
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.


as Self - Guest
2009

as Lessie (voice)
2005

1996

as Paula
1994

as Flo Everson (voice)
2026

as Microwavabelle (voice)
2013

as Self - Guest
2022

as Self - Musical Guest
2005

as Olympia Savage (voice)
2010

as Judge Isabel Fisher
2004

as Self - Guest
2022

as Mystique
1993
as Ms. Hopkins
2025

as Flo Everson (voice)
2026

as Mama Odie (Voice)
2025

as Ms. Hopkins
2025

as Nazara (voice)
2024

as Self
2024

as Gemini
2024

as Self (archive footage)
2023

as Self
2022

2021

as Narrator (voice)
2021

as Margeline
2020

as Self (archive footage)
2019

as Great Auntie Sloom (Voice)
2019

2018

as Flo (voice)
2017

as Self
2017

as Aunt Valerie
2015

as Doris Jenkins
2015

as Loretta
2014

as Flo (voice)
2014

as Catherine Moore
2013

as Flo (voice)
2013

as Gogo (voice)
2012

as Loretta Hanover
2012
1 ep.

as Self - Guest
1 episodes

as Lessie (voice)
1 episodes

1 episodes

as Paula
1 episodes

as Microwavabelle (voice)
1 episodes

as Self - Guest
1 episodes

as Self - Musical Guest
1 episodes

as Olympia Savage (voice)
1 episodes

as Judge Isabel Fisher
2 episodes

as Self - Guest
1 episodes

as Mystique
1 episodes

as Lana Hawkins
132 episodes

as Ruby Johnson
159 episodes

as Queenie
1 episodes

as Bartender (voice)
1 episodes

as Veretta Childs
8 episodes

as Vivian
1 episodes

as Susan Clayton
1 episodes

as Mama Hasselback (voice)
1 episodes

as Ruby Johnson
2 episodes

as Boss Willona (voice)
1 episodes

as Professor Granville (voice)
2 episodes

as Self - Guest Judge
1 episodes

as Aunt Helen
8 episodes
Thanks