New York, March 5, 2007 – Queen Latifah put her money where her heart was by executive producing the HBO Film Life Support. “That’s what I had to do to get the bad boy green lit”, Latifah said at the Chelsea West Theater screening on Monday. They tried to keep things light on the set of this true-life story about a HIV-positive former addict who turns her life around. “Some of the funniest things come out of the most serious situations, you know, and the person that I’m playing has a pretty good sense of humor”, she told us. Latifah also feels that the story is ultimately about family; “To me, it’s not just a story about HIV and AIDS. It’s really a story about a woman who needs a second chance at earning the trust of her daughter.”

There was another family story within the movie: Tracee Ellis Ross and her real-life brother Evan Ross both have roles. We asked Tracee, fresh from winning a NAACP Image Award for her sitcom Girlfriends, what it was like growing up with singer Diana Ross as a mother. “You know my mom is so regular outside of the glamorous Diana Ross”, she said. “The combination of the glamour of my mother, and then witnessing Carol Burnett and Lucille Ball growing up is what gave me sort of the space to spread my wings and be the comedic actress that I am. But other than that, she’s just a good mom.”

Of course, we couldn’t resist asking Queen Latifah her opinion of John Travolta dressed as Edna Turnblad in their upcoming flick Hairspray. “He makes a gorgeous gal”, she said without hesitation.