Jenifer Lewis
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Jenifer Lewis

Acting

Biography

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.

Films Featuring Jenifer Lewis

Cars

20067.0

Prop 8: The Musical

20086.9

The Princess and the Frog

20097.2

Beaches

19886.7

Sister Act

19926.8

The Brothers

20016.6

The Preacher's Wife

19965.8

The Mighty

19987.3

Mystery Men

19995.9

Dirty Laundry

20065.4

Panther

19956.3

Jackie's Back!

19996.9

Not Easily Broken

20096.3

Madea's Family Reunion

20066.3

The Cookout

20044.7

Get Bruce!

19996.5

Think Like a Man

20126.8

Nora's Hair Salon

20047.9

Meet the Browns

20086.7

Shark Tale

20046.0

When Harry Met Sally 2 with Billy Crystal & Helen Mirren

20116.8

black-ish: A Celebration – An ABC News Special

20222.5

Think Like a Man Too

20146.4

Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit

19936.4

Partners

20005.5

Deconstructing Sarah

19943.0

The Wedding Ringer

20156.5

Baggage Claim

20135.3

Spellbound

20246.6

Dancing in September

20016.5

Undercover Blues

19936.0

Zambezia

20126.2

Bette Midler: No Frills

Bette Midler: No Frills

1983

An Unexpected Life

19984.9

Shake, Rattle and Rock!

19946.0

Earth to America

20057.7

This Is Me…Now

20245.4

Cars 2

20116.2

The Greatest Love Story Never Told

20246.5

Finding Kendrick Johnson

20217.6

Geared-Up

2006

What's Love Got to Do with It

19937.0

Five

20117.1

Frozen Assets

19923.6

Deadline for Murder: From the Files of Edna Buchanan

19957.0

Juwanna Mann

20025.1

Cars 3

20176.9

Blast from the Past

19996.8

Bette Midler: Art or Bust

19847.0

Hereafter

20106.1

Little Richard

20006.6

Hiccups

20135.9

The Radiator Springs 500½

20146.2

Jewel's Catch One

20176.6

Forbidden

20188.2

Girl 6

19965.1

Sunday in Paris

19916.0

Corrina, Corrina

19946.7

The Addams Family

20196.6

Cast Away

20007.7

Dead Presidents

19956.7

Secrets of the Magic City

20155.5

Who's Your Caddy?

20073.4

Redrum

20071.5

Dolly Parton's Christmas on the Square

20205.8

Renaissance Man

19946.1

All Boys Aren't Blue

2021

Poetic Justice

19936.7

The Meteor Man

19935.8

Maurice Hines: Bring Them Back

20195.0

Ado

20255.5

GOAT

20268.1

Rituals

19989.0

Antwone Fisher

20026.9

Tiana's Bayou Adventure | Disneyland Resort

20256.0

Commitment to Life

2023

Women Like Us

Women Like Us