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Someone as prolific and consistently stellar as Queen Latifah needs no introduction. At every surprising turn of her career as an actor, musician, and producer, she\u2019s used an exacting work ethic and irrepressible enthusiasm to inspire women like her. \u201cThere were no blueprints for a lot of what I was doing,\u201d she says of her beginnings in the music and filmmaking industries. How has she persevered for so long? \u201cYou have to fail,\u201d she advises. \u201cI, luckily, was thrown out there in enough things to fail and cry and get up and fail and cry.\u201d\n\nAfter blazing trails as one of the first women in jazz-rap at age 17, Queen Latifah refused pigeonholing in the biz, getting her start onscreen in Spike Lee\u2019s \u201cJungle Fever\u201d and Will Smith\u2019s \u201cThe Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.\u201d She\u2019s since starred in \u201cLiving Single,\u201d \u201cSet It Off,\u201d \u201cBringing Down the House,\u201d \u201cChicago,\u201d \u201cLast Holiday,\u201d \u201cHairspray,\u201d \u201cBessie,\u201d \u201cThe Wiz Live,\u201d \u201cGirls Trip,\u201d \u201cStar,\u201d \u201cFlint,\u201d \u201cThe Little Mermaid Live,\u201d and \u201cHollywood,\u201d earning an Emmy Award, three SAG Awards, two NAACP Image Awards, and an Academy Award nomination. She now produces CBS\u2019 action-drama \u201cThe Equalizer,\u201d on which she stars as Robyn McCall. This episode is brought to you by HBO.\n\nStick around for Backstage casting insider Christine McKenna-Tirella\u2019s breakdown on taking headshots: https://bit.ly/2U7V028\n---\nBackstage has been the #1 resource for actors and talent-seekers for 60 years. In the Envelope, Backstage\u2019s podcast, features intimate, in-depth conversations with today\u2019s most noteworthy film, television, and theater actors and creators. This is your guide to every aspect of acting, from voiceover and commercial work to casting directors, agents, and more. Full of both know-how and inspiration, In the Envelope airs weekly to cover everything from practical advice on navigating the industry, to how your favorite projects are made, to personal stories of success and failure alike. Join host Jack Smart, Awards Editor at Backstage, for this guide on how to live the creative life from those who are doing it every day: https://bit.ly/2OMryWQ\n\nFollow Backstage and In the Envelope on social media:\n- https://www.facebook.com/backstage\n- https://www.twitter.com/backstage\n- https://www.twitter.com/intheenvelope\n- https://www.instagram.com/backstagecast\n\nLooking to get cast? Subscribe here: www.backstage.com/subscribe\nBrowse Backstage casting listings: https://bit.ly/3mth68e\nCheck out our community-driven virtual programming, The Slate: https://bit.ly/2WDNXf0\nBackstage stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement: https://bit.ly/3cuMBt5\n\nSpecial thanks to...\n- Host: Jack Smart\n- Producer: Jamie Muffett\n- Social media: Katie Minard, Alysa Cirelli\n- Design: Mark Stinson, Caitlin Watkins\n- Additional support: Christine McKenna-Tirella, Kasey Howe, Samantha Sherlock, Benjamin Lindsay, Oriella St. Louis