Place of Birth:
Kinloch, Missouri, USA
Date of Birth:
1/25/1957
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.
Cars
Prop 8: The Musical
The Princess and the Frog
Beaches
Sister Act
The Brothers
The Preacher's Wife
The Mighty
Mystery Men
Dirty Laundry
Panther
Jackie's Back!
Not Easily Broken
Madea's Family Reunion
The Cookout
Get Bruce!
Think Like a Man
Nora's Hair Salon
Meet the Browns
Shark Tale
When Harry Met Sally 2 with Billy Crystal & Helen Mirren
black-ish: A Celebration – An ABC News Special
Think Like a Man Too
Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit
Partners
Deconstructing Sarah
The Wedding Ringer
Baggage Claim
Spellbound
Dancing in September
Undercover Blues
Zambezia
Bette Midler: No Frills
The Temptations Le film de leur ascension vers la gloire
An Unexpected Life
Shake, Rattle and Rock!
Earth to America
This Is Me…Now
Cars 2
The Greatest Love Story Never Told
Finding Kendrick Johnson
Cars Wal-Mart Exclusive Geared UP
What's Love Got to Do with It
Five
Frozen Assets
Deadline for Murder: From the Files of Edna Buchanan
Juwanna Mann
Cars 3
Blast from the Past
Bette Midler: Art or Bust
Hereafter
Little Richard
Hiccups
The Radiator Springs 500½
Jewel's Catch One
Forbidden
Girl 6
Sunday in Paris
Corrina, Corrina
The Addams Family
Cast Away
Dead Presidents
Secrets of the Magic City
Who's Your Caddy?
Redrum
Dolly Parton's Christmas on the Square
Renaissance Man
All Boys Aren't Blue
Poetic Justice
The Meteor Man
Maurice Hines: Bring Them Back
Sister Act 3: Kicking the Habit