QUEEN LATIFAH - POITIER WAS LATIFAH'S GUARDIAN ANGEL

QUEEN LATIFAH turned to movie veteran SIDNEY POITIER after winning her first Oscar nomination for CHICAGO - because she wanted to make sure she knew what to expect from Hollywood. The rapper/singer knew her acting career had really taken off when she picked up a Best Actress Award nomination in 2003 and called on revered actor Poitier for career tips. She reveals, "When I got nominated and all this stuff was happening I needed to talk to somebody, so I reached out to Sidney Poitier. "I took him to lunch at the Four Seasons in L.A. and we just talked for hours. "I needed somebody to tell me how this works and what to do because I didn't want to get lost in it all and get caught up too much in it either. I wanted to ride the line the way it's supposed to be. "If you reach out to them they will help you along. He told me to enjoy those moments but don't get too caught up with people telling you, `You're great.' "As a result I've always made sure that I've had people around me who'll tell me the real truth. That gives me a way of keeping my feet on the ground and not getting too big-headed." Latifah, real name Dana Owens, isn't the only black star who has turned to the African-American thespian for advice - Oscar winner Jamie Foxx also called on Poitier when he was nominated for Ray.