Queen Latifah defends Zoe Saldana as Nina Simone: ‘Zoe is of African descent’

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Queen Latifah is weighing on the backlash Zoe Saldana has received for playing Nina Simone in the upcoming biopic, Nina.

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In January, Queen Latifah took home a SAG Award for her role in HBO’s Bessie, and during her acceptance speech, she challenged the idea that people should be cast based on how they look.

“Anyone out there who does not come in the package that people say you should, keep fighting for it. Flip those rocks over, keep pushing, keep turning, you can do it,” Latifah said during her acceptance speech.

On that principal, she has come forward to defend Zoe Saldana.

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During an interview with HipHollywood, Latifah used the same sentiment to defend Saldana.

“This is a creative medium,” she said. “Why do we all have to look a certain way, be a certain way, this is what we are fighting for is that freedom.”

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“Lets not be confused, Zoe Saldana is of African descent. Do you know what you really fighting? I don’t know if you really get it. The bottom line is can she play Nina Simone and pull it off,” she said, then added, “I support Zoe. I think she’s a brilliant actress and I think she is going to do a great job.”