The Queen Latifah Show is a new daytime talk show that will have a Sept. 16 launch. It has already been sold to 94 percent of the country, including CBS’ 16 owned stations, mostly in afternoon time periods, and is the first talk-show acquisition for the powerful station group. Photo by Lorenzo Agius.
“I don’t feel the need to discuss my private life on this show or any other show,” Latifah says. “There’s the part of my life that the public and I share together. And there’s the part that’s mine to keep for myself. And that’s mine. For me.” Photo by Lorenzo Agius.
“Lah is every woman,” says longtime friend Jada Pinkett Smith (left, with Latifah and exec producer Corin Nelson on the set of The Queen Latifah Show), who co-starred with Latifah in the 1996 hit Set It Off. They met in 1987 when Pinkett Smith introduced Latifah as the opening act for Public Enemy at Baltimore’s Palladium. Pinkett Smith was a 16-year-old high school student, aspiring musician and actress at the Baltimore School for the Arts, and Latifah was a 17-year-old MC making a name for herself.
Latifah performing onstage at the Hollywood Bowl on July 10.
Latifah has penned several books: Put On Your Crown: Life-Changing Moments on the Path to Queendom, a 2010 self-help book; Queen of the Scene, a 2006 picture book; and Ladies First: Revelations of a Strong Woman, a 1998 memoir.
An all-around businesswoman, Latifah's empire includes several products, including the Queen Collection ready-to-wear clothing line and the CoverGirl Queen Collection, as well as two fragrances: Queen by Queen Latifah and Queen of Hearts by Queen Latifah.
“I remember seeing her in black-and-white photos,” recalls Jada Pinkett Smith. “She was barefoot and wrapped in this African garb with this African headpiece. I was so inspired by the courage of this young female MC.” Twenty-five years later, Pinkett Smith is among the producers on The Queen Latifah Show (along with her husband, Will Smith, James Lassiter and Miguel Melendez).
Latifah's first album, All Hail the Queen, was released in 1989 and peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hip-Hop and R&B album charts. The "Ladies First" singer continues to write music; she has a studio in her Beverly Hills home. “Music is second nature,” Latifah says.
Latifah received an Oscar nomination for best supporting actress for her role in 2002’s Chicago.
The Bringing Down the House star reunited with her Chicago writer-directors Craig Zadan and Neil Meron for 2007’s Hairspray.
In 2003, Latifah landed a spokesmodel contract with CoverGirl despite being “a little girthy at the hips,” she says. Her previous endorsements have included Jenny Craig, Zyrtec, Pizza Hut, Marriott and MasterCard.
Latifah recently starred in the 2012 Lifetime remake of Steel Magnolias.
“I have to be realistic about what I can and can’t do,” Latifah says. “So whatever I do has to really be worth it. I like to master the things I do. Making this show great, that’s my focus right now. I want to bring some positivity to daytime TV.”