Fast Facts
- As a teen, was nicknamed "Latifah," an Arabic word meaning delicate or sensitive, by a cousin.
- Won two state championships as a forward on her high school basketball team.
- Released her debut album, All Hail the Queen, in 1989.
- Made her big-screen debut in 1991 in Spike Lee's Jungle Fever.
- Is co-chairperson of the Lancelot H. Owens Scholarship Fund, founded in memory of her brother Lancelot, who was killed in a motorcycle accident. The fund awards scholarships to economically challenged students.
- Was the big winner of a 2000 Who Wants to Be a Millionaire celebrity week, earning $250,000, which she donated to her brother's charity.
- Fulfilled a promise to a 16-year-old South Carolina girl who quit school after being harassed for being overweight, accompanying the girl to class when she agreed to return to school.
- Has her own line of CoverGirl cosmetics created for women of color.
Awards
- 2002, Oscar — Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role: Nominee
- 2015, Screen Actors Guild Awards — Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries: Winner
- 1997, Independent Spirit Awards — Best Supporting Female: Nominee
- 2003, Golden Globe — Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture: Nominee
- 2008, Critics' Choice Awards — Best Acting Ensemble: Winner
- 2008, Critics' Choice Awards — Best Song: Nominee
- 2003, Critics' Choice Awards — Best Acting Ensemble: Winner
- 2015, Emmy — Outstanding Television Movie: Winner
- 2007, Screen Actors Guild Awards — Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries: Winner
- 2008, Golden Globe — Best Performance by an Actress in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television: Winner
- 2002, Screen Actors Guild Awards — Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture: Winner
- 2016, Golden Globe — Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television: Nominee
- 2007, Emmy — Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie: Nominee
- 2002, Screen Actors Guild Awards — Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role: Nominee
- 2015, Emmy — Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or a Movie: Nominee
- 2014, People's Choice Awards — Favorite New Talk Show Host: Winner
- 2015, Critics' Choice Television Awards — Best Actress in a Movie or Limited Series: Nominee
- 1995, Grammy — Best Female Rap Solo Performance: Winner
- 2003, BAFTA Film Awards — Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Nominee
- 2007, Screen Actors Guild Awards — Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture: Nominee
Relationships
- Lancelot Owens Jr. — Brother
- Rita Owens — Mother
- Lancelot Owens — Father
College
- Attended Manhattan Community College, New York, New York, United States
Details
- Birth Name: Dana Elaine Owens
- Birth Place: Newark, New Jersey, United States
- Profession: Actor, Singer, Rapper
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