Personal Info
Known For:
Acting
Birthday:
January 25, 1957
Place of Birth:
Kinloch, Missouri, USA
Social Media
Jenifer Lewis
Biography
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
Filmography
| Year | Movie | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | ADO | Ms. Hopkins |
| 2024 | Spellbound | Nazara (voice) |
| 2024 | This Is Me…Now | Gemini |
| 2024 | The Greatest Love Story Never Told | Self |
| 2022 | black-ish: A Celebration – An ABC News Special | Self |
| 2021 | Finding Kendrick Johnson | Narrator (voice) |
| 2021 | All Boys Aren't Blue | |
| 2020 | Dolly Parton's Christmas on the Square | Margeline |
| 2019 | The Addams Family | Great Auntie Sloom (Voice) |
| 2019 | Maurice Hines: Bring Them Back | Self (archive footage) |
| 2018 | Forbidden | |
| 2017 | Cars 3 | Flo (voice) |
| 2017 | Jewel's Catch One | Self |
| 2015 | The Wedding Ringer | Doris Jenkins |
| 2015 | Secrets of the Magic City | Aunt Valerie |
| 2014 | Think Like a Man Too | Loretta |
| 2014 | The Radiator Springs 500½ | Flo (voice) |
| 2013 | Baggage Claim | Catherine Moore |
| 2013 | Hiccups | Flo (voice) |
| 2012 | Think Like a Man | Loretta Hanover |
| 2012 | Zambezia | Gogo (voice) |
| 2011 | When Harry Met Sally 2 with Billy Crystal & Helen Mirren | Retirement Home Waitress (uncredited) |
| 2011 | Cars 2 | Flo (voice) |
| 2011 | Five | Maggie |
| 2010 | Hereafter | Candace |
| 2009 | The Princess and the Frog | Mama Odie (voice) |
| 2009 | Not Easily Broken | Mary 'Mama' Clark |
| 2008 | Prop 8: The Musical | Riffing Prop 8'er |
| 2008 | Meet the Browns | Vera |
| 2007 | Who's Your Caddy? | C-Note's Mom |
| 2007 | Redrum | Therapist |
| 2006 | Cars | Flo (voice) |
| 2006 | Dirty Laundry | Aunt Lettuce |
| 2006 | Madea's Family Reunion | Milay Jenay Lori |
| 2006 | Cars Wal-Mart Exclusive Geared UP | |
| 2005 | Earth to America | Self |
| 2004 | The Cookout | Lady Em |
| 2004 | Nora's Hair Salon | Nora |
| 2004 | Shark Tale | Motown Turtle (voice) |
| 2002 | Juwanna Mann | Aunt Ruby |
| 2001 | The Brothers | Louise Smith |
| 2001 | Dancing in September | Judge Warner |
| 2000 | Partners | Detective Lancy |
| 2000 | Little Richard | Muh Penniman |
| 2000 | Cast Away | Becca Twig |
| 1999 | Mystery Men | Lucille |
| 1999 | Jackie's Back! | Jackie Washington |
| 1999 | Get Bruce! | Self |
| 1999 | Blast from the Past | Dr. Aron |
| 1998 | The Mighty | Mrs. Addison |
| 1998 | An Unexpected Life | Camille |
| 1996 | The Preacher's Wife | Margueritte Coleman |
| 1996 | Girl 6 | Boss #1 - Lil |
| 1995 | Panther | Rita |
| 1995 | Deadline for Murder: From the Files of Edna Buchanan | Denice Cooper |
| 1995 | Dead Presidents | Mrs. Curtis |
| 1994 | Deconstructing Sarah | Betty |
| 1994 | Shake, Rattle and Rock! | Amanda |
| 1994 | Corrina, Corrina | Jevina |
| 1994 | Renaissance Man | Mrs. Coleman |
| 1993 | Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit | Vegas Backup Singer #1 |
| 1993 | Undercover Blues | Cab Driver |
| 1993 | What's Love Got to Do with It | Zelma Bullock |
| 1993 | Poetic Justice | Annie |
| 1993 | The Meteor Man | Mrs. Williams |
| 1992 | Sister Act | Michelle |
| 1992 | Frozen Assets | Jomisha |
| 1991 | Sunday in Paris | Taylor Chase |
| 1988 | Beaches | Diva |
| 1984 | Bette Midler: Art or Bust | Self - Harlette |
| 1983 | Bette Midler: No Frills | Herself |
| Year | TV Show | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Night Court | Erika |
| 2023 | Not Dead Yet | Donna |
| 2023 | History of the World: Part II | Grandma |
| 2022 | I Love That for You | Patricia Cochran |
| 2022 | Sherri | Self - Guest |
| 2022 | Cars on the Road | Flo (voice) |
| 2022 | So Help Me Todd | Jacqueline Burton |
| 2021 | Rugrats | Ms. Marjorie / Narrator (voice) |
| 2021 | Rugrats | Ms. Marjorie (voice) |
| 2021 | The Upshaws | Dr. Pearl Edmunds |
| 2021 | Monsters at Work | Grandma Tuskmon (voice) |
| 2021 | The Ghost and Molly McGee | Patty (voice) |
| 2021 | Celebrity Wheel of Fortune | Self - Contestant |
| 2021 | Mickey Mouse Funhouse | Wheezelene (voice) |
| 2020 | Star Trek: Lower Decks | Bartender (voice) |
| 2020 | Stars in the House | Self - Special Guest |
| 2019 | Amphibia | Mama Hasselback (voice) |
| 2018 | grown-ish | Ruby Johnson |
| 2017 | Big Hero 6 The Series | Professor Granville (voice) |
| 2016 | The $100,000 Pyramid | Self |
| 2016 | To Tell the Truth | Self - Panelist |
| 2016 | Match Game | Self - Panelist |
| 2014 | black-ish | Ruby Johnson |
| 2012 | RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars | Self - Guest Judge |
| 2012 | Jenifer Lewis and Shangela | Jenifer Lewis |
| 2011 | The Playboy Club | Pearl |
| 2010 | Young Justice | Olympia Savage (voice) |
| 2009 | Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen | Self - Guest |
| 2006 | Shark | |
| 2006 | Day Break | |
| 2005 | American Dad! | Lessie (voice) |
| 2005 | The Boondocks | Boss Willona (voice) |
| 2005 | The Boondocks | Geraldine (voice) |
| 2004 | Boston Legal | Judge Isabel Fisher |
| 2003 | That's So Raven | Vivian Baxter |
| 2000 | Girlfriends | |
| 2000 | Bette | |
| 2000 | Strong Medicine | Lana Hawkins |
| 1999 | Grown Ups | |
| 1999 | The PJs | Bebe Ho (voice) |
| 1999 | Time of Your Life | |
| 1998 | The Temptations | Mama Rose |
| 1997 | The Chris Rock Show | Self |
| 1996 | The Jamie Foxx Show | |
| 1996 | Moesha | |
| 1996 | Promised Land | Queenie |
| 1996 | The Daily Show | |
| 1995 | The Parent 'Hood | |
| 1995 | Courthouse | Judge Rosetta Reide |
| 1995 | Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child | Female Black Widow Spider (voice) |
| 1995 | Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child | Hazel (voice) |
| 1994 | Friends | Paula |
| 1994 | New York Undercover | |
| 1994 | Rebel Highway | Amanda |
| 1994 | Touched by an Angel | Queenie |
| 1993 | Living Single | |
| 1993 | Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman | |
| 1992 | Hangin' with Mr. Cooper | Georgia Rodman |
| 1991 | Roc | Charlaine |
| 1990 | The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air | Aunt Helen |
| 1990 | In Living Color | |
| 1990 | Dream On | Carolyn |
| 1987 | A Different World | Susan Clayton |
| 1987 | A Different World | Dean Dorothy Dandridge Davenport |