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EVERYBODY. MY FIRST GUEST TONIGHT IS AN
ACTRESS WITH THE NUMBER-ONE MOVIE ON NETFLIX AND ONE OF THE
MOST POPULAR SHOWS ON NETWORK TELEVISION.
PLEASE WELCOME THE STAR OF "END OF THE ROAD" AND CBS'S "THE
EQUALIZER," QUEEN LATIFAH! ♪ ♪ ♪
( APPLAUSE )
WOOO! >> Stephen: THAT'S NICE.
>> THEY SOUND SO GOOD! >> Stephen: DON'T THEY SOUND
GOOD. >> PEACE!
PEACE, EVERYBODY!
GUESTS WOULD START OFF THE INTERVIEW WITH A WOOO!
>> MORE LIKE A WOOO! >> Stephen: YOU HAVE A LOT TO
BE HOOTING AND HAPPY ABOUT BECAUSE THIS MORNING YOU HAD A
YOU CAME FROM A LOVELY LOVELY CEREMONY. CEREMONY.
I'D LIKE TO SHOW THIS PHOTO RIGHT HERE.
YOU OPENED A SCHOOL NAMED AFTER YOUR LATE MOTHER, RITA OWENS.
AND WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE
THIS SCHOOL TO YOUR FAMILY?
IS A HUGE-- THIS IS A HUGE, HUGE THING FOR OUR FAMILY.
MY MOTHER WAS AN EDUCATOR. SHE TAUGHT HIGH SCHOOL.
BUT SHE ALSO TAUGHT LIFE. SHE TAUGHT LOVE.
SHE TAUGHT EMPOWERMENT FOR KIDS, FOR CHILDREN.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO HAVE SHE WAS AN EDUCATOR. A
LOT OF RESPECT AND LOVE FOR OUR EDUCATORS.
THEY DO SO MUCH.
THIS PHOTO HERE? >> THIS IS ALSO, LIKE, THE
THEME ACADEMY IN IRVINGTON, FIRST-- THIS IS THE FIRST NEW
JERSEY. THIS IS REALLY LIKE THE
BEGINNING OF THE FUTURE FOR THESE CHILDREN WHO SHE LOVED SO
MUCH. AND WHO IS IN THAT PICTURE?
WHO YOU GOT THERE? >> Stephen: WHO YOU GOT THERE?
>> YOU GOT MY GRANDMOTHER IN THERE.
HEY, NANA! HEY, NANA!
THANK YOU TO MAYOR BOSS AND DOC DRAPER BOSS FOR MAKING THIS
HAPPEN. AND MY PARTNER.
>> Stephen: HERE IS YOU AND YOUR MOM.
>> THERE IS MY MOM. >> Stephen: 30 YEARS AGO.
>> THAT'S MY MOM.
WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM HER? >> UHM, GOSH...
LOVE. LOVE.
I LEARNED LOVE. I LEARNED TO LOVE.
SHE'S THE FIRST PERSON TO LOVE ME.
AND SO I LEARNED LOVE. AND-- AND I LEARNED THAT WE--
WHEN WE'RE GIVEN THINGS WE HAVE TO GIVE BACK.
SO I ALSO LEARNED TO LOVE HIP HOP.
>> Stephen: FROM YOUR MOM? >> MY MOTHER WAS A HIP HOP HIT.
I REMEMBER GETTING IN HER CAR, AND TURNING THE RADIO ON AND IT
WAS SAYING ♪ IT WAS JUST ANOTHER CASE OF
THAT OLD P.T.A.." I SAID WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH
THE LEADERS OF THE NEW SCHOOL PLAYING IN YOUR CAR, BUSTER
RHYMES. BUT IF NOT FOR MY MOM, I WOULD
NOT BE HERE. SHE WAS THE CLASS ADVISER AND
WOULD HIRE THE D.J.s FOR THE CLASS FUND RAISERS.
AND SHE INTRODUCED ME TO MY FIRST D.J., WHO BECAME MY
PRODUCER, WHO GOT ME SIGNED. I GAME A RAPPER.
ALL MY BOYS BECAME RAPPERS. SHE USED TO GO TO THE SHOWS WITH
SHE WAS REALLY INVOLVED IN-- ME IN THE GENG. IN
OUR GROWING UP IN HIP HOP, YOU KNOW.
SHE JUST REALLY LISTENED TO THE YOUTH.
AND SHE STAYED CONNECTED. SO IF IT WEREN'T FOR HER, I
WOULDN'T BE HERE.
THAT'S LOVELY. >> YEAH, SHE RESPECTED KIDS.
>> Stephen: NOW, ANOTHER MEMBER OF YOUR FAMILY, YOUR
GRANDMOTHER, WHO IS IN THIS PHOTO RIGHT HERE, SHE IS A BIG
FAN OF CBS' "THE EQUALIZER." IS SHE AN EASY FAN OR DO YOU GET
CRITIQUES? DO YOU GET NOTES FROM HER?
>> I GET... I GET-- LISTEN, I BETTER MAKE
THE SHOW. BOTTOM LINE.
RECLIERN WATCHING THAT SHOW BECAUSE SHE IS IN THAT EVERY SUNDAY.
>> Stephen: SHE GETS TO SPEND SUNDAYS WITH YOU BECAUSE SHE
GETS TO SEE OW TV. >> LISTEN, THERE ARE LITERALLY
DAYS, "I'M NOT DOING IT." SHE'S LIKE, "I JUST LOVE THAT
SHOW!" "I JUST LOVE THE ACTION.
I JUST LOVE ALL THAT ACTION." IT'S SO FUNNY.
MY 93-YEAR-OLD GRANDMOTHER LOVES ALL THE ACTION.
AND MY AUNT ANGEL, WHO SITS AND WATCHES IT WITH HER, GETS SO MAD
IF FOOTBALL RUNS LATE OR IF THERE'S, LIKE, A SPECIAL ON.
IT'S LIKE, "WHO IS THIS ADELE?"
HOLLER AT OPRAH." I'M LIKE, "WHOA, CALM DOWN."
THEY GET SERIOUS ABOUT "THE EQUALIZER."
>> Stephen: ONE OF THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY THINGS YOU WERE
PART OF MAKING IS-- I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S BEEN 20 YEARS NOW--
BUT THERE YOU ARE AS MOMMA NORTON IN CHICAGO 20 YEARS AGO.
>> YEEEAH!
AWARD. WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER NOMINATED FOR AN ACADEMY ABOUT
MAKING THAT FILM? IT'S EXTRAORDINARY FILM.
>> IT WAS-- IT WAS AN AMAZING TIME.
KNOW, ROB MARSHALL DIRECTED I MEAN, WE-- IT WAS-- YOU IT.
I REMEMBER HAVING TO AUDITION THREE TIMES TO GET THE ROLE.
AND BY THE THIRD TIME, I WAS LIKE, "THEY GOTTA TELL ME
SOMETHING OR I'M NOT DOING THIS AGAIN!"
THAT ROLE BECAUSE SO MANY BUT IT WAS-- I HAD TO EARN PEOPLE
WANTED THAT ROLE. AND ALL THE BROADWAY DANCERS
WERE IN THE FILM. AND, YOU KNOW, HERE WE GOT ALL
BUT EVERYBODY CHECKED THEIR THESE A-LIST ACTORS. EGO
AT THE DOOR. >> Stephen: DID YOU GUYS HAVE
A SENSE YOU WERE MAKING SOMETHING SPECIAL?
IT RULED THE OSCARS THAT YEAR. >> YES.
>> Stephen: WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER ABOUT THAT?
>> I ABSOLUTELY FELT LIKE WE WERE MAKING SOMETHING SPECIAL.
I THINK WE ALL KNEW, BECAUSE EVEN ON OUR DAYS OFF-- MIND YOU,
WE WERE WORKING MINIMUM 12 HOURS A DAY, UP TO 18 HOURS A DAY.
WE WERE WORKING LONG DAYS, THROUGH THE WINTER.
BUT PEOPLE WOULD COME IN ON THEIR DAY OFFS TO WATCH OTHER
PEOPLE SHOOT BECAUSE THEY WERE SO EXCITED ABOUT THE WAY THESE
SHOTS WERE LOOKING AND WHAT ROB HAD PLANNED.
BEAUTIFUL THING TO BE A PART AND IT WAS JUST SUCH A OF THAT
PEOPLE WOULD JUST COME IN AND HANG OUT AND WATCH IT HAWM.
SO WE KNEW WE WERE DOING SOMETHING REALLY SPECIAL.
AND IT'S THE TEST OF TIME. >> Stephen: WE HAVE TO TAKE A
QUICK BREAK, BUT WHEN WE COME BACK, I WILL ASK QUEEN LATIFAH
WHAT ACTORS SHE THINKS MIGHT BE GOOD RAPPERS.
STICK AROUND. ♪ ♪ ♪
( APPLAUSE )