Queen Latifah On Denzel Washington Appearing On ‘The Equalizer’: It’s In The Fans Control
Netflix has a new movie that has hit the streaming seats that will make you think twice about giving up on your dreams.
The film is called Hustle, and stars Queen Latifah and Adam Sandler. It follows Philadelphia 76ers scout Stanley Sugerman (played by Sandler) whose love for basketball is unparalleled and has ambitions to becoming a coach but continues to hit roadblocks. His search around the world leads him to Spain, when he discovers Bo Cruz (Utah Jazz’s Juancho Hernangómez), an incredible streetball player with a troubled past. Stanley and Bo connect on and off the court, with their passion for the game, and as loving family men who want to prove they can win — in basketball and in life. With the support of Stanley's wife, Teresa (played by Latifah), audiences will watch to see if Sugerman and Bo can finally come out on top and live out their dreams.
BET.com chatted with Queen Latifah and Adam Sandler about sharing the screen with each other for the first time, the key to being an ultimate hustler, and how fans can encourage Denzel Washington to appear on the next season of The Equalizer
BET.com This is the first time a king and a queen such as yourselves have collaborated on camera. As a married couple in 'Hustle,' how was it filming with each other initially and what did you both learn from each other?
Queen Latifah: Daddy’s a good provider [laughs]. He gives good foot rubs.
Adam Sandler: Yes, you got to go slow and when you see a spot that’s possibly not exciting to touch, you just got to commit and grab it.
BET.com: As an ultimate hustler, Queen Latifah, you never cease to amaze us with how much you do. From conquering music and TV to building homes in Newark, how do you manage all of your hustles without them folding?
Queen Latifah: I think it’s the team as no person stands alone and I don’t stand alone. I have great people I work with who help support everything I do. I couldn’t do anything I do without them and making space for other things. Say I want to do something and things happen — you can start generating how to make that happen and we all do.
Adam Sandler: The Queen has great taste. She’s sharp as h*ll and knows everything about a lot of different subjects. She knows there’s a reason she’s the Queen.
BET.com: With so many great cameos from the NBA’s finest players in 'Hustle,' and as an avid hooper — what were some memorable moments that happened offscreen that you enjoyed?
Adam Sandler: Wow man. I like being at the trailers before you walk on set and just seeing their names there. I just couldn’t believe all these guys were here. We would walk up together and talk and I would feel insanely short next to everybody in the league. However, I’m shooting around and talking about basketball. It made the season this year more exciting because I had 15 different teams and I’m saying to myself how I love each of them.
BET.com: Now, of course we have our ‘Equalizer} fans. You previously mentioned you would love to get Denzel Washington on as a guest star. Has Denzel answered the request as of yet and what can we, the audience, do to encourage him to consider returning to TV for ‘The Equalizer’
Queen Latifah: You know, I think you would have to take over that one [laughs]. That would have to be up to the fans to control. I’m following Denzel’s lead so you got to talk to him but he’s more than welcome to come and do whatever he wants on TV’s Equalizer.
BET.com: Adam, you have hustled your entire career with blockbuster hits and producer credits under your belt… what’s the key to having longetivy that’s kept you hustling for all this years?
Adam Sandler: Just like the Queen, we work hard. Make sure if you commit to something, you go 100%. Once I tell myself yes, then I dive in heavy and maybe that’s what helps. I do work hard and I know that.
BET.com: When it comes to the film, what was it about the project that made you sign on?
Adam Sandler: I liked how family-esque the story is. It’s about Juanchos family and how he cares about his family. Even though he comes to America to hoop, it’s painful for him to be away from his family and for my character, having Queen’s character push me to go out and continue to go after what he wants. It’s a struggle but [thankfully] there’s true love in their houses.
Ty Cole is a New York-based entertainment reporter and writer for BET.com who covers pop culture, music, and lifestyle. Follow his latest musings on Twitter @IamTyCole.
