Condola Rashad is the daughter of Phylicia Rashad.
Earlier the same year, Queen Latifah appeared in Joyful Noise (2012) opposite Dolly Parton, who played Truvy in the original Steel Magnolias (1989).
Audiences felt Queen Latifah was too young to play M'Lynn. She is only 16 years older than Condola Rashad. Many people felt that Phylicia Rashad should have played M'Lynn since her real life daughter played Shelby. That being said, they felt she was PERFECT for Clairee.
The film was pitched as a blaxploitation remake of the original film, which had a predominantly Caucasian cast (with the African American actors only playing minor characters).
Phylicia Rashad and Queen Latifah have acted together before in the movie "Just Wright". Rashad was the mother of the basketball star Latifiah was helping to recover from a leg injury.