LOS ANGELES, Feb. 6 (UPI) -- Grammy winner and Oscar nominee Queen Latifah, who stars in the newest version of The Equalizer, said her take on the role is yet another reinterpretation.
"I am absolutely excited and love the fact that Denzel made this a relevant product again," Latifah said on a Television Critics Association Zoom panel. "He set a bar in a way, but also gave us a lot of room to go a completely different direction."
Denzel Washington starred in two Equalizer movies based on the 1985 Edward Woodward TV series.
New Equalizer Robyn McCall (Latifah) is a retired CIA operative. Now, she uses her skills and resources to help people wronged by powerful forces -- she equalizes the odds.
Woodward's Robert McCall was an intelligence operative for the fictional "Agency" or "Company" before his private equalizing. Washington's McCall was a Marine and Defense Intelligence Agency operative before equalizing.
"She doesn't want to equalize for billionaires, anymore," Latifah said. "She doesn't want to equalize for countries who play chess with people. She wants to equalize for people."
Latifah has some experience reinventing herself in real life, too. Born Dana Owen, she had a rap career as Queen Latifah. She released a 2004 album of jazz standards as Dana Owens. Her last album was 2009's Persona.
Film and television success came under the name Queen Latifah, too. She combined her performing skills in the musicals Chicago and Hairspray, earning an Oscar nomination for Chicago.
Latifah said turning McCall into a Black woman gives her show a new perspective on evening the odds. Robyn McCall also is a single mother to Delilah (Laya DeLeon Hayes).
"Unlike Denzel's version, and unlike the original version, these characters were much more stoic, much more closed off," Latifah said. "Robyn doesn't have that luxury. She's got to figure out how to turn off the soldier in her and turn on the mom."
The soldier in Robyn McCall springs into action each week. Latifah said she enjoys learning fight choreography, but also makes sure The Equalizer is realistic to a 50-year-old action hero.
"I'm learning a lot about how to do it efficiently and how to preserve my body, as well," Latifah said. "I don't pretend to be 22 years old."
While her Equalizer series may be action packed, it was also important to Latifah that Robyn McCall outsmart villains.
"I want to see this woman fight with her mind, not just with her hands," Latifah said. "That's what you haven't seen enough of, particularly from Black women, on television and in a lead role."
McCall's missions will also require her to go undercover in glamorous disguises. Latifah shared one such Equalizer mission.
"I'm in a ballgown dress in 20 degrees of weather," Latifah said.
The Equalizer includes a cast of new characters to support McCall. Lorraine Toussaint plays Delilah's Aunt Vi, helping take care of Delilah while McCall is busy equalizing.
McCall's former CIA handler William Bishop (Chris Noth), sharpshooter Melody Bayani (Liza Lapira) and hacker Harry Keshigian (Adam Goldberg) provide intel and firepower for McCall.
"[McCall]'s a leader," Latifah said. "She knows how to delegate."
As an executive producer of The Equalizer as well as its star, Latifah considers the show a team effort, too.
"You don't win alone," Latifah said. "You have to learn to work with people, different kinds of people and everybody has a role to play."
The Equalizer premieres Sunday on CBS after the Super Bowl.
Moments from Queen Latifah's career
Golden Globe-nominee Queen Latifah appears at Bloomingdale's department store to unveil their store windows promoting her film "Chicago" in New York City on January 7, 2003. The film would go on to
win Best Picture at the Oscars. Photo by Ezio Petersen/UPI |
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Richard Gere (L) and Queen Latifah, who star in the film "Chicago" together, clown before presenting awards at the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures awards ceremonies in New York City on January 14, 2003. Photo by Ezio Petersen/UPI | License Photo
Queen Latifah arrives for the premiere of her film "Beauty Shop" in Los Angeles on March 23, 2005. The actress
actually learned how to style hair for the role and said if she ever left show business she could open a hair salon. Photo by Francis Specker/UPI |
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Queen Latifah arrives for the Miami Rocks for Relief Benefit in Miami Beach on September 30, 2005. A couple months later, she appeared at the Kennedy Center Honors
celebrating Tina Turner. Photo by Michael Bush/UPI |
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Cast member Queen Latifah gestures to fans as she attends the premiere of her film "Last Holiday,"
also starring LL Cool J, in her hometown Newark, N.J., on January 11, 2006. Photo by Monika Graff/UPI |
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Queen Latifah attends the premiere of "Last Holiday" at the Cinerama Dome in Hollywood on January 12, 2006. Photo by Phil McCarten/UPI | License Photo
Queen Latifah was a
presenter at the Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, Calif., on January 16, 2006. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI |
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Queen Latifah arrives for the Academy Awards in Los Angeles on February 25, 2007. Photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI | License Photo
Queen Latifah
appeared at the Kids Choice Awards, which garnered over six-million viewers, in Los Angeles on March 31, 2007. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI |
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Cast member Queen Latifah attends the premiere of "Hairspray" in Los Angeles on July 10, 2007. The following week, there was also
a red carpet premiere in her hometown of Newark, N.J. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI |
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Queen Latifah
performs on tour for her second all-singing album titled "Trav'lin' Light" in West Palm Beach, Fla., on November 7, 2007. Photo by Michael Bush/UPI |
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Left to right, Queen Latifah and BET Holdings president Debra Lee congratulate composer and record producer Quincy Jones as he accepts the Humanitarian Award during
the BET Awards in Los Angeles on June 24, 2008. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI |
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Queen Latifah arrives at the Kennedy Center Honors in Washington, D.C., on December 7, 2008. The month before, she was
nominated for Leading Lady at the People's Choice Awards. Photo by Alexis C. Glenn/UPI |
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Queen Latifah arrives at the Academy Awards in Los Angeles on February 22, 2009. Earlier that month, she
presented at the Grammy Awards. Photo by Roger L. Wollenberg/UPI |
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Queen Latifah sings "God Bless America" during pre-game ceremonies prior to Super Bowl XLIV in Miami on February 7, 2010. Later that year, she was slated to host
the BET Awards show. Photo by Martin Fried/UPI |
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Queen Latifah
presented at the Academy Awards in Los Angeles on March 7, 2010. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI |
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Queen Latifah
hosted the BET Awards in Los Angeles on June 27, 2010. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI |
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Queen Latifah
reunited onstage with the cast of "Chicago" at the Academy Awards at in Los Angeles on February 24, 2013. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI |
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Queen Latifah
sings "America the Beautiful" at Super Bowl XLVIII in East Rutherford, N.J., on February 2, 2014. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI |
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Left to right, Queen Latifah, Pakistani activist for female education Malala Yousafzai and Indian children's rights activist Kailash Satyarthi attend the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo on December 11, 2014. Photo by Rune Hellestad/UPI | License Photo
Queen Latifah
won Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries, for "Bessie" at the Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles, Calif., on January 30, 2016. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI |
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Honoree Queen Latifah arrives at the VH1 Hip Hop Honors: All Hail The Queens in New York City on July 11, 2016. Photo by Dennis Van Tine/UPI |
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Left to right, Regina Hall, Tiffany Haddish, Queen Latifah and Jada Pinkett Smith appear onstage to present an award during
the BET Awards in Los Angeles on June 25, 2017. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI |
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Queen Latifah arrives for the
premiere of "Girls Trip" in Los Angeles on July 13, 2017. Photo by Christine Chew/UPI |
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Queen Latifah arrives at the MTV Video Music Awards in Newark, N.J., on August 26, 2019. Later that year, she
discussed her role as Ursula in "The Little Mermaid Live!" Photo by John Angelillo/UPI |
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Queen Latifah
performs at the MTV Video Music Awards in Newark, N.J., on August 26, 2019. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI |
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