Queen Latifah is an Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe Award-winning actress, Grammy Award-winning recording artist, Emmy Award-winning producer, label president, author and entrepreneur.
Latifah received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress, a Golden Globe nomination and a SAG nomination for her portrayal of Mama Morton in the feature musical Chicago and an Emmy Award nomination, Golden Globe Award and SAG Award for her role in the cable film Life Support. Additionally, Latifah earned an Emmy Award nomination, Golden Globe nomination and SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries for her role in the cable film Bessie, which she also produced.
Latifah's additional topline credits include Living Single on television, and the feature films Girls Trip, Hairspray, Taxi, Set it Off, Last Holiday, Barber Shop 2: Back in Business, and voicing the character Ellie in the Ice Age film series.
In 1995, Latifah and her producing partner, Shakim Compere, founded Flavor Unit Entertainment. The pair has produced the hit feature comedies Bringing Down the House, Beauty Shop, The Perfect Holiday, The Cookout, Just Wright, as well as Bessie and Life Support. Separately, Latifah executive produced the highly successful 2020 cable television film The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel.
Flavor Unit's upcoming feature projects include The End of the Road and Ray Giarratana's The Tiger Rising, for which Latifah will both produce and star. Also, she will headline the sports drama Hustle opposite Adam Sandler, and Angela Tucker's teen comedy, Paper Chase.
Latifah is an advocate for scleroderma-associated interstitial lung disease, as her mother suffered from and later succumbed to the disease. Recently, she produced the documentary Beyond Breathless to bring awareness to the illness, educate the public and share her personal experience living with her mother's sickness.
Born and raised in Newark, New Jersey, Latifah began her foray into the entertainment industry as a signed rapper, releasing her first album at 19 years old. She revolutionized the hip-hop industry, rapping about topics surrounding her experience as a Black woman. Dubbed the "Queen of Jazz-Rap," Latifah has released seven studio albums, sold nearly 2 million records worldwide and is the first female hip-hop recording artist to be nominated for an Academy Award.
Latifah resides in Los Angeles. Her birthday is March 18. Follow her on Twitter @queenlatifah and on Instagram @iamqueenlatifah.