To truly accomplish things in my life, there would be times I would have to stand alone.

NY Times Interview with Queen Latifah

“I know people who are twice as creative as I am, twice as smart,” she said, “but they didn’t do anything because they feared going into a room and opening their mouths. My parents told me to truly accomplish things in my life, there would be times I would have to stand alone. It may be scary, but that’s what it requires. So the times I had to stand alone, I got it. I understood where I was coming from, so hopefully, everybody else would get it eventually.”

Clearly, the struggle for privacy is ongoing. It makes sense that she surrounds herself with friends and family, even on movie locations. “I meet a lot of new people, which is fun to me, but I don’t roll with a lot of new people,” she said. “I’m not Hollywood in a sense that I couldn’t wait to get there and hang out with every actress and rapper and entertainer. I was cool with me before all that. I didn’t need all these new people or famous people to validate my existence. I think that’s been a strength for sure and kept me grounded.”

~ by mentalimaging on October 5, 2008.