To celebrate Queen Latifah’s birthday, we’re taking a look back on some of her best roles!

Queen Latifah turns 51 today! The singer-songwriter, actress, producer, and rapper’s career has spanned over 3 decades, in which she has played numerous iconic characters. In honor of her birthday, let’s take a look back at some of our favorite Queen Latifah movies!

Girls Trip

The 2017 comedy follows 4 college best friends, called the Flossy Posse, on a New Orleans wild adventure. While the group had grown apart over the years, we see them reconnect during this trip of a lifetime. Queen Latifah plays Sasha Franklin, a sassy former Time journalist who now owns a faltering gossip site. 

Hairspray

The 2007 musical comedy follows teen Tracy Turnbland in Baltimore in the 1960s as she fights to racially integrate the popular “The Corny Collins Show.” Queen Latifah plays “Motormouth” Maybelle Stubbs, a radio DJ who hosts “Negro Day” on The Corny Collins Show. 

The Secret Life of Bees

The 2008 drama, based on Sue Monk Kidd’s New York Times best-selling novel, is set in South Carolina in 1964 and tells the story of 14 year-old Lily Owens, who is trying to escape the memory of her late mother. Owens and her caregiver unknowingly run away to a town where her mother used to live. She is taken in by Latifah’s character, August Boatwright and her two sisters. The trio owns a successful beekeeping business and introduces Owens to the world of bees, in which she finds much comfort. 

Chicago 

The 2002 Academy Award-winning film is based on the 1975 musical Chicago. The story follows two murderers Velma and Roxie in their fight for fame, publicity, and their lawyer Billy Flynn’s attention. Queen Latifah plays Mama Morton, a role that earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Her character is seen as the matron of the Cook County Jail. 

Set It Off

The 1996 film follows four inner-city women who, out of desperation, conspire to rob several Los Angeles banks. Queen Latifah plays group member Cleopatra “Cleo” Sims alongside actresses Vivica A. Fox, Kimberly Elise, and Jada Pinkett. The women are successful at first but later begin to fall apart once they start mistrusting one another. 

We want to wish Queen Latifah a happy 51st birthday and thank her for gracing some of Hollywood’s most iconic films!