Queen Latifah Takes on Nudity, Sexuality, and the Indomitable Bessie Smith

LIKE A BOSS

Queen Latifah gives the performance of her career in HBO’s biopic of singer Bessie Smith. Nudity, bisexuality, belting the blues—she says none of it scared her. Here’s why.

Senior Editor, Obsessed

Published May 13 2015 5:15AM EDT

articles/2015/05/13/queen-latifah-takes-on-nudity-sexuality-and-the-indomitable-bessie-smith/150512-fallon-latifah-tease_dn2q20 — HBO

When a person gives herself a stage name—and that stage name, of all things, is Queen—you wonder if you’re ever seeing the real person.

But with her performance as legendary blues entertainer Bessie Smith in HBO’s upcoming biopic, Bessie, Queen Latifah reveals herself in ways those of us who knew her...

Kevin Fallon

Senior Editor, Obsessed

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Queen Latifah Takes on Nudity, Sexuality, and the Indomitable Bessie Smith

Queen Latifah gives the performance of her career in HBO’s biopic of singer Bessie Smith. Nudity, bisexuality, belting the blues—she says none of it scared her. Here’s why.

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