*Queen Latifah will vie for her first Emmy Award next month.
The actress is nominated for her lead performance in the HBO film “Bessie,” but her portrayal of blues legend Bessie Smith has already had its own personal rewards.
“It was the first time I ever watched a movie with me in it and made myself cry,” says Latifah, 45, who is up for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or a Movie at the Sept. 20 awards ceremony. “I was so into it, I wasn’t watching myself, I was watching Bessie.”
Latifah tells Billboard.com that playing Bessie tested her to the limit. “She challenged me on every level,” she says. “There’s a lot that I had to do in this film, from singing to three different relationships to a nude scene. I just basically had to let go and take off the seat belt.”
It wasn’t hard, though, for Latifah to wholeheartedly embrace the character. “I loved her spirit,” she says. “She was just powerful and ahead of her time in a lot of ways. She was a fighter. It reminded me of how fearless and courageous I can be.”
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