Jenifer Lewis
Nicknamed the Black Mother of Hollywood, Jenifer Lewis played dozens of maternal figures during a prolific screen career, most notably Zelma Bullock in Tina Turner biopic "What's Love Got to Do With It" (1993) and Ruby Johnson in socially-conscious sitcom "Black-ish" (ABC, 2014-). Born in St. Louis, MO in 1957, Lewis studied theatre at Webster University before moving to New York to pursue a performing career. After making her Broadway debut in "Eabie," she was invited to join Bette Midler's backing band, The Staggering Harlettes, who performed with the star on various HBO specials and in "Beaches" (1988). Switching her focus to acting, Lewis played a judge in "Red Heat" (1988), back-up singer in "Sister Act" (1992) and college dean in "A Different World" (NBC, 1987-1993), and in 1991 joined "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" cast (NBC, 1990-96) as Aunt Helen. Her breakthrough came when she portrayed Tina Turner's real-life mother in "What's Love Got to Do With It" (1993). Lewis subsequently played maternal figures in "Poetic Justice" (1993), "The Meteor Man" (1993), "Panther" (1995), "Dead Presidents" (1995) and "The Preacher's Wife" (1996), but proved there was more to her talents when she became the first actress to play an African-American lesbian character in legal drama "Courthouse" (CBS, 1995). There were also memorable supporting roles as Whoopi Goldberg's sister in "Corrina, Corrina" (1994), sex line boss Lil in "Girl 6" (1996) and school principal Mrs. Addison in "The Mighty" (1998). After adding "An Unexpected Life" (1998), "Blast from the Past" (1999) and "Mystery Men" (1999) to her credits, she enjoyed a rare leading role in "Jackie's Back" (1999), a mockumentary about an aging soul diva's comeback attempt, played Tom Hanks' boss in "Cast Away" (2000) and voiced Bebe Ho in "The PJs" (Fox, 1999-2002). She landed her longest-recurring role when she was cast as receptionist Lana Hawkins in "Strong Medicine" (Lifetime, 2000-06). During her six-year stint on the medical drama she also performed the theme tune to, Lewis returned to motherly roles in "Little Richard" (2000), "The Brothers" (2001) and "Girlfriends" (UPN, 2002-08), and played aunts in "Juwanna Mann" (2002), "Antwone Fisher" (2002) and "Dirty Laundry" (2006). She also assumed the titular role in "Nora's Hair Salon" (2004) and voiced the Motown Turtle in "Shark Tale" and Flo in "Cars" (2006). Lewis then showed up in Tyler Perry's "Madea's Family Reunion" (2006) and "Meet the Browns" (2008), played mom in "Who's Your Caddy?" (2007), "Not Easily Broken" (2009), "Hereafter" (2010), "Think Like A Man" (2012) and "Baggage Claim" (2013), and voiced Mama Odie in "The Princess and the Frog" (2009) and Gogo in "Zambezia" (2012). There was also a recurring role as seamstress Pearl in "The Playboy Club" (NBC, 2011) and supporting parts in "Five" (2011), "Playin' for Love" (2013), "Secrets of the Magic City" (2014), "The Wedding Ringer" (2015) and "It Had To Be You" (2015). Lewis also became a regular prime-time face again when she was cast as Anthony Anderson's overbearing mother Ruby Johnson on "Black-ish" (ABC, 2014-).
Photos
Jenifer Lewis
Filmography
Movies
Credit | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
44% |
|
Spellbound | Nazara (Voice) | - | 2024 |
75% |
|
This Is Me... Now: A Love Story | Gemini (Character) | - | 2024 |
100% |
|
Finding Kendrick Johnson |
Narrator, Executive Producer |
- | 2021 |
66% |
|
Dolly Parton's Christmas on the Square | Margeline (Character) | - | 2020 |
46% |
|
The Addams Family | Great Auntie Sloom (Voice) | $673.0K | 2019 |
29% |
|
The Wedding Ringer | Doris Jenkins (Character) | $64.5M | 2015 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | It Had to Be You | Reggie (Character) | - | 2015 |
23% |
|
Think Like a Man Too | Loretta (Character) | $65.1M | 2014 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Playin' for Love | Alize Gates (Character) | - | 2013 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Magic City | Aunt Valerie (Character) | - | 2013 |
25% |
|
Zambezia | Gogo (Voice) | - | 2012 |
54% |
|
Think Like a Man | Loretta (Character) | $91.5M | 2012 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Zambezia 3D | Gogo (Voice) | - | 2012 |
No Score Yet |
|
Five | Pearl (Character) | - | 2011 |
39% |
|
Cars 2 | Flo (Voice) | - | 2011 |
85% |
|
The Princess and the Frog | Mama Odie (Voice) | - | 2009 |
31% |
|
Not Easily Broken | Mary "Mama" Clark (Character) | $10.6M | 2009 |
33% |
|
Meet the Browns | Vera (Character) | $41.9M | 2008 |
No Score Yet |
|
Redrum | Therapist (Character) | - | 2007 |
50% |
|
Dirty Laundry | Lettuce (Character) | $20.1K | 2006 |
26% |
|
Madea's Family Reunion | Milay Jenay Lori (Character) | $63.2M | 2006 |
5% |
|
The Cookout | Lady Em (Character) | $11.5M | 2004 |
No Score Yet |
|
Nora's Hair Salon | Nora (Character) | - | 2004 |
10% |
|
Juwanna Mann | Aunt Ruby (Character) | $13.6M | 2002 |
64% |
|
The Brothers | Louise Smith (Character) | $27.5M | 2001 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Ponder Heart | Narcissa Wingfield (Character) | - | 2001 |
No Score Yet |
|
Little Richard | Muh Penniman (Character) | - | 2000 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Partners | Detective Lancy (Character) | - | 2000 |
No Score Yet |
|
Dancing in September | Judge Warner (Character) | - | 2000 |
No Score Yet |
|
Jackie's Back! |
Jackie Washington (Character), Producer |
- | 1999 |
75% |
|
The Mighty | Mrs. Addison (Character) | $2.6M | 1998 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | An Unexpected Life | Camille (Character) | - | 1998 |
39% |
|
Girl 6 | Lil (Character) | $4.6M | 1996 |
62% |
|
The Preacher's Wife | Margueritte Coleman (Character) | $48.1M | 1996 |
49% |
|
Dead Presidents | Mrs. Curtis (Character) | $24.1M | 1995 |
25% |
|
Panther | Rita (Character) | $6.3M | 1995 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Deadline for Murder: From the Files of Edna Buchanan | Denice Cooper (Character) | - | 1995 |
No Score Yet |
|
Shake, Rattle and Rock! | Amanda (Character) | - | 1994 |
37% |
|
Corrina, Corrina | Jevina (Character) | $20.2M | 1994 |
37% |
|
Undercover Blues | Cab Driver (Character) | $12.0M | 1993 |
97% |
|
What's Love Got to Do With It | Zelma Bullock (Character) | $38.9M | 1993 |
No Score Yet |
|
Star Tours | Unknown (Character) | - | 1987 |
TV
Credit | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
No Score Yet | 28% | The Drew Barrymore Show | Guest | 2024 |
No Score Yet | 54% | American Idol | Music Performer | 2024 |
56% | 91% | So Help Me Todd | Jacqueline (Guest Star) | 2024 |
No Score Yet | 56% | Night Court | Erika Ellis (Guest Star) | 2024 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Celebrity Wheel of Fortune | Guest | 2022 |
No Score Yet | 12% | The View | Guest | 2017 2022 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen | Guest | 2022 |
81% | 87% | I Love That for You | Patricia (Character) | 2022 |
92% | 57% | black-ish |
Ruby (Character), Unknown (Guest Star), Unknown (Voice) |
2014-2022 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Talk | Guest | 2018 2022 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Celebrity Family Feud | Guest | 2020 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Elena of Avalor | Tornado (Guest Voice) | 2019 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | To Tell the Truth | Guest | 2019 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Doctors | Guest | 2013 2018 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Match Game | Guest | 2018 |
21% | 25% | The Playboy Club | Pearl (Character) | 2011 |
No Score Yet | 90% | American Dad! | Lessie (Guest Voice) | 2011 |
No Score Yet | 64% | The Cleveland Show |
Receptionist/ |
2011 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns | Vera Brown (Guest Star) | 2009-2010 |
86% | 90% | Boston Legal | Judge Isabel Fisher (Guest Star) | 2008 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Courthouse | Judge Rosetta Reide (Character) | 1995 2006 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Strong Medicine | Unknown (Character) | 2005-2006 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Girlfriends | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2002-2005 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Cracking Up | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2004 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | That's So Raven | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2004 |
No Score Yet | 40% | The Proud Family | Aunt Spice (Guest Voice) | 2003 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The PJs | Bebe Ho (Voice) | 1999-2001 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Moesha | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1999 |
33% | No Score Yet | Grown Ups | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1999 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child | Unknown (Voice) | 1999 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Jamie Foxx Show | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1999 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | For Your Love | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1998 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Parent 'Hood | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1998 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Touched by an Angel | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1997 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Cosby | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1996 |
No Score Yet | 91% | The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1991-1993 1995-1996 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Living Single | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1995 |
78% | 93% | Friends | Paula (Guest Star) | 1994 |
86% | 88% | Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1994 |