Jenifer Jeanette Lewis (born January 25, 1957) is an American film and television actress and singer.
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.
External links
Filmography (Movies)
GOAT
Character:Florence Everson (voice)
Release Date:11/02/2026
Ado
Character:Ms. Hopkins
Release Date:22/08/2025
Spellbound
Character:Nazara (voice)
Release Date:22/11/2024
The Greatest Love Story Never Told
Character:Self
Release Date:26/02/2024
This Is Me…Now
Character:Gemini
Release Date:15/02/2024
black-ish: A Celebration – An ABC News Special
Character:Self
Release Date:19/04/2022
All Boys Aren't Blue
Character:
Release Date:13/08/2021
Finding Kendrick Johnson
Character:Narrator (voice)
Release Date:30/07/2021
Dolly Parton's Christmas on the Square
Character:Margeline
Release Date:22/11/2020
Maurice Hines: Bring Them Back
Character:Self (archive footage)
Release Date:10/11/2019
The Addams Family
Character:Great Auntie Sloom (Voice)
Release Date:10/10/2019
Forbidden
Character:
Release Date:15/03/2018
Cars 3
Character:Flo (voice)
Release Date:15/06/2017
Jewel's Catch One
Character:Self
Release Date:07/01/2017
Secrets of the Magic City
Character:Aunt Valerie
Release Date:26/06/2015
The Wedding Ringer
Character:Doris Jenkins
Release Date:16/01/2015
Think Like a Man Too
Character:Loretta
Release Date:20/06/2014
The Radiator Springs 500½
Character:Flo (voice)
Release Date:20/05/2014
Baggage Claim
Character:Catherine Moore
Release Date:27/09/2013
Hiccups
Character:Flo (voice)
Release Date:22/03/2013
Zambezia
Character:Gogo (voice)
Release Date:05/06/2012
Think Like a Man
Character:Loretta Hanover
Release Date:20/04/2012
Five
Character:Maggie
Release Date:10/10/2011
Cars 2
Character:Flo (voice)
Release Date:11/06/2011
When Harry Met Sally 2 with Billy Crystal & Helen Mirren
Character:Retirement Home Waitress (uncredited)
Release Date:06/04/2011
Hereafter
Character:Candace
Release Date:22/10/2010
The Princess and the Frog
Character:Mama Odie (voice)
Release Date:08/12/2009
Not Easily Broken
Character:Mary 'Mama' Clark
Release Date:09/01/2009
Prop 8: The Musical
Character:Riffing Prop 8'er
Release Date:03/12/2008
Meet the Browns
Character:Vera
Release Date:21/03/2008
Redrum
Character:Therapist
Release Date:30/10/2007
Who's Your Caddy?
Character:C-Note's Mom
Release Date:27/07/2007
Geared-Up
Character:
Release Date:07/11/2006
Dirty Laundry
Character:Aunt Lettuce
Release Date:15/07/2006
Cars
Character:Flo (voice)
Release Date:08/06/2006
Madea's Family Reunion
Character:Milay Jenay Lori
Release Date:24/02/2006
Earth to America
Character:Self
Release Date:20/11/2005
Shark Tale
Character:Motown Turtle (voice)
Release Date:20/09/2004
The Cookout
Character:Lady Em
Release Date:03/09/2004
Nora's Hair Salon
Character:Nora
Release Date:25/05/2004
Antwone Fisher
Character:Aunt Mary Williams (uncredited)
Release Date:19/12/2002
Juwanna Mann
Character:Aunt Ruby
Release Date:21/06/2002
The Brothers
Character:Louise Smith
Release Date:23/03/2001
Dancing in September
Character:Judge Warner
Release Date:03/02/2001
Cast Away
Character:Becca Twig
Release Date:22/12/2000
Partners
Character:Detective Lancy
Release Date:20/07/2000
Little Richard
Character:Muh Penniman
Release Date:20/02/2000
Mystery Men
Character:Lucille
Release Date:06/08/1999
Jackie's Back!
Character:Jackie Washington
Release Date:14/06/1999
Blast from the Past
Character:Dr. Aron
Release Date:12/02/1999
Get Bruce!
Character:Self
Release Date:01/01/1999
An Unexpected Life
Character:Camille
Release Date:24/06/1998
The Mighty
Character:Mrs. Addison
Release Date:01/06/1998
Rituals
Character:Carmen
Release Date:01/01/1998
The Preacher's Wife
Character:Margueritte Coleman
Release Date:13/12/1996
Girl 6
Character:Boss #1 - Lil
Release Date:22/03/1996
Dead Presidents
Character:Mrs. Curtis
Release Date:29/09/1995
Deadline for Murder: From the Files of Edna Buchanan
Character:Denice Cooper
Release Date:08/05/1995
Panther
Character:Rita
Release Date:03/05/1995
Deconstructing Sarah
Character:Betty
Release Date:16/12/1994
Shake, Rattle and Rock!
Character:Amanda
Release Date:26/08/1994
Corrina, Corrina
Character:Jevina
Release Date:12/08/1994
Renaissance Man
Character:Mrs. Coleman
Release Date:03/06/1994
Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit
Character:Vegas Backup Singer #1
Release Date:09/12/1993
Undercover Blues
Character:Cab Driver
Release Date:10/09/1993
The Meteor Man
Character:Mrs. Williams
Release Date:06/08/1993
Poetic Justice
Character:Annie
Release Date:23/07/1993
What's Love Got to Do with It
Character:Zelma Bullock
Release Date:09/06/1993
Frozen Assets
Character:Jomisha
Release Date:23/10/1992
Sister Act
Character:Michelle
Release Date:28/05/1992
Sunday in Paris
Character:Taylor Chase
Release Date:07/07/1991
Beaches
Character:Diva
Release Date:21/12/1988
A Different World
Character:Dean Dorothy Dandridge Davenport
Release Date:24/09/1987
Bette Midler: Art or Bust
Character:Self - Harlette
Release Date:18/08/1984
Bette Midler: No Frills
Character:Herself
Release Date:23/08/1983
Television Appearances
Haunted Hotel
Character:Additional Voices (voice)
The Fairly OddParents: A New Wish
Character:Mother Nature (voice)
History of the World: Part II
Character:Grandma
Not Dead Yet
Character:Donna
Night Court
Character:Erika
So Help Me Todd
Character:Jacqueline Burton
Sherri
Character:Self - Guest
Cars on the Road
Character:Flo (voice)
I Love That for You
Character:Patricia Cochran
And Just Like That…
Character:Lucille Highwater
The Ghost and Molly McGee
Character:Patty (voice)
Mickey Mouse Funhouse
Character:Wheezelene (voice)
Monsters at Work
Character:Grandma Tuskmon (voice)
Rugrats
Character:Ms. Marjorie / Narrator (voice)
Rugrats
Character:Ms. Marjorie (voice)
The Upshaws
Character:Dr. Pearl Edmunds
Celebrity Wheel of Fortune
Character:Self - Contestant
Star Trek: Lower Decks
Character:Bartender (voice)
Stars in the House
Character:Self - Special Guest
Amphibia
Character:Mama Hasselback (voice)
grown-ish
Character:Ruby Johnson
Big Hero 6 The Series
Character:Professor Granville (voice)
The $100,000 Pyramid
Character:Self
Match Game
Character:Self - Panelist
To Tell the Truth
Character:Self - Panelist
black-ish
Character:Ruby Johnson
Teen Titans Go!
Character:Microwavabelle (voice)
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars
Character:Self - Guest Judge
Jenifer Lewis and Shangela
Character:Jenifer Lewis
The Playboy Club
Character:Pearl
Young Justice
Character:Olympia Savage (voice)
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
Character:Self - Guest
Day Break
Character:Elizabeth Hopper
Shark
Character:Ellie Broussard
The Boondocks
Character:Boss Willona (voice)
The Boondocks
Character:Geraldine (voice)
Dancing with the Stars
Character:Self - Musical Guest
American Dad!
Character:Lessie (voice)
Boston Legal
Character:Judge Isabel Fisher
That's So Raven
Character:Vivian
Bette
Character:
Girlfriends
Character:Veretta Childs
Strong Medicine
Character:Lana Hawkins
Time of Your Life
Character:
Grown Ups
Character:
The PJs
Character:Bebe Ho (voice)
The Temptations
Character:Mama Rose
The Chris Rock Show
Character:Self
Promised Land
Character:Queenie
The Jamie Foxx Show
Character:Josie
The Daily Show
Character:
Moesha
Character:Mrs. Biggs
Courthouse
Character:Judge Rosetta Reide
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
Character:Female Black Widow Spider (voice)
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
Character:Hazel (voice)
The Parent 'Hood
Character:
Friends
Character:Paula
Touched by an Angel
Character:Queenie
New York Undercover
Character:
Rebel Highway
Character:Amanda
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
Character:Mystique
Living Single
Character:
Hangin' with Mr. Cooper
Character:Georgia Rodman
Roc
Character:Charlaine
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Character:Aunt Helen
Dream On
Character:Carolyn
In Living Color
Character:
A Different World
Character:Susan Clayton
A Different World
Character:Dean Dorothy Dandridge Davenport
Images
