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Queen Latifah has made a name for herself as a rapper and actress. She began her career in music, but later made the transition to acting. She stepped into the homes of families across America with the sitcom Living Single.
It was during production of Living Single that Latifah faced harsh criticism due to her weight. This was part of a lengthy struggle with her body image that Latifah would eventually open up about.
However, before her memorable role on Living Single, Latifah appeared in The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air alongside Will Smith. She would appear in two different episodes as two different characters, both of which aired merely months apart.
Queen Latifah Said ‘Living Single’ Producers Criticized Her And Other Cast Members For Their Weight
Many years after appearing on The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air, Latifah sat down with Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith, on the Facebook Watch series Red Table Talk. In the episode, Latifah shared her own views on body image and how she learned to love herself despite “being publicly scrutinized [her] whole career.”
More specifically, Latifah was there to discuss the “It’s Bigger Than Me” campaign, which Latifah described as an effort “to change the stigma associated with obesity.” Latifah said she was diagnosed with obesity when she trained with celebrity fitness expert Jeanette Jenkins.
At first, Latifah said she had a difficult time accepting her diagnosis.
“I didn’t connect with this ‘obese’ word as applied to me. I just thought I needed to stop eating something and get in the gym,” she said. “But it did wake me up in terms of it being not just a physical thing: This can be a genetic thing, a hormonal thing. Once you’re aware of that, then you can maybe do something about it.”
When Latifah landed the role on Living Single, things got worse. According to Latifah, the show’s producers told her and her co-stars they needed to lose weight.
“We’re on the No. 1 show among Black and Latino households in America, and you’re telling us we need to lose weight,” Latifah said. “Maybe you’re the one with the problem because maybe you’re the one that has the issue. Because the show is a success.”
Queen Latifah Shared How She Stayed Resilient Throughout Her Career
In 2022, Latifah spoke with The Cut about the many ups and downs that have filled her career. She talked about her own resilience and how she managed to stay on track.
“Anyone who thinks my achievements have come without bumps, bruises, and scars along the way would be highly mistaken,” Latifah said. “It’s just not possible. I work really hard, and fame is something to adjust to.”
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“I just wanted to get a record on the radio at first, and I did that,” she shared. “Then I wanted to open up a business and manage my friends with my partner and my mom, and I did that. Then it was all about asking myself what the next goal was.”
Latifah said that fear and anxiety will always be a part of taking risks. However, she said those risks have always been worth it for her.
“Conquering your fears and naysayers are a constant,” she said. “Quieting those fears enough to take the leap every time was hard, and sometimes, I took leaps into things that people had never done before. There’s a point at which your desire to achieve your goals has to be more powerful than your fears.”
Latifah encouraged others to not give in to fear and follow their dreams no matter what.
“You have to learn how to fall on your face and get back up, because it builds your perseverance and lets you know you’ll be okay even if you fail. Once you’ve gotten comfortable with that, you can do what you want. But some people don’t even get out the starting blocks, and it’s a sad thing to see.”
Queen Latifah Played Two Different Characters On ‘The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air’
Latifah once played two different roles on The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air mere months apart. The first episode in which Latifah appeared aired in May 1991 where she played a bossy actress named Marissa Redman. The episode was titled “Working It Out” and saw Marissa hiring Hilary as her assistant.
The next episode Latifah appeared in aired in November that same year. In the episode, Latifah played Will’s blind date Dee Dee. Will and Dee Dee’s friendship hits a rough patch in the episode when he doesn’t defend her against ridicule about her weight.
These two appearances came before Latifah stepped into the homes of viewers every week in Living Single. Latifah was a fixture on television in the 90s. In her recent interview with The Cut, Latifah spoke about the 90s nostalgia that is so popular right now.
“I think it’s great and so cool that Gen Z is rediscovering the 90s and my work from that time — including Living Single,” she said. “We put so much effort into being creative, and I think Gen Z does that as well, so they connect with being imaginative and coming up with new things.”
Latifah continued, “People are building their own brands and defining their own identities, which was important to us in the 90s. With hip-hop being a burgeoning form of music, we just had to prove it wasn’t a fad first. We knew it wasn’t, but we had to prove that to the world. It’s inspiring to young people to see how we hustled, and it gives them something to look back to, because we were teenagers and in our early 20s when we made it happen.”
