No one ever said that the Wiz had to be played by a man, so Queen Latifah is here to lead us into Emerald City.
In preparation for the debut of The Wiz Live, The Grammy winner said she wasn’t the least bit intimidated by the character being historically portrayed by male actors. In fact, it’s a role that she met head on and welcomed with open arms.
“This is a modern Wiz,” she shared with ESSENCE in an exclusive. “This is a forward-thinking group of people. Yeah, why not? The Wiz is a character. Why shouldn’t the Wiz be played by a woman?”
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Her involvement in the NBC adaptation was one she initiated and has not once regretted.
“The vision of it all I knew was going to be amazing,” she added. “It’s about creating a story and telling it for our time, in our ways and I’m very honored to be the Wiz.”
It’s a major feat that none of us can wait to see!
Be sure to catch the Queen as the Wiz during the live production Thursday, December 3 at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.