The story of legendary blues performer, Bessie Smith, who rose to fame during the 1920s and '30s.
05-16-2015
1h 47m
THIS
HELLA
Doesn't have an image right now... sorry!has no image... sorry!
Main Cast
Movie Details
Production Info
Director:
Dee Rees
Production:
The Zanuck Company, Flavor Unit Entertainment, HBO Films
Key Crew
Executive Producer:
Richard D. Zanuck
Executive Producer:
Shakim Compere
Executive Producer:
Randi Michel
Executive Producer:
Queen Latifah
Executive Producer:
Lili Fini Zanuck
Locations and Languages
Country:
US
Filming:
US
Languages:
en
Main Cast
Queen Latifah
Dana Elaine Owens (born March 18, 1970), known professionally as Queen Latifah, is an American rapper, actress, and singer. Born in Newark, New Jersey, she signed with Tommy Boy Records in 1989 and released her debut album All Hail the Queen on November 28, 1989, featuring the hit single "Ladies First". Nature of a Sista' (1991) was her second and final album with Tommy Boy Records.
Latifah starred as Khadijah James on the Fox sitcom Living Single from 1993 to 1998. Her third album, Black Reign (1993), became the first album by a solo female rapper to receive a RIAA certification, and spawned the single "U.N.I.T.Y.", which was influential in raising awareness of violence against women and the objectification of Black female sexuality. The record won a Grammy Award and peaked at No. 23 on the Billboard Hot 100. She then starred in the lead role of Set It Off (1996) and released her fourth album, Order in the Court, on June 16, 1998, with Motown Records. Latifah garnered acclaim with her role of Matron "Mama" Morton in the musical film Chicago (2002), receiving a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Latifah released her fifth album The Dana Owens Album in 2004. In 2007 and 2009, she released two more studio albums – Trav'lin' Light and Persona. She created the daytime talk show The Queen Latifah Show, which ran from 1999 to 2001, and again from 2013 to 2015, in syndication. She has appeared in a number of films, such as Bringing Down the House (2003), Taxi (2004), Barbershop 2: Back in Business (2005), Beauty Shop (2005), Last Holiday (2006), Hairspray (2007), Joyful Noise (2012), 22 Jump Street (2014) and Girls Trip (2017) and provided voice work in the Ice Age film series. Latifah received critical acclaim for her portrayal of blues singer Bessie Smith in the HBO film Bessie (2015), which she co-produced, winning the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie. From 2016 to 2019, she starred as Carlotta Brown in the musical drama series Star. In 2020, she portrayed Hattie McDaniel in the miniseries Hollywood.
Queen Latifah has been referred to as the "Queen of Rap" by several media articles, as well as "rap's first feminist". Latifah became the first hip hop artist to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (2006). Latifah's work in music, film and television has earned her a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, two NAACP Image Awards, and an Academy Award nomination.
Description above from the Wikipedia article Queen Latifah, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Monica Imes (born December 11, 1967) known professionally as Mo'Nique, is an American comedienne and actress. Mo'Nique rose to fame in the UPN series The Parkers while making a name as a stand-up comedian hosting a variety of venues, including Showtime at the Apollo. Mo'Nique transitioned to film with roles in such films as Phat Girlz, and Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins.
In 2009, she received critical praise for her villainous role in the film Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire. For this performance, she has won numerous awards including an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a BAFTA Award. She is the sixteenth African American actress to receive a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, and the fourth to win. Overall, Mo'Nique is the twelfth individual African-American to win an Oscar for acting; and the seventh winner during the decade of the 2000s. She hosts The Mo'Nique Show, a late-night talk show that premiered in 2009 on BET.
Description above from the Wikipedia article Mo'Nique, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Michael Elliot "Mike" Epps (born November 18, 1970) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, film producer, writer, singer, musician, and rapper, best known for playing Day-Day Jones in Next Friday and the sequel-to-the-sequel, Friday After Next, and also starring alongside Ice Cube in All About The Benjamins. He is known as the new voice of Boog in Open Season 2 and Open Season 3.
As of 2010, Epps was the executive producer on a documentary about the life story of a former member of Tupac Shakur's Outlawz, Napoleon: Life Of An Outlaw.
Description above from the Wikipedia article Mike Epps, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Private Life: Born in Queens, New York, Sumpter studied at Marymount Manhattan College where she majored in communications. She began her career modeling and appeared in various commercials for products including Hewlett-Packard and Liz Claiborne's Curve fragrances.
Career: In 2004, she served as the co-host for the N network series Best Friend's Date. The following year she landed the role of Layla Williamson on One Life to Live.
Since January 2011, Sumpter has appeared on Gossip Girl as Raina Thorpe, the daughter of Russell Thorpe (Michael Boatman) and Chuck Bass' love interest.
Michael Kenneth Williams (November 22, 1966 – September 6, 2021) was an American actor. He played Omar Little on the HBO drama series The Wire from 2002 to 2008 and Albert "Chalky" White on the HBO series Boardwalk Empire from 2010 to 2014. Williams was raised in the Vanderveer Projects in East Flatbush, Brooklyn and attended George Westinghouse Career and Technical Education High School. Later, Williams enrolled at the National Black Theatre in New York City.
Charles Stanley Dutton (born January 30, 1951) is an American stage, film, and television actor and director. He is perhaps best known for starring in the television series Roc (1991–1994) and House MD (as the father of Eric Foreman).
Description above from the Wikipedia article Charles S. Dutton, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Bryan Greenberg is an American actor and musician, known for his starring role as Ben Epstein in How to Make It in America as well as a recurring role as Jake Jagielski on One Tree Hill and as Nick Garrett on October Road. His film work includes The Good Guy, Bride Wars, Nobel Son and The Perfect Score.
Oliver Platt (born January 12, 1960) is a Canadian-born American actor. He is known for his starring roles in many films such as Flatliners (1990), Beethoven (1992), Indecent Proposal, The Three Musketeers (both 1993), Executive Decision, A Time to Kill (both 1996), Dangerous Beauty, Bulworth, The Impostors, Dr. Dolittle (all 1998), Ready to Rumble, Gun Shy (both 2000), Don't Say a Word (2001), Zig Zag (2002), Pieces of April (2003), The Ice Harvest (2005), Martian Child (2007), Frost/Nixon (2008), Year One, 2012 (both 2009), Please Give, Love & Other Drugs (both 2010), X-Men: First Class, The Oranges (both 2011), Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return (2013), Frank and Cindy and One More Time (both 2015).
Harriet Rene "Khandi" Alexander is an American dancer, choreographer, and actress. She began her career as a dancer in the 1980s and was a choreographer for Whitney Houston's world tours from 1988 to 1992.
An American actor. He has appeared in films such as Malibu's Most Wanted, Get Rich or Die Tryin', Next, and Miracle at St. Anna.
Description above from the Wikipedia article Tory Kittles, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Crystal Lee Brown is an Emmy® Nominated actress, audition coach and self-tape specialist. She also serves as an on-set Dialogue/Acting Coach for network television.
Terence Rosemore was born in Great Falls, Montana and raised in New Orleans where he got his start as an Actor in Ted Gilliam's Dashiki Theatre Company.
He is an award winning Filmmaker and Actor who has worked with some of the biggest names in the industry including Robert Duvall, Halle Berry, Matthew McConaughy, Kevin Hart, Nicolas Cage, Don Cheadle, and Will Ferrell.
Rosemore is the founder of digital media company Out of Nowhere Films. Content created by Rosemore has been featured on NBC/Universal's DotComedy.com, ChannelME.TV and Columbia/Sony's Crackle.com.
He lives in Los Angeles writing, directing, producing and developing Film, Television and Web based projects. IMDb Mini Biography
Alkoya Brunson (born 22 November 2002) is an American actor. He is widely known for his role as Kenneth Vaughn in the 2016 historical drama Hidden Figures. He has also gained acclaim for his season 4 turn as Adam on The CW series The Originals.
He made his first on-screen appearance in 2013 in the TV film Let the Church Say Amen.
In 2015, he appeared in the comedy film Vacation as Gary Peterson. He subsequently appeared in the 2016 historical drama The Birth of a Nation.
In 2016, he appeared alongside prominent actors Mahershala Ali, Taraji P. Henson, and Nate Parker in the films Hidden Figures and The Birth of a Nation.
Jim R. Coleman was born on February 9 1961 in Dallas Texas, to James and Ira Coleman. After graduating high school Jim joined the US Army and served 3 years as a Medic. After being honorable discharged Jim moved to Florida where his professional acting career began. Having appeared in more than 50 national commercials he is best known for his role of Roger Parker in the hit Nickelodeon Show My Brother and Me. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Jim Coleman
Montice Harmon is an Black-American bestselling author, poet, musical spoken word artist, songwriter and seasonal actor from Moultrie, Georgia. He is known for his bestsellers, The Adventures of Angus the Mouse and Leah Starr's Revenge. He has featured in several films and TV shows. He has released many spoken word-Hip Hop, R&B albums and singles since the 2010s. He is also known as "BoSsWRiTeR".
