In 1992, Queen Latifah auditioned to portray pioneering blues singer Bessie Smith on screen. As she watched the screenplay get passed around for years from actor to actor, Queen Lafitah continued to build her acting career and hold on to her dream of one day playing the blues legend.
It wasn’t until 2009 that the opportunity presented itself again; however, this time, Queen Latifah was not only going to star as Bessie Smith, she was also taking on the role of producer. It took Queen Latifah another six years to bring her passion project to life, as HBO’s “Bessie” premiered in 2015. Here is a message from Queen Latifah that will inspire you to keep following your dreams.
“To all my creative sisters and brothers – when the going gets tough, DON’T GIVE UP. We did this screen test for Bessie 23 years before we got it on screen. Believe in your passion projects and keep working and dreaming.”
The movie “Bessie” went on to win an Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie, and Queen Latifah took home a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actress in a Miniseries or Television Movie
Thank you Queen for also reminding us all that our dreams are worth the wait.