Jenifer Lewis

Jenifer Lewis

Birth : 1957-01-25, Kinloch, Missouri, USA

History

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.

Profile

Jenifer Lewis
Jenifer Lewis

Movies

This Is Me…Now
Gemini
An intimate, fantastical and narrative-driven reflection of Jennifer Lopez's journey of self-healing and self-love in an immersive world where music and visuals intertwine, revealing the challenges faced and the triumphs achieved.
black-ish: A Celebration – An ABC News Special
Self
An exclusive look at final table read and original audition tapes; interviews with cast, crew and guest stars of the show's eight seasons.
All Boys Aren't Blue
Actors Bernard David Jones, Dyllon Burnside, Thomas Hobson, and Jenifer Lewis bring to life the words of Black non-binary author George Matthew Johnson’s transparent and sparkling memoir, aided by director Nathan Hale Williams’ visual poetry. Tackling issues of Black masculinity and Black queerness in relationship to Blackness, each character represents Johnson at different stages of their life, chronicling their story of growing up and challenging gender identity norms, as well as learning to adapt to HIV/AIDS.
Finding Kendrick Johnson
Narrator
A filmmaker cracks a major case dealing with the racially charged murder of a teen.
Dolly Parton's Christmas on the Square
Margeline
A rich and nasty woman returns to her hometown to evict everyone but discovers the true meaning of Christmas thanks to the local townsfolk – and an actual angel. Features 14 original songs with music and lyrics by Dolly Parton!
The Addams Family
Great Auntie Sloom (Voice)
The Addams family's lives begin to unravel when they face-off against a treacherous, greedy crafty reality-TV host while also preparing for their extended family to arrive for a major celebration.
Forbidden
A musical set in the North-American city of Nacirema Falls, in the country of Nacirema, which black LGBT people rule, promoting and conducting white racism and "straightphobia". When Nolan Renner falls in love with a waitress at a diner, he gets into trouble.
Cars 3
Flo (voice)
Blindsided by a new generation of blazing-fast racers, the legendary Lightning McQueen is suddenly pushed out of the sport he loves. To get back in the game, he will need the help of an eager young race technician with her own plan to win, inspiration from the late Fabulous Hudson Hornet, and a few unexpected turns. Proving that #95 isn't through yet will test the heart of a champion on Piston Cup Racing’s biggest stage!
Jewel's Catch One
Self
With four strikes against her (black, female, poor and a lesbian), our trailblazer, Jewel Thais-Williams, helped changed laws, save lives and influence communities across Los Angeles, California as she opened her legendary nightclub's door for 42 years.
Secrets of the Magic City
Aunt Valerie
The Magic City, by Director R. Malcolm Jones, is a motion picture based on hope and resilience played out in a coming of age story laced with sometimes insurmountable tragedies and exhilarating adventures. Characters Tiana, Nia and Amiya initially adversaries, forge a lifelong friendship through hope and adversity in one of Miami’s gritty and unforgiving neighborhoods, Liberty City.
The Wedding Ringer
Doris Jenkins
Doug Harris is a loveable but socially awkward groom-to-be with a problem: he has no best man. With less than two weeks to go until he marries the girl of his dreams, Doug is referred to Jimmy Callahan, owner and CEO of Best Man, Inc., a company that provides flattering best men for socially challenged guys in need. What ensues is a hilarious wedding charade as they try to pull off the big con, and an unexpected budding bromance between Doug and his fake best man Jimmy.
Think Like a Man Too
Loretta
All the couples are back for a wedding in Las Vegas, but plans for a romantic weekend go awry when their various misadventures get them into some compromising situations that threaten to derail the big event.
The Radiator Springs 500½
Flo (voice)
A 'leisurely drive' planned in honor of Radiator Springs’ town founder, Stanley, turns precarious as Baja pros descend on the town and challenge Lightning McQueen to an off-road race. Meanwhile, the townsfolk, led by a Stanley-costumed Mater, enjoy the planned 'leisurely drive' to retrace Stanley’s original frontier route. Thinking they’re on the same course, a wrong turn sends McQueen and the Baja pros on a treacherously wild bid for survival. The misunderstanding leaves the racing professionals in awe of the 'legend' of Stanley: the Original Off-Road Racer.
Baggage Claim
Catherine Moore
Determined to get engaged before her youngest sister's wedding, flight attendant Montana Moore finds herself with only 30 days to make a connection. Fortunately, her friends have cooked up a high-flying scheme to help Montana land...the perfect guy!
LaQuifa is Halleloosin' It!
Thanks
Miss Shangela herself starring in this hilarious, must see comedy Stand-Up special. Originally filmed at XL Nightclub in New York City on August 10, 2012.
Hiccups
Flo (voice)
When Lightning McQueen gets the hiccups, everyone in Radiator Springs thinks they have the cure.
Zambezia
Gogo (voice)
Set in a bustling bird city on the edge of the majestic Victoria Falls, "Zambezia" is the story of Kai - a naïve, but high-spirited young falcon who travels to the bird city of "Zambezia" where he discovers the truth about his origins and, in defending the city, learns how to be part of a community.
Think Like a Man
Loretta Hanover
The balance of power in four couples’ relationships is upset when the women start using the advice in Steve Harvey’s book, Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man, to get more of what they want from their men. When the men realize that the women have gotten a hold of their relationship “playbook,” they decide that the best defense is a good offense and come up with a plan to use this information to their advantage.
Five
Maggie
An anthology of five short films exploring the impact of breast cancer on people's lives.
Cars 2
Flo (voice)
Star race car Lightning McQueen and his pal Mater head overseas to compete in the World Grand Prix race. But the road to the championship becomes rocky as Mater gets caught up in an intriguing adventure of his own: international espionage.
Hereafter
Candace
Three people — a blue-collar American, a French journalist and a London school boy — are touched by death in different ways.
The Princess and the Frog
Mama Odie (voice)
A waitress, desperate to fulfill her dreams as a restaurant owner, is set on a journey to turn a frog prince back into a human being, but she has to face the same problem after she kisses him.
Not Easily Broken
Mary 'Mama' Clark
A car accident and shifting affections test the bond between a married couple.
Prop 8: The Musical
Riffing Prop 8'er
The conflict of the aftermath of Proposition 8 (banning gay marriage in California) is solved by Jesus.
Meet the Browns
Vera
A single mother living in inner city Chicago, Brenda has been struggling for years to make ends meet and keep her three kids off the street. When she's laid off with no warning, she starts losing hope for the first time - until a letter arrives announcing the death of a father she's never met. Desperate for any kind of help, Brenda takes her family to Georgia for the funeral, but nothing could have prepared her for the Browns, her father's fun-loving, crass Southern clan. In a small-town world full of long afternoons and country fairs, Brenda struggles to get to know the family she never knew existed...and finds a brand new romance that just might change her life.
Redrum
Therapist
A bored couple rejuvenate their marriage by turning to murder.
Who's Your Caddy?
C-Note's Mom
Superstar rap mogul C-Note wants to join the Carolina Pines Golf & Country Club, but faces stiff opposition from the establishment's snooty members. C-Note forces the issue by purchasing the land adjacent to the golf course's 17th hole. As the club leaders search for a way to revoke his membership, C-Note realizes his family's honor and golf history are at stake, and digs in for the fight of his life.
Dirty Laundry
Aunt Lettuce
After ten years, Sheldon returns from New York City to Paris, Georgia. His mother Evelyn, a laundress who is stubborn, ornery, opinionated, mean-spirited, insulting, and inflexible, has sent a ten-year-old boy who says he's Sheldon's son up to see Sheldon. Sheldon comes home to straighten things out. Old arguments flare up - between mother and son and between brothers. Sheldon wants no part of fatherhood or family. Then, someone else from New York shows up at Evelyn's door, bringing a new set of challenges. Will this family ever stop airing its dirty laundry? And what of Sheldon: where is his pride? Can he, in the words of James Baldwin, go where his blood beats and live the life he has?
Cars
Flo (voice)
Lightning McQueen, a hotshot rookie race car driven to succeed, discovers that life is about the journey, not the finish line, when he finds himself unexpectedly detoured in the sleepy Route 66 town of Radiator Springs. On route across the country to the big Piston Cup Championship in California to compete against two seasoned pros, McQueen gets to know the town's offbeat characters.
Madea's Family Reunion
Milay Jenay Lori
Based upon Tyler Perry's acclaimed stage production, Madea's Family Reunion continues the adventures of Southern matriarch Madea. She has just been court ordered to be in charge of Nikki, a rebellious runaway, her nieces, Lisa and Vanessa, are suffering relationship trouble, and through it all, she has to organize her family reunion.
Earth to America
Self
Tom Hanks is the host of this show with a comic approach to raise awareness concerning the environment.
Shark Tale
Motown Turtle (voice)
Oscar is a small fish whose big aspirations often get him into trouble. Meanwhile, Lenny is a great white shark with a surprising secret that no sea creature would guess: He's a vegetarian. When a lie turns Oscar into an improbable hero and Lenny becomes an outcast, the two form an unlikely friendship.
The Cookout
Lady Em
When Todd Anderson signs a $30 million deal with his hometown team, the New Jersey Nets, he knows that his life is set for a big change. To keep things real, he decides to throw a barbeque at his place -- just like the ones his family used to have. But when you have new and old friends, family, agents, and product reps in the same house, things are bound to get crazy.
Nora's Hair Salon
Nora
Welcome to Nora's Hair Salon. Leave your troubles outside and get set for neighborhood drama, juicy gossip, and the occasional knock-down, drag-out fight. Nora runs the place and takes care of her family. Whatever the problem, Nora can make it all right in this feel-good film about life, love and lookin' fine!
Juwanna Mann
Aunt Ruby
A basketball star is booted out of the NBA when his on-court antics go too far, so he poses as a woman and joins the WUBA.
The Brothers
Louise Smith
This is the story of four African-American "yuppies" (a banker, a doctor, a lawyer, and a "playboy") who call themselves "The Brothers". When the playboy gets engaged, the other three friends find themselves having to come to terms with their own issues of commitment and honesty...
Dancing in September
Judge Warner
A black female TV producer struggles in Hollywood.
Cast Away
Becca Twig
Chuck Nolan, a top international manager for FedEx, and Kelly, a Ph.D. student, are in love and heading towards marriage. Then Chuck's plane to Malaysia crashes at sea during a terrible storm. He's the only survivor, and finds himself marooned on a desolate island. With no way to escape, Chuck must find ways to survive in his new home.
Partners
Detective Lancy
After stealing a briefcase, a drifter finds himself caught in the middle of an international crime caper.
Little Richard
Muh Penniman
The story of Little Richard Penniman, from his poor Southern upbringing to dealing with the trials and tribulations of being a Black singer in the 1950s, to his born-again phase and brief "retirement" from rock and roll.
Mystery Men
Lucille
When Champion City's hero Captain Amazing is kidnapped by the recently paroled supervillain Casanova Frankenstein, a trio of average, everyday superheroes -- Mr. Furious, the Shoveler and the Blue Raja -- assemble a new super team to save him.
Jackie's Back!
Co-Producer
A British documentarian profiles washed-up diva Jackie Washington as she prepares for her comeback concert.
Jackie's Back!
Jackie Washington
A British documentarian profiles washed-up diva Jackie Washington as she prepares for her comeback concert.
Blast from the Past
Dr. Aron
Following a bomb scare in the 1960s that locked the Webers into their bomb shelter for 35 years, Adam now ventures forth into Los Angeles to obtain food and supplies for his family, and a non-mutant wife for himself.
Get Bruce!
Herself
Affectionate tribute to Bruce Vilanch, who writes material for celebrities who make public appearances, from Oscar hosts and award recipients to Presidents. We meet his mom and see photos of his childhood; in Chicago, he writes for the Tribune and then heads West. Whoopi Goldberg, Billy Crystal, Robin Williams, and Bette Midler talk with him and to the camera about working with Bruce, and we also watch Bruce help others prepare for Liz Taylor's 60th, Bill Clinton's 50th, and an AIDS awards banquet where the hirsute, rotund Vilanch lets his emotions show.
An Unexpected Life
Camille
Sequel to "An Unexpected Family."
The Mighty
Mrs. Addison
Kevin, an intelligent guy helps out Maxwell to improve his reading skills. In return, Kevin wants Maxwell to take him out places since he is not authorized to go out. Being the social outcasts of the town, Kevin and Maxwell come to realize that they are similar to each other and accept that they are "freaks" and nothing will stop them.
The Preacher's Wife
Margueritte Coleman
Good natured Reverend Henry Biggs finds that his marriage to choir mistress Julia is flagging, due to his constant absence caring for the deprived neighborhood they live in. On top of all this, his church is coming under threat from property developer Joe Hamilton. In desperation, Rev. Biggs prays to God for help - and help arrives in the form of an angel named Dudley.
Girl 6
Boss #1 - Lil
A struggling actress in New York City takes a job as a phone sex operator.
Dead Presidents
Mrs. Curtis
On the streets they call cash dead presidents. And that's just what a Vietnam veteran is after when he returns home from the war only to find himself drawn into a life of crime. With the aid of his fellow vets he plans the ultimate heist -- a daring robbery of an armored car filled with unmarked U.S. currency!
Deadline for Murder: From the Files of Edna Buchanan
Denice Cooper
Inspired by the the life of Pulitzer Prize-winning, Miami-based journalist, Edna Buchanan, who investigates the murder of a man with ties to the Miami mafia.
Panther
Rita
Panther is a semi-historic film about the origins of The Black Panther Party for Self-Defense. The movie spans about 3 years (1966-68) of the Black Panther's history in Oakland. Panther also uses historical footage (B/W) to emphasize some points.
Deconstructing Sarah
Betty
Thriller about an advertising executive Kelley who leads a double life, looking for men in dive bars at night. However, when she goes missing, it causes her best friend Ticotin to turn detective and infiltrate the seedy underworld to discover what happened.
Corrina, Corrina
Jevina
When Manny Singer's wife dies, his young daughter Molly becomes mute and withdrawn. To help cope with looking after Molly, he hires sassy housekeeper Corrina Washington, who coaxes Molly out of her shell and shows father and daughter a whole new way of life. Manny and Corrina's friendship delights Molly and enrages the other townspeople.
Renaissance Man
Mrs. Coleman
An advertising man is slowly sliding downhill. When he is fired from his job in Detroit, he signs up for unemployment. One day they find him a job: teaching thinking skills to Army recruits. He arrives on base to find that there is no structure set up for the class.
The Meteor Man
Mrs. Williams
One night Jefferson Reed gets hit in the chest by a souped-up chunk of meteor. So he can fly, but he's scared of heights. He can master the information in any book ... for about thirty seconds. Now his friends and family want him to protect their community from the dreaded Golden Lords.
Poetic Justice
Annie
Still grieving after the murder of her boyfriend, hairdresser Justice writes poetry to deal with the pain of her loss. Unable to get to Oakland to attend a convention because of her broken-down car, Justice gets a lift with her friend, Iesha and Iesha's postal worker boyfriend, Chicago. Along for the ride is Chicago's co-worker, Lucky, to whom Justice grows close after some initial problems. But is she ready to open her heart again?
What's Love Got to Do with It
Zelma Bullock
Singer Tina Turner rises to stardom while mustering the courage to break free from her abusive husband Ike.
Frozen Assets
Jomisha
A man is hired to run a bank which turns out to be a sperm bank.
Sister Act
Michelle
A Reno singer witnesses a mob murder and the cops stash her in a nunnery to protect her from the mob's hitmen. The mother superior does not trust her, and takes steps to limit her influence on the other nuns. Eventually the singer rescues the failing choir and begins helping with community projects, which gets her an interview on TV—and identification by the mob.
Sunday in Paris
Taylor Chase
A pilot for an unsold NBC series. A single woman with three children realizes that her family has lost sight of their values and gives up her career as a daytime-drama actress in New York to move back with her extended family on their Texas farm.
Beaches
Diva
A privileged rich debutante and a cynical struggling entertainer share a turbulent, but strong childhood friendship over the years.
Bette Midler: Art or Bust
Harlett
The Divine Miss M is featured in a concert filmed at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, at the culmination of her most recent cross-country tour which was known as "De Tour". This live recording was a combination of footage from both September 10 and 11, 1983. Set against a Renaissance art background and outfitted in a rainbow array of costumes, Midler sings and performs her uninhibited stage antics.
Spellbound
Minister Nazara Prone (voice)
The story of Elian, a teenager who comes of age using her magical powers to defend her family when the opposing forces of light and darkness threaten to divide her kingdom.