Lorraine Toussaint Says Queen Latifah Bursts Out into Raps onThe EqualizerSet and 'Will Show Up with a Boom Box' (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Queen Latifah and Lorraine Toussaint.Photo:CBS

CBS

Lorraine Toussaint is revealing what it’s like to work alongsideQueen Latifah.

Toussaint dished on some behind-the-scenes moments on the set ofThe Equalizerduring an interview with PEOPLE at the NAACP Image Awards Creative Honors on Friday, Feb. 21. When asked if 54-year-old Latifah, who both acts in and executive produces the CBS series, ever bursts out into raps, Toussaint says: “She does!”

“In fact, she does. It’s the first set I’ve been on where, between takes, she will come and she will show up with a boom box and start to — I’m for real — she will blast tunes,” the actress, 64, continues. “Just whatever she’s in the mood for, whatever she’s rocking that day.”

“There’s definitely music behind the scenes on our set because of Queen,” Toussaint laughs.

Queen Latifah.Michael Greenberg/CBS

Michael Greenberg/CBS

The Equalizerpremiered in 2021and stars Latifah as Robin McCall, Liza Lapira as Melody,Laya DeLeon Hayesas Delilah and Toussaint as Viola Marsette. Thinking back on the past few years, Toussaint says she has built a “family” among the cast.

“This is season 5 ofThe Equalizer, we really are a family,” she gushes. “As close as we seem to be on the screen, we really are that close.”

Hayes has echoed that sentiment in the past,telling PEOPLE in October 2021that both Latifah and Toussaint — who play her mom and aunt on the show — offered her “some wonderful advice” when they first started.

“I’ll tell you one thing, while we were filming season two, one piece of advice they gave me was not to eat the food while doing a scene with food,” Hayes recalled. “And I was like, ‘All right, I’m not going to do that again.'”

“When you do a bunch of takes and you’re eating food in a scene, you’re going to have to get it from all different angles,” she went on to explain. “So you’re going to be eating, like, the same piece of food, and it has to be the exact same one at the exact same time for the next three hours.”

Laya DeLeon Hayes, Queen Latifah, Lorraine Toussaint.CBS

She also credited Latifah for taking her under her wing during the first couple of seasons.

“I think it’s been wonderful to be able to actually bond and really get to know one another this season,” she continued. “That’s just because we can safely do that.”

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The Equalizerairs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on CBS.

source: people.com