Most people know Sanaa Lathan as a stunning actress who won over fans with roles in films like Love & Basketball, Alien vs. Predator and Something New. But as the award-winning actress reveals, she was busting suds and making beds as a maid before she made her way to Hollywood success.
In a recent interview with blackenterprise.com, Lathan explained that during her teen years, she cleaned house for a friend of her grandmother.
“I was a maid,” she proudly admitted. “My grandmother had an older man friend that lived in the building with us, and I would go over and clean his apartment when I was 13 years old. He would give me like $30.”
When asked how she now feels about domestic work, Lathan explains that she doesn’t regret her former work and that there’s nothing shameful about having a regular job.
“I was trying to make that cash,” she continued. “I didn’t have a problem with it. I think that there’s no shame in making a living, and getting money by honest means. So I would just say, do what you have to do, but do it honestly. Go after your dream, but there’s nothing wrong with making money with a regular job.”
In a strange twist of irony, Lathan, who started out acting in theater, is set to play the role of a dysfunctional maid in the upcoming Broadway play, By The Way, Meet Vera Stark.
“I’m playing a character who basically ages from 20 years old to 68 years old and when I’m 68, I’m drunk,” said Lathan. “It’s just so much fun.”
Watch video of Lathan discussing her days as a maid below:
Sanaa Lathan Discusses Being A Maid
What do you think of Lathan’s domestic worker past and her new Broadway role?
–nicholas robinson
