Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Birthdate
1957-01-25 (Age: 69)
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.
Filmography (76)
GOAT
2026
Ado
2025
Tiana's Bayou Adventure | Disneyland Resort
2025
Spellbound
2024
The Greatest Love Story Never Told
2024
This Is Me…Now
2024
Commitment to Life
2023
black-ish: A Celebration – An ABC News Special
2022
All Boys Aren't Blue
2021
Finding Kendrick Johnson
2021
Dolly Parton's Christmas on the Square
2020
Maurice Hines: Bring Them Back
2019
The Addams Family
2019
Forbidden
2018
