"Mad" for Queen Latifah

One of the friendliest moguls in Hollywood is actress/producer/musical artist Queen Latifah. If she's not lookin' beautiful in those Covergirl make-up commercials, she's making us laugh or cry on screen. The abbreviated version of The People's Choice Awards this year was a total Latifah-fest as she good-naturedly hosted the entire show alone with charm and humor.

This Friday you can catch the Queen in her latest film Mad Money. Latifah plays a single mom trying to make ends meet while working at the Federal Reserve Bank shredding money all day! Yep, you read that right, her character Nina spends the entire day turning billions of worn-out bucks into pulp! No wonder she and film pals Katie Holmes and Diane Keaton decide to keep just a few of those unwanted greenbacks!

We chatted with Queen recently in at a ritzy beach hotel in L.A. She bopped into our interview room all cheery with her hair in a pony tail and in black jeans and cute stripe sweater. We chatted about fun on set, how she balances all the aspects of her career, what new musical artists she'd like to promote and her very definite and astute opinions on the transitioning state of music today. She misses hanging out in music stores! Read on for a very fun and informative audience with The Queen.

TeenHollywood: I saw you the other night hosting The People's Choice Awards. Were you nervous going into that? It was just you all alone in a room!

Queen: Oh yeah. I was like 'okay, what are we doin? How are we gonna do this? There are no writers, right?' Okay but this is the format. Bullet points. All right. I did a talk show. I got the heart of a rapper so I can freestyle a little bit'. I'm kinda silly like that so I just said 'you know what? I'm just gonna have some fun with this thing and try to make it entertaining because it's definitely a different show than what it was last year'. The show had to go on. Ten million people logged on and took their time and voted. These are the very people who support us and you couldn't just take their time like it meant nothing. I think that's why a lot of the actors accepted awards. I had a lot of fun doing it like that. It might be a new idea for the show.

TeenHollywood: You were the gal with the love story in this movie Mad Money. Gettin' the guy.

Queen: Yeah, give me a smooch!

TeenHollywood: You are getting a guy in almost every movie lately.

Queen: [big grin] I like it! I must say. It's nice.

TeenHollywood: Other than that, what was attractive about the script to you?

Queen: What attracted me to it was doing it with Diane [Keaton]. We've had this thing for several years since I was working on Beauty Shop and working with [director] Callie Khouri. I admired her work on Thelma and Louise so I was like 'wow, to get to work with her and Diane would be wonderful' and the third girl, as soon as they said Katie Holmes, we were all like 'um, that could be kinda cool. Yeah'. So that was it. That kind of locked it in for us.

TeenHollywood: What did you like about the character of Nina?

Queen: I kind of dug her. I kind of felt like, here's a woman, she has two kids, boys to raise. This is a job. It's not necessarily the most fun job but it's a job that pays the bills. But, I wanted her to be a loving person so I wanted her to be very affectionate with her kids and caring and that be part of her motivation for thinking about doing something like this [a heist]. It just wasn't enough for some crazy white lady to come out of nowhere with a [plan]. I think the fact that she really does want a better life for her sons and she is sort of in an impoverished neighborhood and really did see the possibilities of this being able to happen kind of opened her up to the idea of actually doing it.

TeenHollywood: She's very sensible about not blowing the money. She's the voice of reason. But, if you were in that situation, would you blow the money or just save it?

Queen: Since I too am from the Hood, naw, I wouldn't just blow it. Everybody I've seen get arrested from doing stuff like that it's been because they're too flashy, too much attention. When you see people go from not having much money to having a bunch of money and they now can afford a lot of different things, they start putting it all on the outside, it does draw too much attention so I think Nina is just street-savvy like that and knew the pitfalls of it.

TeenHollywood: But what would Dana do? What would Queen do?

Queen: Dana [her real name, Dana Owens] would never do this. Dana got some d**n sense! Oh, I'd probably spend it on a vacation home or I'd spend it on my family or friends. I surely wouldn't be buying a bunch of cars and jewelry. That doesn't do it for me but going someplace [she looks out the window at the ocean] where I can watch these guys surf, going someplace beautiful, being around beautiful things, that would make it work for me.

TeenHollywood: Diane was saying that she came to see you sing and really enjoyed that side of you.

Queen: She did. She was kind of flabbergasted. She brought her daughter Dexter with her to the show and she had a good old time. I was just go glad she came out to the show and it was on the eve before Thanksgiving so for anybody to come out on a night where everybody's cooking so much food they can't even find their way out the house for the food, [that's great]. I was just happy to have her there.

TeenHollywood: You are very business-savvy but you were very with it from the beginning even when you were starting as a rapper.

Queen: For me, I understood branding a long time ago. My partner and I tried to explain to so many people to create deals based upon that idea a long time ago. I can't even believe how long it took people to get it through their heads that everything you say on this record, everything you wear on your back, everything you drive, everything you walk on, all of that stuff is business. You are a walking business. If you broaden your horizons, you really are taking care of yourself in the long run by just exploring all the avenues that you are talented at. I didn't feel like I could just rely on the music business because I couldn't say I was THE best rapper. I felt like I had other things that I was capable of doing. I only had Will [Smith] and [Ice] Cube as an example pretty much and no females. I was kind of the pioneer in that sense.

TeenHollywood: And look at them now but you had the idea.

Queen: Yeah because I'm not afraid to take chances on what I feel I can accomplish and that's how I am. My partner Sha-kim and I will get together and pump each other up. 'What would happen if we do this? We should try to do this, or call this person'. We just sit there and brainstorm things. It's not like 'we should get that Benz right there'. We don't think about that. All that stuff comes. We're more excited about an idea and taking that idea and seeing it through to fruition. We always wanted to make things happen for ourselves.

TeenHollywood: Seems to be workin'. Back to this movie. Was the funny scene with the three women stuffing money into their underwear fun to shoot? Did you all crack up?

Queen: That was a lot of fun. Oh yeah. Everything you see, we definitely laughed and there were a couple of good lines in there. The film is really funny. Diane had me on the floor the whole time. And it was funny because I have this line where I tell the school principal 'can I pay you in crack?' and I totally forgot that I said that line so when I heard it at the premiere, I fell on the floor. It was sooo funny. There's some good ones in there.

TeenHollywood: Are you going to direct some day?

Queen: I would like to. I have a little project that I'm working on and we'll see what happens with the script. I've gotta write it though. I need the writers to come back to work because I've got a couple in mind that I need their help for this project. If I can get that one done, I'd like to direct it.

TeenHollywood: You are working on movies and with another album coming out, how do you prioritize?

Queen: I'm actually trying to slow down a little bit with all that but I'm already kind of obligated to certain things like the Covergirl Queen Collection and the films that I have lined up; focus on those things and I don't really want to do anything that I don't really feel. That's one of my true intentions for this year; to make sure I don't do anything that I don't really feel a hundred percent because my time is too important. Life is too short. I'd rather be with my friends and family or enjoying nature for that matter, than doing something I don't love. '07 was kind of a year of completions, '08 is a year of new beginnings and that's sort of the attitude that I want to have.

TeenHollywood: What is there out there that you haven't tackled that you want to do then?

Queen: [looking out the window at the sea and surfers] Surfin'! [we laugh] or at least boogie boarding.

TeenHollywood: It's over-rated. It's hard.

Queen: Boogie boarding? Is it? Okay but life on the sea.... Yeah, maybe I'll sail around the world or something. I want to do something adventurous. I don't know.

TeenHollywood: As somebody who does so much, who is so driven, would you call yourself a control freak?

Queen: Absolutely not. I'm definitely not a control freak. No, I'm glad I'm not a control freak too. I know control freaks. They sometimes try to control me [we laugh]. I think I'm a strong person. I don't think I flex unnecessarily on people. I'm not the kind that's gonna talk about everybody behind their backs or I'm not gonna try to manipulate you. If I have a problem with you, I'll say 'can I talk to you for a minute' and bring you to the side and let you know what's on my mind. I don't think you have to be a bully but you do have to be strong because some people will try to run over you or take advantage of you or play you out whether it's in personal relationships or whether it's in business. So, you do have to have some type of strength. But, I definitely would not call myself a control freak. If anything, I'm kind of the more free-spirited kind of person. I'm a Pisces.

TeenHollywood: Of all the new musicians coming out, who would you like to support?

Queen: I think Amy Winehouse had a hell of an album. I really hope she can get her personal life together because that album "Back to Black" is bangin' and it's kind of the album that Lauryn Hill could have made, easily. But, I think it's ushering in a '60's sound again. I think Alicia Keys' album is the best album out right now that I've heard that I keep on regular rotation. I like this group Zero 7 too. They're not new but they're electronica but I just think their vibe is so cool. That's a few people.

TeenHollywood: You've seen the music business change dramatically. Where do you stand on downloading and the decline in album sales?

Queen: I think the saddest part of it is, you know, the internet has been coming for a long time and the RIAA tried to scare people and to fight what was inevitable rather than figure out a way to make it work; figure out a way to make money or help artists to make money. I'm sad because Virgin Records is closing down. I'm sad because Tower Records closed. People ask me, 'what do you do in your leisure time?' I go to record stores and I hang out for like an hour and a half and I spend about 750 dollars on music, including whatever is playin' in the store that I never heard before. I was like 'who's that?' and I bought it. I will miss record stores because, to me, they're kind of a social place to be but they're not makin' money like they were. Everybody is downloading. This is where it's going and I wish, if anything, the music industry would have looked it realistically.

TeenHollywood: Can artists make some money with live performance?

Queen: There are groups who are tourin'. Touring is gonna have to come back because this is where you are gonna see bands perform. This is where they're gonna make their money. It's unfortunate because we write these songs and work on 'um. You should be paid for things that you write that are copyrighted. But there is nothing you can do with that technology but the upside is groups that you never would have heard are breakin' themselves through this new technology. It's kind of broadening out the whole thing. It's not about spending a million dollars marketing this band and knock me over the head with 'um and buy every radio station so I have to now think that they're the bomb and they're not.

TeenHollywood: You make some great points. What kinds of roles do you have coming up?

Queen: Well, what went on hold when the strike happened was Bessie Smith for HBO, finally and All of Me, the remake that we're doing with New Line with Adam Shankman as our producing partner on that so those will probably be the first things up to bat when the strike ends unless there is something that comes across my plate.

TeenHollywood: Maybe the resolution of the Writers' strike will negate the need for a Screen Actors' strike?

Queen: We'll see. That's all the more reason we need to see what happens and be supportive because we [actors] are up next. Once again, that technology; DVD sales, internet sales, that stuff is big business and it's only gonna get bigger and it is something important to deal with now. Hopefully, we'll all work it out and we can get back to work because there ain't but so much d**n reality TV I'm willin' to watch! I don't want to see too much of everybody else's lives. Please write me some fake life [we laugh].

TeenHollywood: Okay, we're going to be tacky and ask. There is a little scar on your forehead. Where did that come from?

Queen: When I was three years old I was playing tag with my brother and tripped over the phone cord and crashed right into the corner of a wall.

***

Lynn Barker is a Hollywood-based entertainment journalist and produced screenwriter.