Jenifer Lewis

Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Known Credits

146

Gender

Female

Birthday

1957-01-25 (69 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

  • Friends

    Friends

  • Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen

    Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen

  • American Dad!

    American Dad!

  • The Daily Show

    The Daily Show

  • Dancing with the Stars

    Dancing with the Stars

  • Teen Titans Go!

    Teen Titans Go!

  • Young Justice

    Young Justice

  • GOAT

    GOAT

  • Boston Legal

    Boston Legal

  • Strong Medicine

    Strong Medicine

  • Girlfriends

    Girlfriends

  • Sherri

    Sherri

  • black-ish

    black-ish

  • Touched by an Angel

    Touched by an Angel

  • Star Trek: Lower Decks

    Star Trek: Lower Decks

  • History of the World: Part II

    History of the World: Part II

  • The Boondocks

    The Boondocks

  • The Boondocks

    The Boondocks

  • That's So Raven

    That's So Raven

  • The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

    The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

  • Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child

    Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child

  • Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child

    Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child

  • Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman

    Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman

  • RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars

    RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars

  • Amphibia

    Amphibia

  • The Jamie Foxx Show

    The Jamie Foxx Show

  • Cars

    Cars

  • Big Hero 6 The Series

    Big Hero 6 The Series

  • And Just Like That…

    And Just Like That…

  • Rugrats

    Rugrats

  • Rugrats

    Rugrats

  • Shark

    Shark

  • Cars 2

    Cars 2

  • Moesha

    Moesha

  • Cars 3

    Cars 3

  • A Different World

    A Different World

  • A Different World

    A Different World

  • grown-ish

    grown-ish

  • The Princess and the Frog

    The Princess and the Frog

  • Cast Away

    Cast Away

  • Match Game

    Match Game

  • The Upshaws

    The Upshaws

  • Monsters at Work

    Monsters at Work

  • Stars in the House

    Stars in the House

  • Haunted Hotel

    Haunted Hotel

  • To Tell the Truth

    To Tell the Truth

  • Zambezia

    Zambezia

  • Hiccups

    Hiccups

  • The Ghost and Molly McGee

    The Ghost and Molly McGee

  • New York Undercover

    New York Undercover

  • Night Court

    Night Court

  • So Help Me Todd

    So Help Me Todd

  • Rebel Highway

    Rebel Highway

  • Partners

    Partners

  • Undercover Blues

    Undercover Blues

  • In Living Color

    In Living Color

  • Celebrity Wheel of Fortune

    Celebrity Wheel of Fortune

  • Not Dead Yet

    Not Dead Yet

  • The Fairly OddParents: A New Wish

    The Fairly OddParents: A New Wish

  • Shark Tale

    Shark Tale

  • Living Single

    Living Single

  • Beaches

    Beaches

  • Panther

    Panther

  • Hangin' with Mr. Cooper

    Hangin' with Mr. Cooper

  • The Parent 'Hood

    The Parent 'Hood

  • Cars on the Road

    Cars on the Road

  • The $100,000 Pyramid

    The $100,000 Pyramid

  • Girl 6

    Girl 6

  • Deconstructing Sarah

    Deconstructing Sarah

  • Dream On

    Dream On

  • Corrina, Corrina

    Corrina, Corrina

  • Ado

    Ado

  • Get Bruce!

    Get Bruce!

  • Sister Act

    Sister Act

  • The PJs

    The PJs

  • Juwanna Mann

    Juwanna Mann

  • Who's Your Caddy?

    Who's Your Caddy?

  • This Is Me…Now

    This Is Me…Now

  • Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit

    Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit

  • Not Easily Broken

    Not Easily Broken

  • The Addams Family

    The Addams Family

  • Geared-Up

    Geared-Up

  • The Chris Rock Show

    The Chris Rock Show

  • Spellbound

    Spellbound

  • Think Like a Man Too

    Think Like a Man Too

  • Mickey Mouse Funhouse

    Mickey Mouse Funhouse

  • Dirty Laundry

    Dirty Laundry

  • Redrum

    Redrum

  • Blast from the Past

    Blast from the Past

  • The Wedding Ringer

    The Wedding Ringer

  • Bette Midler: Art or Bust

    Bette Midler: Art or Bust

  • Promised Land

    Promised Land

  • Day Break

    Day Break

  • Time of Your Life

    Time of Your Life

  • Forbidden

    Forbidden

  • Dead Presidents

    Dead Presidents

  • Mystery Men

    Mystery Men

  • The Mighty

    The Mighty

  • Hereafter

    Hereafter

  • Nora's Hair Salon

    Nora's Hair Salon

  • I Love That for You

    I Love That for You

  • Roc

    Roc

  • Think Like a Man

    Think Like a Man

  • Grown Ups

    Grown Ups

  • The Temptations

    The Temptations

  • The Playboy Club

    The Playboy Club

  • An Unexpected Life

    An Unexpected Life

  • Bette

    Bette

  • Poetic Justice

    Poetic Justice

  • Renaissance Man

    Renaissance Man

  • Courthouse

    Courthouse

  • Five

    Five

  • Madea's Family Reunion

    Madea's Family Reunion

  • The Preacher's Wife

    The Preacher's Wife

  • The Meteor Man

    The Meteor Man

  • Meet the Browns

    Meet the Browns

  • Baggage Claim

    Baggage Claim

  • Antwone Fisher

    Antwone Fisher

  • What's Love Got to Do with It

    What's Love Got to Do with It

  • Frozen Assets

    Frozen Assets

  • The Cookout

    The Cookout

  • Rhona Who Lives by the River

    Rhona Who Lives by the River

  • Dolly Parton's Christmas on the Square

    Dolly Parton's Christmas on the Square

  • Jewel's Catch One

    Jewel's Catch One

  • Prop 8: The Musical

    Prop 8: The Musical

  • The Brothers

    The Brothers

  • The Radiator Springs 500½

    The Radiator Springs 500½

  • Earth to America

    Earth to America

  • Jenifer Lewis and Shangela

    Jenifer Lewis and Shangela

  • The Greatest Love Story Never Told

    The Greatest Love Story Never Told

  • Jackie's Back!

    Jackie's Back!

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

    When Harry Met Sally 2 with Billy Crystal & Helen Mirren

  • Little Richard

    Little Richard

  • Maurice Hines: Bring Them Back

    Maurice Hines: Bring Them Back

  • Dancing in September

    Dancing in September

  • black-ish: A Celebration – An ABC News Special

    black-ish: A Celebration – An ABC News Special

  • Secrets of the Magic City

    Secrets of the Magic City

  • Sunday in Paris

    Sunday in Paris

  • Rituals

    Rituals

  • Deadline for Murder: From the Files of Edna Buchanan

    Deadline for Murder: From the Files of Edna Buchanan

  • Shake, Rattle and Rock!

    Shake, Rattle and Rock!

  • Finding Kendrick Johnson

    Finding Kendrick Johnson

  • Tiana's Bayou Adventure | Disneyland Resort

    Tiana's Bayou Adventure | Disneyland Resort

  • Bette Midler: No Frills

    Bette Midler: No Frills

  • All Boys Aren't Blue

    All Boys Aren't Blue

  • Sister Act 3

    Sister Act 3