What happens when you get a second chance?

That question is at the heart of the new TV show, Queens, about a 90s hip-hop girls group that reunites for a second chance at fame.

And for Nadine Velasquez, who plays Valeria, the only member of the group who is still in the limelight,

that question is deeply personal.

You know Nadine from her roles on This is Earl and the League, those gave Nadine a taste of success and left

her feeling lost anyway, took being fired from a job and being given a shot at a do-over to grant

Nadine the clarity she needed to go after the things she wants most.

Nadine, thank you so much for doing this.

Thank you for having me.

What is sort of the dates that Queens hooks into is 1999?

And watching it, I was wondering, what were you actually doing in 1999?

Who were you in 1999?

In 1999, I was, oh, I think I was a junior at Columbia College.

I was living with a man who was older than me.

I was working for talent agency as an assistant. And then I think I was working for a talent agency as an assistant.

And then I think I was also waitressing or hosting or something at night.

That squares because it seems like you're the type of person who's always living five different lives at the same time.

Oh, yeah.

There was definitely a time I had five jobs at once, especially when I was, I moved out

when I was 16. I became very ambitious at 16. I knew I had to survive. So I was determined to finish

school, was determined to get a degree. I was determined to have money because I knew I could be a

statistic and just be a deadbeat. All the odds were against

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