When Queen Latifah agreed to executive produce and star in Lifetime’s made-for-TV remake of 1989’s famed Steel Magnolias, she knew it was a tall order, but thanks to an A-list cast including Phylicia Rashad, Jill Scott and Alfre Woodard, the project couldn’t have gone more smoothly.
“We got a great cast,” Latifah recently told reporters during a pre-premiere conference call. One of the former Living Single star’s favorite moments while filming: Bonding with Rashad, who immortalized the role of Clair Huxtable on TV’s The Cosby Show.
“How can you have Clair Huxtable [on set] and not pick her brain? This is the world’s mom. Phylicia has much more cool points than Clair ever even had. She’s got all that and then some,” said Latifah, who filmed the remake in just 18 days. “We [bonded] together to make sure we got the job done, to make sure we really delivered for the viewer.”
Given the remake’s stellar cast, Latifah’s most surreal moment on set came when celebrating Scott’s birthday. “We just kind of took a moment, looked at each other, and thought ‘Wow, this is pretty amazing,” Latifah recalled of the singer-actress, who turned 40 on April 4. “We all admired each other so much.”
Watch a clip of Rashad and the Steel Magnolias gals in action above before the remake premieres on Lifetime October 7 at 9 p.m. (EST).
