Originals for Peacock+
Download Search New Upcoming Discover Home
Jenifer Lewis
0 FOLLOWERS • 62 CREDITS • JAN 25, 1957 • 67
Follow
Biography
more
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.
Overview
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
The Daily Show
Touched by an Angel
So Help Me Todd
Boston Legal
Young Justice
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Dream On
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars
Shark
The $100,000 Pyramid
Girlfriends
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
Friends
American Dad!
Celebrity Wheel of Fortune
The Upshaws
Not Dead Yet
Night Court
The Boondocks
grown-ish
Promised Land
Monsters at Work
Star Trek: Lower Decks
Amphibia
Rugrats
Bette
The Chris Rock Show
Cars on the Road
Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit
Cast Away
History of the World: Part II
Poetic Justice
Shark Tale
Cars 2
Renaissance Man
Sister Act
Cars Wal-Mart Exclusive Geared UP
The Radiator Springs 500½
Who's Your Caddy?
Cars 3
The Wedding Ringer
The Addams Family
Meet the Browns
Cars
Think Like a Man
Courthouse
Blast from the Past
The Temptations
The Playboy Club
The Princess and the Frog
Hiccups
black-ish
Sister Act 3
Deadline for Murder: From the Files of Edna Buchanan
Spellbound
What's Love Got to Do with It
Dolly Parton's Christmas on the Square
I Love That for You
Shake, Rattle and Rock!
Bette Midler: Art or Bust
A Different World
Originals for Peacock TV
Keep up with all Peacock TV Originals effortlessly using the Unofficial app, which notifies you of release dates, updates, and actor-related news, ensuring you're always the first to know!
Get