Hop Project* (2006), Executive Producer
- *Ice Age: The Meltdown* (2006), as Ellie (voice) — Fi1m 61, [page](https://film.one/film/ice-age-the-meltdown.md)
- *Last Holiday* (2006), as Georgia Byrd
- *The Muppets' Wizard of Oz* (2005), as Aunt Em
- *Beauty Shop* (2005), as Gina Norris · Producer
- *Taxi* (2004), as Isabelle 'Belle' Williams · Music Consultant
- *The Cookout* (2004), as Security Guard · Story, Producer
- *Entourage* (2004), series, as Dana Elaine Owens — Fi1m 63, [page](https://film.one/tv/entourage.md)
- *Barbershop 2: Back in Business* (2004), as Gina
- *Scary Movie 3* (2003), as Aunt ShaNeequa — Fi1m 52, [page](https://film.one/film/scary-movie-3.md)
- *I Love the '80s Strikes Back* (2003), series, Actor
- *Eve* (2003), series, as Simone
- *Bringing Down the House* (2003), as Charlene Morton · Executive Producer
- *Chicago* (2002), as Matron Mama Morton — Fi1m 73, [page](https://film.one/film/chicago.md)
- *Brown Sugar* (2002), as Francine
- *The Country Bears* (2002), as Cha-Cha
- *Mama Africa* (2002), as Host
- *Living with the Dead* (2002), as Midge Harmon
- *Living with the Dead* (2002), series, as Midge Harmon
- *Through the Years of Hip Hop Volume 1 Graffiti Extras* (2002), Actor
- *The Fairly OddParents* (2001), series, as Pam Dromeda (voice)
- *The Queen Latifah Show* (2000), series, as Producer
- *The Bone Collector* (1999), as Thelma
- *Bringing Out the Dead* (1999), as Dispatcher Love (voice)
- *Mama Flora's Family* (1998), series, as Diana
- *Living Out Loud* (1998), as Liz Bailey
- *Sphere* (1998), as Alice 'Teeny' Fletcher
- *Hoodlum* (1997), as Sulie
- *Set It Off* (1996), as Cleo
- *Spin City* (1996), series, as Robin Jones
- *Ellen* (1994), series, as Queen Latifah (uncredited)
- *The Critic* (1994), series, as Queen Latifah (voice)
- *My Life* (1993), as Theresa
- *Living Single* (1993), series, as Khadijah James
- *Who's the Man?* (1993), as Queen Latifah
- *Hangin' with Mr. Cooper* (1992), series, as Queen Latifah
- *Juice* (1992), as Ruffhouse M.C.
- *House Party 2* (1991), as Zora
- *The Jenny Jones Show* (1991), series, Actor
- *Roc* (1991), series, Actor
- *Jungle Fever* (1991), as Lashawn
- *The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air* (1990), series, as Marissa Redman
- *Romeo and Juliet*, Producer
- *Girls Trip 2*, as Sasha Franklin
- *Untitled Queen Latifah Biopic*, Producer
- *King of the South*, Actor

## Gallery

- ![Queen Latifah](https://film.one/media/person/99375/gallery-219e770e16f7.jpg) Queen Latifah — Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/96/Queen_Latifah_by_Gage_Skidmore.jpg/1280px-Queen_Latifah_by_Gage_Skidmore.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Queen Latifah introduces family members of the U.S. Army National Guard 261st Signal Brigade to their loved ones deployed in Iraq via satellite at the “Kids Ina (2009)](https://film.one/media/person/99375/gallery-3f9d5cb1e671.jpg) Queen Latifah introduces family members of the U.S. Army National Guard 261st Signal Brigade to their loved ones deployed in Iraq via satellite at the “Kids Ina (2009) — U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Donna Lou Morgan, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c2/Defense.gov_photo_essay_090119-N-4794M-675.jpg/1280px-Defense.gov_photo_essay_090119-N-4794M-675.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden greet the 46th Kennedy Center honorees, Sunday, December 3, 2023, in the Oval Office. From left are Billy Crystal,](https://film.one/media/person/99375/gallery-205d21f5afd5.jpg) President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden greet the 46th Kennedy Center honorees, Sunday, December 3, 2023, in the Oval Office. From left are Billy Crystal, — The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/16/Joe_Biden_and_Jill_Biden_at_the_46th_Kennedy_Center_honorees_on_December_3%2C_2023%2C_in_the_White_House_Oval_Office_from_left_are_Billy_Crystal%2C_Ren%C3%A9e_Fleming%2C_Dionne_Warwick%2C_Queen_Latifah_and_Barry_Gibb.jpg/1280px-thumbnail.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![President Barack Obama talks with Justin Timberlake in the Blue Room of the White House prior to the “In Performance at the White House: Memphis Soul” concert i](https://film.one/media/person/99375/gallery-05fcb52c61d1.jpg) President Barack Obama talks with Justin Timberlake in the Blue Room of the White House prior to the “In Performance at the White House: Memphis Soul” concert i — Pete Souza, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/75/Justin_Timberlake_and_Barack_Obama_at_The_White_House.jpg/1280px-Justin_Timberlake_and_Barack_Obama_at_The_White_House.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Queen Latifah](https://film.one/media/person/99375/gallery-a4f7a74750c7.jpg) Queen Latifah — Image via TMDB
- ![Queen Latifah](https://film.one/media/person/99375/gallery-371674fba354.jpg) Queen Latifah — Image via TMDB
- ![Queen Latifah](https://film.one/media/person/99375/gallery-65af04284c08.jpg) Queen Latifah — Image via TMDB
- ![Justin Timberlake y Steve Cropper interpretando «(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay» en el concierto In Performance at the White House: Memphis Soul, realizado en](https://film.one/media/person/99375/gallery-2b614209c885.jpg) Justin Timberlake y Steve Cropper interpretando «(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay» en el concierto In Performance at the White House: Memphis Soul, realizado en — Chuck Kennedy, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/63/Justin_Timberlake_and_Steve_Cropper_performing_at_the_White_House.jpg/1280px-Justin_Timberlake_and_Steve_Cropper_performing_at_the_White_House.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Missy Ward, Queen Latifah and Shawn Collins at the LEAGUE 2008 National Awards and Recognition Luncheon.](https://film.one/media/person/99375/gallery-a996e16166b3.jpg) Missy Ward, Queen Latifah and Shawn Collins at the LEAGUE 2008 National Awards and Recognition Luncheon. — Affiliate Summit, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/16/Missy_Ward%2C_Queen_Latifah_and_Shawn_Collins.jpg/1280px-Missy_Ward%2C_Queen_Latifah_and_Shawn_Collins.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Queen Latifah](https://film.one/media/person/99375/gallery-81ff1c38853e.jpg) Queen Latifah — Image via TMDB
- ![Queen Latifah](https://film.one/media/person/99375/gallery-fc8d78cf68b9.jpg) Queen Latifah — Image via TMDB
- ![Queen Latifah](https://film.one/media/person/99375/gallery-3b3f39a17ef9.jpg) Queen Latifah — Image via TMDB

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 0 won, 1 nominated

- 2003: Best Supporting Actress (nominated), for *Chicago*

### SAG Awards — 2 won

- 2008: Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie (won), for *Life Support*
- 2003: Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture (won), for *Chicago*

### Other awards — 12 won, 6 nominated

- New Jersey Hall of Fame 2011: New Jersey Hall of Fame (won)
- NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special 2008: NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special (won), for *Life Support*
- Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Cast 2007: Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Cast (won), for *Hairspray*
- Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album 2007: Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album (nominated)
- Women Film Critics Circle Awards 2007: Women Film Critics Circle Awards (won)
- Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album 2004: Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album (nominated)
- Women Film Critics Circle Awards 2004: Women Film Critics Circle Awards (won)
- BET Award for Best Actor & Actress 2003: BET Award for Best Actor & Actress (won), for *Bringing Down the House*
- Grammy Award for Best Female Rap Solo Performance 2003: Grammy Award for Best Female Rap Solo Performance (nominated)
- Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actress – Comedy 2003: Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actress – Comedy (won), for *Bringing Down the House*
- Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Cast 2002: Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Cast (won), for *Chicago*
- Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance 1995: Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance (won), for *U.N.I.T.Y.*
- Soul Train Music Award for Sammy Davis, Jr. – Entertainer of the Year 1995: Soul Train Music Award for Sammy Davis, Jr. – Entertainer of the Year (won)
- Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance 1994: Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance (won)
- Candace Award 1992: Candace Award (won)
- Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance 1992: Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance (nominated)
- Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance 1991: Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance (nominated)
- Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance 1990: Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance (nominated)

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/queen-latifah