Shepherd said she lost out to Queen Latifah on one big part, but managed to land another

As Sherri Shepherd's stand-up career flourished in the 1990s, agents encouraged her to audition for TV and movies. Shepherd frequently auditioned against other funny women including Niecy Nash, Retta and Michelle Buteau. But there was one familiar face she felt she kept losing out to: Queen Latifah.

"There was one [role] that I wanted," Shepherd said in an episode of the PEOPLE in the '90s podcast. "I lost out to Queen Latifah. It was for The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air."

The talk show host, 58, remembered the audition requirements. The part was for a girl who listened and danced to music. So Shepherd brought a Walkman, played music in her ears and danced with her back to the casting director.

"I can't even hear what the lady's saying," Shepherd said. "I'm just dancing."

"Everybody Loves Raymond, that role, Sergeant Judy, was written for Queen Latifah," Shepherd revealed. "Many times, if the original person they wrote it for isn't available, they will audition other people. And I went in and auditioned for it and literally took the bus over to Warner Bros. because I had no car."

The first round went well. When Shepherd received a callback, that's when she found out the role was originally intended for Latifah.

"Queen Latifah was up for that role [and the movie] Living Out Loud with Holly Hunter," the comedian said. "I said the prayer, I didn't want her to break her leg. I said, 'Lord, bless her to book this movie because I need this job. I need it bad.' "

It worked: in the end, both actresses booked their respective roles.

"I was so excited because Ray Romano and [series creator] Phil Rosenthal took me out to a sushi restaurant," Shepherd remembered. "I never even had sushi. I didn't know how to eat it. I had these two wooden things."

Eventually, she and Latifah shared the silver screen in 2005's Beauty Shop. The film followed hairstylist Gina Norris, played by Queen Latifah, as she competed against her former boss Jorge (Kevin Bacon). Shepherd played Ida, one of Norris' hairstylists.

On set, Shepherd spilled the beans about her Everybody Love Raymond role.

Shepherd remembered Queen Latifah "loved me on Everybody Loves Raymond. She said, 'That's where I saw you and you were so funny.' And I go, 'Girl, they wrote that for you.' "

Never miss a story -- sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

The news set Latifah off, she added with a laugh.

"I got to call them," Shepherd remembered Latifah saying. And "I was like, 'Hey, hey, don't be messing up my gigs!' "