Jenifer Lewis
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- January 25, 1957 (age 69)
- Birthplace
- Kinloch, Missouri, USA
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
Photos
Filmography
Women Like Us
Movie
Tut
Movie
GOAT
Movie · as Flo Everson (voice)
A Different World
TV · as President Davenport · 1 ep
Ado
Movie · as Ms. Hopkins
Haunted Hotel
TV · as Additional Voices (voice) · 1 ep
Spellbound
Movie · as Nazara (voice)
This Is Me…Now
Movie · as Gemini
The Greatest Love Story Never Told
Movie · as Self
The Fairly OddParents: A New Wish
TV · as Mother Nature (voice) · 1 ep
Commitment to Life
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
Night Court
TV · as Erika · 1 ep
Not Dead Yet
TV · as Donna · 2 eps
History of the World: Part II
TV · as Grandma · 1 ep
black-ish: A Celebration – An ABC News Special
Movie · as Self
I Love That for You
TV · as Patricia Cochran · 8 eps
Sherri
TV · as Self - Guest · 1 ep
Cars on the Road
TV · as Flo (voice) · 1 ep
So Help Me Todd
TV · as Jacqueline Burton · 1 ep
The Jennifer Hudson Show
TV · as Self - Guest · 2 eps
Finding Kendrick Johnson
Movie · as Narrator (voice)
All Boys Aren't Blue
Movie
Rugrats
TV · as Ms. Marjorie / Narrator (voice), Ms. Marjorie (voice) · 1 ep
The Upshaws
TV · as Dr. Pearl Edmunds · 5 eps
Monsters at Work
TV · as Grandma Tuskmon (voice) · 5 eps
The Ghost and Molly McGee
TV · as Patty (voice) · 7 eps
Celebrity Wheel of Fortune
TV · as Self - Contestant · 1 ep
Mickey Mouse Funhouse
TV · as Wheezelene (voice) · 1 ep
And Just Like That…
TV · as Lucille Highwater · 1 ep
Dolly Parton's Christmas on the Square
Movie · as Margeline
Star Trek: Lower Decks
TV · as Bartender (voice) · 1 ep
Stars in the House
TV · as Self - Special Guest · 1 ep
The Addams Family
Movie · as Great Auntie Sloom (Voice)
Maurice Hines: Bring Them Back
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
Amphibia
TV · as Mama Hasselback (voice) · 1 ep
Forbidden
Movie
grown-ish
TV · as Ruby Johnson · 2 eps
Cars 3
Movie · as Flo (voice)
Jewel's Catch One
Movie · as Self
Big Hero 6 The Series
TV · as Professor Granville (voice) · 2 eps
The $100,000 Pyramid
TV · as Self · 1 ep
To Tell the Truth
TV · as Self - Panelist · 1 ep
Match Game
TV · as Self - Panelist · 1 ep
The Wedding Ringer
Movie · as Doris Jenkins
Secrets of the Magic City
Movie · as Aunt Valerie
Think Like a Man Too
Movie · as Loretta
The Radiator Springs 500½
Movie · as Flo (voice)
black-ish
TV · as Ruby Johnson · 159 eps
Baggage Claim
Movie · as Catherine Moore
Hiccups
Movie · as Flo (voice)
Teen Titans Go!
TV · as Microwavabelle (voice) · 1 ep
Think Like a Man
Movie · as Loretta Hanover
Zambezia
Movie · as Gogo (voice)
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars
TV · as Self - Guest Judge · 1 ep
Jenifer Lewis and Shangela
TV · as Jenifer Lewis · 4 eps
When Harry Met Sally 2 with Billy Crystal & Helen Mirren
Movie · as Retirement Home Waitress (uncredited)
Cars 2
Movie · as Flo (voice)
Five
Movie · as Maggie
The Playboy Club
TV · as Pearl · 3 eps
Hereafter
Movie · as Candace
Young Justice
TV · as Olympia Savage (voice) · 1 ep
The Princess and the Frog
Movie · as Mama Odie (voice)
Not Easily Broken
Movie · as Mary 'Mama' Clark
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
TV · as Self - Guest · 1 ep
Prop 8: The Musical
Movie · as Riffing Prop 8'er
Meet the Browns
Movie · as Vera
Who's Your Caddy?
Movie · as C-Note's Mom
Redrum
Movie · as Therapist
Cars
Movie · as Flo (voice)
Dirty Laundry
Movie · as Aunt Lettuce
Madea's Family Reunion
Movie · as Milay Jenay Lori
Geared-Up
Movie
Shark
TV · as Ellie Broussard · 1 ep
Day Break
TV · as Elizabeth Hopper · 1 ep
Earth to America
Movie · as Self
American Dad!
TV · as Lessie (voice) · 1 ep
The Boondocks
TV · as Boss Willona (voice), Geraldine (voice) · 1 ep
Dancing with the Stars
TV · as Self - Musical Guest · 1 ep
The Cookout
Movie · as Lady Em
Nora's Hair Salon
Movie · as Nora
Shark Tale
Movie · as Motown Turtle (voice)
Boston Legal
TV · as Judge Isabel Fisher · 2 eps
That's So Raven
TV · as Vivian · 1 ep
Juwanna Mann
Movie · as Aunt Ruby
Antwone Fisher
Movie · as Aunt Mary Williams (uncredited)
Family Affair
TV · as Mrs. Summers · 1 ep
The Brothers
Movie · as Louise Smith
Dancing in September
Movie · as Judge Warner
Partners
Movie · as Detective Lancy
Little Richard
Movie · as Muh Penniman
Cast Away
Movie · as Becca Twig
Girlfriends
TV · as Veretta Childs · 8 eps
Bette
TV · 1 ep
Strong Medicine
TV · as Lana Hawkins · 132 eps
Mystery Men
Movie · as Lucille
Jackie's Back!
Movie · as Jackie Washington
Get Bruce!
Movie · as Self
Blast from the Past
Movie · as Dr. Aron
Grown Ups
TV · as Kathy · 1 ep
The PJs
TV · as Bebe Ho (voice) · 43 eps
Time of Your Life
TV · 1 ep
The Mighty
Movie · as Mrs. Addison
An Unexpected Life
Movie · as Camille
Rituals
Movie · as Carmen
The Temptations
TV · as Mama Rose · 2 eps
The Chris Rock Show
TV · as Self · 1 ep
The Preacher's Wife
Movie · as Margueritte Coleman
Girl 6
Movie · as Boss #1 - Lil
The Jamie Foxx Show
TV · as Josie · 1 ep
Moesha
TV · as Mrs. Biggs · 1 ep
Promised Land
TV · as Queenie · 1 ep
The Daily Show
TV · 1 ep
Panther
Movie · as Rita
Deadline for Murder: From the Files of Edna Buchanan
Movie · as Denice Cooper
Dead Presidents
Movie · as Mrs. Curtis
The Parent 'Hood
TV · 1 ep
Courthouse
TV · as Rosetta Reide · 11 eps
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
TV · as Female Black Widow Spider (voice), Hazel (voice) · 1 ep
Deconstructing Sarah
Movie · as Betty
Shake, Rattle and Rock!
Movie · as Amanda
Corrina, Corrina
Movie · as Jevina
Renaissance Man
Movie · as Mrs. Coleman
Friends
TV · as Paula · 1 ep
New York Undercover
TV · 1 ep
Touched by an Angel
TV · as Queenie · 1 ep
Rebel Highway
TV · as Amanda Baldwin Cooper · 1 ep
Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit
Movie · as Vegas Backup Singer #1
Undercover Blues
Movie · as Cab Driver
What's Love Got to Do with It
Movie · as Zelma Bullock
Poetic Justice
Movie · as Annie
The Meteor Man
Movie · as Mrs. Williams
Living Single
TV · 1 ep
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
TV · as Mystique · 1 ep
Sister Act
Movie · as Michelle
Frozen Assets
Movie · as Jomisha
Hangin' with Mr. Cooper
TV · as Georgia Rodman · 3 eps
Sunday in Paris
Movie · as Taylor Chase
Roc
TV · as Charlaine · 1 ep
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
TV · as Aunt Helen · 8 eps
In Living Color
TV · 1 ep
Dream On
TV · as Carolyn · 1 ep
Beaches
Movie · as Diva
A Different World
TV · as Susan Clayton, Dean Dorothy Dandridge Davenport · 1 ep