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.
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Films (79)
GOAT : Rêver plus haut
2026 · Flo Everson (voice)
No Friends
2025 · Paula
Ado
2025 · Ms. Hopkins
Ellian et le sortilège
2024 · Nazara (voice)
La plus grande histoire d'amour jamais racontée
2024 · Self
This Is Me… Now
2024 · Gemini
Commitment to Life
2023 · Self (archive footage)
black-ish: A Celebration – An ABC News Special
2022 · Self
All Boys Aren't Blue
2021
Finding Kendrick Johnson
2021 · Narrator (voice)
Dolly Parton: C'est Noël chez nous
2020 · Margeline
Maurice Hines: Bring Them Back
2019 · Self (archive footage)
La Famille Addams
2019 · Great Auntie Sloom (Voice)
Forbidden
2018
Les bagnoles 3
2017 · Flo (voice)
Jewel's Catch One
2017 · Self
Secrets of the Magic City
2015 · Aunt Valerie
Témoin à louer
2015 · Doris Jenkins
Pensez comme un homme 2
2014 · Loretta
Les 500 miles ½ de Radiator Springs
2014 · Flo (voice)
Destination Love
2013 · Catherine Moore
LaQuifa is Halleloosin' It!
2013 · Thanks
Hoquet
2013 · Flo (voice)
Drôles d'oiseaux
2012 · Gogo (voice)
En qué Piensan los Hombres
2012 · Loretta Hanover
Five
2011 · Maggie
Les bagnoles 2
2011 · Flo (voice)
When Harry Met Sally 2 with Billy Crystal & Helen Mirren
2011 · Retirement Home Waitress (uncredited)
Au-delà
2010 · Candace
La Princesse et la Grenouille
2009 · Mama Odie (voice)
Les Liens Sacrés
2009 · Mary 'Mama' Clark
Prop 8: The Musical
2008 · Riffing Prop 8'er
Meet the Browns
2008 · Vera
Redrum
2007 · Therapist
Who's Your Caddy?
2007 · C-Note's Mom
Geared-Up
2006
Dirty Laundry
2006 · Aunt Lettuce
Cars : Quatre roues
2006 · Flo (voice)
Affaire de femmes
2006 · Milay Jenay Lori
Earth to America
2005 · Self
Gang de Requins
2004 · Motown Turtle (voice)
Barbecue Party
2004 · Lady Em
Nora's Hair Salon
2004 · Nora
Antwone Fisher: El triunfo del espíritu
2002 · Aunt Mary Williams (uncredited)
Juwanna Mann
2002 · Aunt Ruby
The Brothers
2001 · Louise Smith
Dancing in September
2001 · Judge Warner
Seul au monde
2000 · Becca Twig
Deux escrocs, un fiasco
2000 · Detective Lancy
Little Richard
2000 · Muh Penniman
Mystery Men
1999 · Lucille
Jackie's Back!
1999 · Jackie Washington, Co-Producer
Blast from the Past
1999 · Dr. Aron
Get Bruce!
1999 · Self
An Unexpected Life
1998 · Camille
The Mighty
1998 · Mrs. Addison
Rituals
1998 · Carmen
The Preacher's Wife
1996 · Margueritte Coleman
Girl 6
1996 · Boss #1 - Lil
Dead Presidents
1995 · Mrs. Curtis
Deadline for Murder: From the Files of Edna Buchanan
1995 · Denice Cooper
Panther
1995 · Rita
Deconstructing Sarah
1994 · Betty
Shake, Rattle and Rock!
1994 · Amanda
Corrina, Corrina
1994 · Jevina
Renaissance Man
1994 · Mrs. Coleman
Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit
1993 · Vegas Backup Singer #1
Undercover Blues
1993 · Cab Driver
The Meteor Man
1993 · Mrs. Williams
Poetic Justice
1993 · Annie
What's Love Got to Do with It
1993 · Zelma Bullock
Frozen Assets
1992 · Jomisha
Sister Act
1992 · Michelle
Sunday in Paris
1991 · Taylor Chase
Beaches
1988 · Diva
Bette Midler: Art or Bust
1984 · Self - Harlette
Bette Midler: No Frills
1983 · Herself
Women Like Us
Tut
Séries (68)
Un mundo diferente
2026 · President Davenport
L'hôtel hanté
2025 · Additional Voices (voice)
Mes parrains sont magiques : Un nouveau souhait
2024 · Mother Nature (voice)
La Folle Histoire du monde 2
2023 · Grandma
Not Dead Yet : Confessions d’une quadra à la ramasse
2023 · Donna
Corte Nocturna
2023 · Erika
Aide-moi Todd
2022 · Jacqueline Burton
Sherri
2022 · Self - Guest
The Jennifer Hudson Show
2022 · Self - Guest
Cars : Sur la route
2022 · Flo (voice)
I Love That for You
2022 · Patricia Cochran
And Just Like That… Un nuevo capítulo de Sex and the City
2021 · Lucille Highwater
Molly McGee et le Fantôme
2021 · Patty (voice)
La maison magique de Mickey
2021 · Wheezelene (voice)
Monstres & Cie : Au travail
2021 · Grandma Tuskmon (voice)
Les Razmoket
2021 · Ms. Marjorie / Narrator (voice), Ms. Marjorie (voice)
La Famille Upshaw
2021 · Dr. Pearl Edmunds
Celebrity Wheel of Fortune
2021 · Self - Contestant
Star Trek: Lower Decks
2020 · Bartender (voice)
Stars in the House
2020 · Self - Special Guest
Amphibia
2019 · Mama Hasselback (voice)
Grown-ish
2018 · Ruby Johnson
Baymax et les nouveaux héros
2017 · Professor Granville (voice)
The $100,000 Pyramid
2016 · Self
Match Game
2016 · Self - Panelist
To Tell the Truth
2016 · Self - Panelist
'black•ish
2014 · Ruby Johnson
Teen Titans Go!
2013 · Microwavabelle (voice)
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars
2012 · Self - Guest Judge
Jenifer Lewis and Shangela
2012 · Jenifer Lewis, Producer, Theme Song Performance, Creator
The Playboy Club
2011 · Pearl
La Ligue des justiciers : Nouvelle génération
2010 · Olympia Savage (voice)
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
2009 · Self - Guest
Day Break
2006 · Elizabeth Hopper
Shark
2006 · Ellie Broussard
Les Boondocks
2005 · Boss Willona (voice), Geraldine (voice)
Dancing with the Stars
2005 · Self - Musical Guest
American Dad
2005 · Lessie (voice)
Boston Justice
2004 · Judge Isabel Fisher
Phénomène Raven
2003 · Vivian
Family Affair
2002 · Mrs. Summers
Bette
2000
Girlfriends
2000 · Veretta Childs
Strong Medicine
2000 · Lana Hawkins
Time of Your Life
1999
Grown Ups
1999 · Kathy
The PJs
1999 · Bebe Ho (voice)
The Temptations
1998 · Mama Rose
The Chris Rock Show
1997 · Self
Promised Land
1996 · Queenie
The Jamie Foxx Show
1996 · Josie
Le Daily Show
1996
Moesha
1996 · Mrs. Biggs
Courthouse
1995 · Rosetta Reide
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
1995 · Female Black Widow Spider (voice), Hazel (voice)
The Parent 'Hood
1995
Friends
1994 · Paula
Touched by an Angel
1994 · Queenie
New York Undercover
1994
Rebel Highway
1994 · Amanda Baldwin Cooper
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
1993 · Mystique
Living Single
1993
Hangin' with Mr. Cooper
1992 · Georgia Rodman
Roc
1991 · Charlaine
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
1990 · Aunt Helen
Dream On
1990 · Carolyn
In Living Color
1990
A Different World
1987 · Susan Clayton, Dean Dorothy Dandridge Davenport