Jenifer Lewis
Acting
1957-01-25 · Kinloch, Missouri, USA
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.
Filmography
GOAT
2026 · Movie
Haunted Hotel
2025 · Series
Ado
2025 · Movie
Spellbound
2024 · Movie
The Fairly OddParents: A New Wish
2024 · Series
The Greatest Love Story Never Told
2024 · Movie
This Is Me…Now
2024 · Movie
History of the World: Part II
2023 · Series
Commitment to Life
2023 · Movie
Not Dead Yet
2023 · Series
Night Court
2023 · Series
So Help Me Todd
2022 · Series
The Jennifer Hudson Show
2022 · Series
Sherri
2022 · Series
Cars on the Road
2022 · Series
I Love That for You
2022 · Series
black-ish: A Celebration – An ABC News Special
2022 · Movie
And Just Like That…
2021 · Series
The Ghost and Molly McGee
2021 · Series
Mickey Mouse Funhouse
2021 · Series
All Boys Aren't Blue
2021 · Movie
Finding Kendrick Johnson
2021 · Movie
Monsters at Work
2021 · Series
Rugrats
2021 · Series
The Upshaws
2021 · Series
Celebrity Wheel of Fortune
2021 · Series
Dolly Parton's Christmas on the Square
2020 · Movie
Star Trek: Lower Decks
2020 · Series
Stars in the House
2020 · Series
Maurice Hines: Bring Them Back
2019 · Movie
The Addams Family
2019 · Movie
Amphibia
2019 · Series
Forbidden
2018 · Movie
grown-ish
2018 · Series
Big Hero 6 The Series
2017 · Series
Cars 3
2017 · Movie
Jewel's Catch One
2017 · Movie
The $100,000 Pyramid
2016 · Series
Match Game
2016 · Series
To Tell the Truth
2016 · Series
Secrets of the Magic City
2015 · Movie
The Wedding Ringer
2015 · Movie
black-ish
2014 · Series
Think Like a Man Too
2014 · Movie
The Radiator Springs 500½
2014 · Movie
Baggage Claim
2013 · Movie
LaQuifa is Halleloosin' It!
2013 · Movie
Teen Titans Go!
2013 · Series
Hiccups
2013 · Movie
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars
2012 · Series
Jenifer Lewis and Shangela
2012 · Series
Zambezia
2012 · Movie
Think Like a Man
2012 · Movie
Five
2011 · Movie
The Playboy Club
2011 · Series
Cars 2
2011 · Movie
When Harry Met Sally 2 with Billy Crystal & Helen Mirren
2011 · Movie
Young Justice
2010 · Series
Hereafter
2010 · Movie
The Princess and the Frog
2009 · Movie
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
2009 · Series
Not Easily Broken
2009 · Movie
Prop 8: The Musical
2008 · Movie
Meet the Browns
2008 · Movie
Redrum
2007 · Movie
Who's Your Caddy?
2007 · Movie
Day Break
2006 · Series
Geared-Up
2006 · Movie
Shark
2006 · Series
Dirty Laundry
2006 · Movie
Cars
2006 · Movie
Madea's Family Reunion
2006 · Movie
Earth to America
2005 · Movie
The Boondocks
2005 · Series
Dancing with the Stars
2005 · Series
American Dad!
2005 · Series
Boston Legal
2004 · Series
Shark Tale
2004 · Movie
The Cookout
2004 · Movie
Nora's Hair Salon
2004 · Movie
That's So Raven
2003 · Series
Antwone Fisher
2002 · Movie
Juwanna Mann
2002 · Movie
The Brothers
2001 · Movie
Dancing in September
2001 · Movie
Cast Away
2000 · Movie
Bette
2000 · Series
Girlfriends
2000 · Series
Strong Medicine
2000 · Series
Partners
2000 · Movie
Little Richard
2000 · Movie
Time of Your Life
1999 · Series
Grown Ups
1999 · Series
Mystery Men
1999 · Movie
Jackie's Back!
1999 · Movie
Blast from the Past
1999 · Movie
The PJs
1999 · Series
Get Bruce!
1999 · Movie
The Temptations
1998 · Series
An Unexpected Life
1998 · Movie
The Mighty
1998 · Movie
Rituals
1998 · Movie
The Chris Rock Show
1997 · Series
The Preacher's Wife
1996 · Movie
Promised Land
1996 · Series
The Jamie Foxx Show
1996 · Series
The Daily Show
1996 · Series
Girl 6
1996 · Movie
Moesha
1996 · Series
Dead Presidents
1995 · Movie
Courthouse
1995 · Series
Deadline for Murder: From the Files of Edna Buchanan
1995 · Movie
Panther
1995 · Movie
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
1995 · Series
The Parent 'Hood
1995 · Series
Deconstructing Sarah
1994 · Movie
Friends
1994 · Series
Touched by an Angel
1994 · Series
New York Undercover
1994 · Series
Shake, Rattle and Rock!
1994 · Movie
Corrina, Corrina
1994 · Movie
Rebel Highway
1994 · Series
Renaissance Man
1994 · Movie
Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit
1993 · Movie
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
1993 · Series
Undercover Blues
1993 · Movie
Living Single
1993 · Series
The Meteor Man
1993 · Movie
Poetic Justice
1993 · Movie
What's Love Got to Do with It
1993 · Movie
Frozen Assets
1992 · Movie
Hangin' with Mr. Cooper
1992 · Series
Sister Act
1992 · Movie
Roc
1991 · Series
Sunday in Paris
1991 · Movie
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
1990 · Series
Dream On
1990 · Series
In Living Color
1990 · Series
Beaches
1988 · Movie
A Different World
1987 · Series
Bette Midler: Art or Bust
1984 · Movie
Bette Midler: No Frills
1983 · Movie
Rhona Who Lives by the River
Series
Women Like Us
Movie