Actor
· Acting
Jenifer Lewis
Born 1957-01-25
📍 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.
Filmography 143
GOAT
as Flo Everson (voice)
2026
Haunted Hotel
as Additional Voices (voice)
2025
Ado
as Ms. Hopkins
2025
Tiana's Bayou Adventure | Disneyland Resort
as Mama Odie (Voice)
2025
Spellbound
as Nazara (voice)
2024
The Fairly OddParents: A New Wish
as Mother Nature (voice)
2024
The Greatest Love Story Never Told
as Self
2024
This Is Me…Now
as Gemini
2024
History of the World: Part II
as Grandma
2023
Commitment to Life
as Self (archive footage)
2023
Not Dead Yet
as Donna
2023
Night Court
as Erika
2023
So Help Me Todd
as Jacqueline Burton
2022
Sherri
as Self - Guest
2022
The Jennifer Hudson Show
as Self - Guest
2022
Cars on the Road
as Flo (voice)
2022
I Love That for You
as Patricia Cochran
2022
black-ish: A Celebration – An ABC News Special
as Self
2022
And Just Like That…
as Lucille Highwater
2021
The Ghost and Molly McGee
as Patty (voice)
2021
Mickey Mouse Funhouse
as Wheezelene (voice)
2021
All Boys Aren't Blue
2021
Finding Kendrick Johnson
as Narrator (voice)
2021
Monsters at Work
as Grandma Tuskmon (voice)
2021
Rugrats
as Ms. Marjorie / Narrator (voice)
2021
Rugrats
as Ms. Marjorie (voice)
2021
The Upshaws
as Dr. Pearl Edmunds
2021
Celebrity Wheel of Fortune
as Self - Contestant
2021
Dolly Parton's Christmas on the Square
as Margeline
2020
Star Trek: Lower Decks
as Bartender (voice)
2020
Stars in the House
as Self - Special Guest
2020
Maurice Hines: Bring Them Back
as Self (archive footage)
2019
The Addams Family
as Great Auntie Sloom (Voice)
2019
Amphibia
as Mama Hasselback (voice)
2019
Forbidden
2018
grown-ish
as Ruby Johnson
2018
Big Hero 6 The Series
as Professor Granville (voice)
2017
Cars 3
as Flo (voice)
2017
Jewel's Catch One
as Self
2017
The $100,000 Pyramid
as Self
2016
Match Game
as Self - Panelist
2016
To Tell the Truth
as Self - Panelist
2016
Secrets of the Magic City
as Aunt Valerie
2015
The Wedding Ringer
as Doris Jenkins
2015
black-ish
as Ruby Johnson
2014
Think Like a Man Too
as Loretta
2014
The Radiator Springs 500½
as Flo (voice)
2014
Baggage Claim
as Catherine Moore
2013
Teen Titans Go!
as Microwavabelle (voice)
2013
Hiccups
as Flo (voice)
2013
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars
as Self - Guest Judge
2012
Jenifer Lewis and Shangela
as Jenifer Lewis
2012
Zambezia
as Gogo (voice)
2012
Think Like a Man
as Loretta Hanover
2012
Five
as Maggie
2011
The Playboy Club
as Pearl
2011
Cars 2
as Flo (voice)
2011
When Harry Met Sally 2 with Billy Crystal & Helen Mirren
as Retirement Home Waitress (uncredited)
2011
Young Justice
as Olympia Savage (voice)
2010
Hereafter
as Candace
2010
The Princess and the Frog
as Mama Odie (voice)
2009
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
as Self - Guest
2009
Not Easily Broken
as Mary 'Mama' Clark
2009
Prop 8: The Musical
as Riffing Prop 8'er
2008
Meet the Browns
as Vera
2008
Redrum
as Therapist
2007
Who's Your Caddy?
as C-Note's Mom
2007
Day Break
as Elizabeth Hopper
2006
Geared-Up
2006
Shark
as Ellie Broussard
2006
Dirty Laundry
as Aunt Lettuce
2006
Cars
as Flo (voice)
2006
Madea's Family Reunion
as Milay Jenay Lori
2006
Earth to America
as Self
2005
The Boondocks
as Boss Willona (voice)
2005
The Boondocks
as Geraldine (voice)
2005
Dancing with the Stars
as Self - Musical Guest
2005
American Dad!
as Lessie (voice)
2005
Boston Legal
as Judge Isabel Fisher
2004
Shark Tale
as Motown Turtle (voice)
2004
The Cookout
as Lady Em
2004
Nora's Hair Salon
as Nora
2004
That's So Raven
as Vivian
2003
Antwone Fisher
as Aunt Mary Williams (uncredited)
2002
Juwanna Mann
as Aunt Ruby
2002
The Brothers
as Louise Smith
2001
Dancing in September
as Judge Warner
2001
Cast Away
as Becca Twig
2000
Bette
2000
Girlfriends
as Veretta Childs
2000
Strong Medicine
as Lana Hawkins
2000
Partners
as Detective Lancy
2000
Little Richard
as Muh Penniman
2000
Time of Your Life
1999
Mystery Men
as Lucille
1999
Jackie's Back!
as Jackie Washington
1999
Blast from the Past
as Dr. Aron
1999
The PJs
as Bebe Ho (voice)
1999
Get Bruce!
as Self
1999
The Temptations
as Mama Rose
1998
An Unexpected Life
as Camille
1998
The Mighty
as Mrs. Addison
1998
Rituals
as Carmen
1998
The Chris Rock Show
as Self
1997
The Preacher's Wife
as Margueritte Coleman
1996
Promised Land
as Queenie
1996
The Jamie Foxx Show
as Josie
1996
The Daily Show
1996
Girl 6
as Boss #1 - Lil
1996
Moesha
as Mrs. Biggs
1996
Dead Presidents
as Mrs. Curtis
1995
Deadline for Murder: From the Files of Edna Buchanan
as Denice Cooper
1995
Panther
as Rita
1995
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
as Female Black Widow Spider (voice)
1995
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
as Hazel (voice)
1995
The Parent 'Hood
1995
Deconstructing Sarah
as Betty
1994
Friends
as Paula
1994
Touched by an Angel
as Queenie
1994
New York Undercover
1994
Shake, Rattle and Rock!
as Amanda
1994
Corrina, Corrina
as Jevina
1994
Rebel Highway
as Amanda Baldwin Cooper
1994
Renaissance Man
as Mrs. Coleman
1994
Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit
as Vegas Backup Singer #1
1993
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
as Mystique
1993
Undercover Blues
as Cab Driver
1993
Living Single
1993
The Meteor Man
as Mrs. Williams
1993
Poetic Justice
as Annie
1993
What's Love Got to Do with It
as Zelma Bullock
1993
Frozen Assets
as Jomisha
1992
Hangin' with Mr. Cooper
as Georgia Rodman
1992
Sister Act
as Michelle
1992
Roc
as Charlaine
1991
Sunday in Paris
as Taylor Chase
1991
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
as Aunt Helen
1990
Dream On
as Carolyn
1990
In Living Color
1990
Beaches
as Diva
1988
A Different World
as Susan Clayton
1987
A Different World
as Dean Dorothy Dandridge Davenport
1987
Bette Midler: Art or Bust
as Self - Harlette
1984