Jenifer Lewis
Jenifer Jeanette Lewis (born January 25, 1957) is an American film and television actress and singer. She is one of Hollywood's most familiar faces, with more than 300 appearances in film and television and was dubbed a "national treasure" by TV Guide.com. She began her career appearing in Broadway musicals and worked as a back-up singer for Bette Midler before appearing in the films Beaches and Sister Act. She delivered legendary performances as Tina Turner's mother in What's Love Got to Do With It and in The Preacher's Wife as the mother of Whitney Houston's character. She starred opposite Matt Damon in Clint Eastwood's Hereafter. For director Tyler Perry, she created unforgettable characters in Madea's Family Reunion and Meet the Browns. In the movie Cast Away, she portrayed Tom Hanks' boss. In animated films, Jenifer's uniquely recognizable voice is adored by Disney fans worldwide in roles such as "Flo" in Cars and Cars 2, and as "Mama Odie" in The Princess and the Frog. For six seasons, Jenifer portrayed "Lana Hawkins" on Lifetime's hit series Strong Medicine. She starred on the hit show Black-ish (ABC), where her hilarious portrayal of "Ruby Johnson" earned her a nomination for the 2016 Critics Choice Award. She has also written two books: The Mother of Black Hollywood and Walking in My Joy: In These Streets.
Known For
Credits
- 2024 · Spellbound as Minister Nazara Prone (voice)
- 2024 · The Greatest Love Story Never Told as Self
- 2024 · This Is Me…Now as Gemini
- 2023 · History of the World: Part II as Grandma
- 2023 · Not Dead Yet as Donna
- 2023 · Night Court as Erika
- 2022 · So Help Me Todd as Jacqueline Burton
- 2022 · Sherri as Self - Guest
- 2022 · Cars on the Road as Flo (voice)
- 2022 · I Love That for You as Patricia Cochran
- 2022 · black-ish: A Celebration – An ABC News Special as Self
- 2021 · The Ghost and Molly McGee as Patty (voice)
- 2021 · Mickey Mouse Funhouse as Wheezelene (voice)
- 2021 · All Boys Aren't Blue as
- 2021 · Finding Kendrick Johnson as Narrator (voice)
- 2021 · Monsters at Work as Grandma Tuskmon (voice)
- 2021 · Rugrats as Ms. Marjorie / Narrator (voice)
- 2021 · Rugrats as Ms. Marjorie (voice)
- 2021 · The Upshaws as Dr. Pearl Edmunds
- 2021 · Celebrity Wheel of Fortune as Self - Contestant
- 2020 · Dolly Parton's Christmas on the Square as Margeline
- 2020 · Star Trek: Lower Decks as Bartender (voice)
- 2020 · Stars in the House as Self - Special Guest
- 2019 · Maurice Hines: Bring Them Back as Self (archive footage)
- 2019 · The Addams Family as Great Auntie Sloom (Voice)
- 2019 · Amphibia as Mama Hasselback (voice)
- 2018 · Forbidden as
- 2018 · grown-ish as Ruby Johnson
- 2017 · Big Hero 6 The Series as Professor Granville (voice)
- 2017 · Cars 3 as Flo (voice)
- 2017 · Jewel's Catch One as Self
- 2016 · The $100,000 Pyramid as Self
- 2016 · Match Game as Self - Panelist
- 2016 · To Tell the Truth as Self - Panelist
- 2015 · Secrets of the Magic City as Aunt Valerie
- 2015 · The Wedding Ringer as Doris Jenkins
- 2014 · black-ish as Ruby Johnson
- 2014 · Think Like a Man Too as Loretta
- 2014 · The Radiator Springs 500½ as Flo (voice)
- 2013 · Baggage Claim as Catherine Moore
- 2013 · Hiccups as Flo (voice)
- 2012 · RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars as Self - Guest Judge
- 2012 · Jenifer Lewis and Shangela as Jenifer Lewis
- 2012 · Zambezia as Gogo (voice)
- 2012 · Think Like a Man as Loretta Hanover
- 2011 · Five as Maggie
- 2011 · The Playboy Club as Pearl
- 2011 · Cars 2 as Flo (voice)
- 2011 · When Harry Met Sally 2 with Billy Crystal & Helen Mirren as Retirement Home Waitress (uncredited)
- 2010 · Young Justice as Olympia Savage (voice)
- 2010 · Hereafter as Candace
- 2009 · The Princess and the Frog as Mama Odie (voice)
- 2009 · Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen as Self - Guest
- 2009 · Not Easily Broken as Mary 'Mama' Clark
- 2008 · Prop 8: The Musical as Riffing Prop 8'er
- 2008 · Meet the Browns as Vera
- 2007 · Redrum as Therapist
- 2007 · Who's Your Caddy? as C-Note's Mom
- 2006 · Day Break as
- 2006 · Cars Wal-Mart Exclusive Geared UP as
- 2006 · Shark as
- 2006 · Dirty Laundry as Aunt Lettuce
- 2006 · Cars as Flo (voice)
- 2006 · Madea's Family Reunion as Milay Jenay Lori
- 2005 · Earth to America as Self
- 2005 · The Boondocks as Boss Willona (voice)
- 2005 · The Boondocks as Geraldine (voice)
- 2005 · American Dad! as Lessie (voice)
- 2004 · Boston Legal as Judge Isabel Fisher
- 2004 · Shark Tale as Motown Turtle (voice)
- 2004 · The Cookout as Lady Em
- 2004 · Nora's Hair Salon as Nora
- 2003 · That's So Raven as Vivian Baxter
- 2002 · Juwanna Mann as Aunt Ruby
- 2001 · The Brothers as Louise Smith
- 2001 · Dancing in September as Judge Warner
- 2000 · Cast Away as Becca Twig
- 2000 · Bette as
- 2000 · Girlfriends as
- 2000 · Strong Medicine as Lana Hawkins
- 2000 · Partners as Detective Lancy
- 2000 · Little Richard as Muh Penniman
- 1999 · Time of Your Life as
- 1999 · Mystery Men as Lucille
- 1999 · Grown Ups as
- 1999 · Jackie's Back! as Jackie Washington
- 1999 · Blast from the Past as Dr. Aron
- 1999 · The PJs as Bebe Ho
- 1999 · Get Bruce! as Self
- 1998 · The Temptations as Mama Rose
- 1998 · An Unexpected Life as Camille
- 1998 · The Mighty as Mrs. Addison
- 1997 · The Chris Rock Show as
- 1996 · The Preacher's Wife as Margueritte Coleman
- 1996 · Promised Land as Queenie
- 1996 · The Jamie Foxx Show as
- 1996 · The Daily Show as
- 1996 · Girl 6 as Boss #1 - Lil
- 1996 · Moesha as
- 1995 · Dead Presidents as Mrs. Curtis
- 1995 · Courthouse as Judge Rosetta Reide
- 1995 · Deadline for Murder: From the Files of Edna Buchanan as Denice Cooper
- 1995 · Panther as Rita
- 1995 · Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child as Female Black Widow Spider (voice)
- 1995 · Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child as Hazel (voice)
- 1995 · The Parent 'Hood as
- 1994 · Deconstructing Sarah as Betty
- 1994 · Friends as Paula
- 1994 · Touched by an Angel as Queenie
- 1994 · New York Undercover as
- 1994 · Shake, Rattle and Rock! as Amanda
- 1994 · Corrina, Corrina as Jevina
- 1994 · Rebel Highway as Amanda
- 1994 · Renaissance Man as Mrs. Coleman
- 1993 · Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit as Vegas Backup Singer #1
- 1993 · Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman as
- 1993 · Undercover Blues as Cab Driver
- 1993 · Living Single as
- 1993 · The Meteor Man as Mrs. Williams
- 1993 · Poetic Justice as Annie
- 1993 · What's Love Got to Do with It as Zelma Bullock
- 1992 · Frozen Assets as Jomisha
- 1992 · Hangin' with Mr. Cooper as
- 1992 · Sister Act as Michelle
- 1991 · Roc as Charlaine
- 1990 · The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air as Aunt Helen
- 1990 · Dream On as Carolyn
- 1990 · In Living Color as
- 1988 · Beaches as Diva
- 1987 · A Different World as Susan Clayton
- 1987 · A Different World as Dean Dorothy Dandridge Davenport
- Future · The Temptations Le film de leur ascension vers la gloire as Mama Rose
- 1991 · Sunday in Paris as Taylor Chase
- 1984 · Bette Midler: Art or Bust as Self - Harlette
- 1983 · Bette Midler: No Frills as Herself