Dana Elaine Owens or better known by the stage name Queen Latifah turned to movie veteran Sidney Poitier for career tips, as she wanted to make sure that she knew what to expect from Hollywood.
Washington, Jan 17 : Dana Elaine Owens or better known by the stage name Queen Latifah turned to movie veteran Sidney Poitier for career tips, as she wanted to make sure that she knew what to expect from Hollywood.
The American rapper, singer and actress arrived at the decision after she won her first Oscar nomination for 'Chicago', and when she was got the Best Actress Award nomination in 2003. She knew then that her acting career was taking off and wanted an old hand to advice her.
"When I got nominated and all this stuff was happening I needed to talk to somebody, so I reached out to Sidney Poitier. I took him to lunch at the Four Seasons in L.A. and we just talked for hours," Contactmusic quoted her as saying.
"I needed somebody to tell me how this works and what to do because I didn't want to get lost in it all and get caught up too much in it either. I wanted to ride the line the way it's supposed to be," she said.
"If you reach out to them they will help you along. He told me to enjoy those moments but don't get too caught up with people telling you, 'You're great'," she added.
"As a result I've always made sure that I've had people around me who'll tell me the real truth. That gives me a way of keeping my feet on the ground and not getting too big-headed," she concluded.
Besides, Latifah, there are others who have turned to the African-American thespian for advice - Oscar winner Jamie Foxx also called on Poitier when he was nominated for Ray.
ANI