Jenifer Lewis

Personal Info

Known For Actor

Gender Female

Birthday 1957-01-25 (67 years old)

Place of Birth Kinloch, Missouri, USA

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

Actor

2024
Spellbound

as Minister Nazara Prone (voice)

2024
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

2021
Finding Kendrick Johnson

as Narrator (voice)

2021
The Ghost and Molly McGee

as Patty (voice)

2021
Mickey Mouse Funhouse

as Wheezelene (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
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
grown-ish

as Ruby Johnson

2017
Cars 3

as Flo (voice)

2017
2017
Big Hero 6 The Series

as Professor Granville (voice)

2016
Match Game

as Self - Panelist

2016
To Tell the Truth

as Self - Panelist

2015
2015
The Wedding Ringer

as Doris Jenkins

2014
2014
2014
black-ish

as Ruby Johnson

2013
Baggage Claim

as Catherine Moore

2013
Hiccups

as Flo (voice)

2012
Zambezia

as Gogo (voice)

2012
Think Like a Man

as Loretta Hanover

2012
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars

as Self - Guest Judge

2012
2011
Five

as Maggie

2011
Cars 2

as Flo (voice)

2011
When Harry Met Sally 2 with Billy Crystal & Helen Mirren

as Retirement Home Waitress (uncredited)

2011
2010
Hereafter

as Candace

2010
Young Justice

as Olympia Savage (voice)

2009
The Princess and the Frog

as Mama Odie (voice)

2009
Not Easily Broken

as Mary 'Mama' Clark

2008
Prop 8: The Musical

as Riffing Prop 8'er

2008
2007
Redrum

as Therapist

2007
Who's Your Caddy?

as C-Note's Mom

2006
Dirty Laundry

as Aunt Lettuce

2006
Cars

as Flo (voice)

2006
Madea's Family Reunion

as Milay Jenay Lori

2006
2005
2005
The Boondocks

as Boss Willona (voice)

2005
The Boondocks

as Geraldine (voice)

2005
American Dad!

as Lessie (voice)

2004
Shark Tale

as Motown Turtle (voice)

2004
The Cookout

as Lady Em

2004
2004
Boston Legal

as Judge Isabel Fisher

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
Partners

as Detective Lancy

2000
Little Richard

as Muh Penniman

2000
2000
Strong Medicine

as Lana Hawkins

1999
Mystery Men

as Lucille

1999
Jackie's Back!

as Jackie Washington

1999
1999
Get Bruce!

as Self

1999
The PJs

as Bebe Ho

1998
1998
The Mighty

as Mrs. Addison

1998
The Temptations

as Mama Rose

1996
The Preacher's Wife

as Margueritte Coleman

1996
Girl 6

as Boss #1 - Lil

1996
Promised Land

as Queenie

1996
1995
Dead Presidents

as Mrs. Curtis

1995
Panther

as Rita

1995
Courthouse

as Judge Rosetta Reide

1995
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child

as Female Black Widow Spider (voice)

1994
1994
Renaissance Man

as Mrs. Coleman

1994
Friends

as Paula

1994
1994
Rebel Highway

as Amanda

1993
Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit

as Vegas Backup Singer #1

1993
Undercover Blues

as Cab Driver

1993
The Meteor Man

as Mrs. Williams

1993
1993
1992
Frozen Assets

as Jomisha

1992
Sister Act

as Michelle

1991
Sunday in Paris

as Taylor Chase

1991
Roc

as Charlaine

1990
1990
Dream On

as Carolyn

1988
Beaches

as Diva

1987
A Different World

as Susan Clayton

1987
A Different World

as Dean Dorothy Dandridge Davenport

1984
Bette Midler: Art or Bust

as Self - Harlette

Producer

1999
Jackie's Back!

as Co-Producer

Crew

Sound

2012
Jenifer Lewis and Shangela

as Theme Song Performance

Creator