Trivia

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.

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

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.

Had to coach her Bringing Down the House (2003) co-stars Steve Martin and Eugene Levy in hip-hop slang.

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

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

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

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.

First woman to host the Independent Spirit Awards.

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 it was delayed and recast. Her role went to Halle Berry and DeNiro's to Billy Bob Thornton.

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

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

Friends with Jada Pinkett Smith, and LL Cool J.

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

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).

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.

Arrested for assaulting a photographer on February 6, 1996.

Counts Boomerang (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 (1996).

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

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

Was in attendance at the wedding of her The Secret Life of Bees (2008) co-star Alicia Keys to Swizz Beatz (July 31, 2010).

Co-founder of Flavor Unit Entertainment.

Was considered for the role of Sharona Fleming in Monk (2002) which went to Bitty Schram. Coincidentally, Latifah had experience as a nurse in The Bone Collector (1999).

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

Quotes Amandla Stenberg as one of her heroines.

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.

Daughter of Rita Owens.

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 Barbershop 2: Back in Business (2004), The Cookout (2004), and Taxi (2004). However, she failed to receive a nomination.

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 The Broadway Melody (1929), Grace Moore for One Night of Love (1934), Jean Hagen for Singin' in the Rain (1952), Marjorie Rambeau for Torch Song (1953), Dorothy Dandridge for Carmen Jones (1954), Deborah Kerr for The King and I (1956), Rita Moreno for West Side Story (1961), Gladys Cooper for My Fair Lady (1964), Julie Andrews for Mary Poppins (1964), The Sound of Music (1965), and Victor/Victoria (1982), Debbie Reynolds for The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964), Peggy Wood for The Sound of Music (1965), Carol Channing for Thoroughly Modern 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).

Counts Timothy Snell as her favorite personal stylist.

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

Born at 8:02 AM (EST).