Jenifer Lewis

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

Cars Not in library

Cars

2006

Cast Away Not in library

Cast Away

2000

Friends Not in library

Friends

1994

Cars 2 Not in library

Cars 2

2011

Shark Tale Not in library

Shark Tale

2004

Cars 3 Not in library

Cars 3

2017

The Princess and the Frog Not in library

The Princess and the Frog

2009

Sister Act Not in library

Sister Act

1992

The Addams Family Not in library

The Addams Family

2019

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Not in library

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

1990

Acting

2026 GOAT as Flo Everson (voice) In Library
2025 Ado as Ms. Hopkins
2025 Tiana's Bayou Adventure | Disneyland Resort as Mama Odie (Voice)
2025 Haunted Hotel as Additional Voices (voice) (1 episode)
2024 Spellbound as Nazara (voice)
2024 This Is Me…Now as Gemini
2024 The Greatest Love Story Never Told as Self
2024 The Fairly OddParents: A New Wish as Mother Nature (voice) (1 episode)
2023 Night Court as Erika (1 episode)
2023 Not Dead Yet as Donna (2 episodes)
2023 History of the World: Part II as Grandma (1 episode)
2022 black-ish: A Celebration – An ABC News Special as Self
2022 I Love That for You as Patricia Cochran (8 episodes)
2022 Sherri as Self - Guest (1 episode)
2022 Cars on the Road as Flo (voice) (1 episode)
2022 So Help Me Todd as Jacqueline Burton (1 episode)
2022 The Jennifer Hudson Show as Self - Guest (1 episode)
2021 Finding Kendrick Johnson as Narrator (voice)
2021 All Boys Aren't Blue
2021 Rugrats as Ms. Marjorie / Narrator (voice) (1 episode)
2021 Rugrats as Ms. Marjorie (voice) (1 episode)
2021 The Upshaws as Dr. Pearl Edmunds (5 episodes)
2021 Monsters at Work as Grandma Tuskmon (voice) (5 episodes)
2021 The Ghost and Molly McGee as Patty (voice) (7 episodes)
2021 Celebrity Wheel of Fortune as Self - Contestant (1 episode)
2021 Mickey Mouse Funhouse as Wheezelene (voice) (1 episode)
2021 And Just Like That… as Lucille Highwater (1 episode)
2020 Dolly Parton's Christmas on the Square as Margeline
2020 Star Trek: Lower Decks as Bartender (voice) (1 episode)
2020 Stars in the House as Self - Special Guest (1 episode)
2019 The Addams Family as Great Auntie Sloom (Voice)
2019 Maurice Hines: Bring Them Back as Self (archive footage)
2019 Amphibia as Mama Hasselback (voice) (1 episode)
2018 Forbidden
2018 grown-ish as Ruby Johnson (2 episodes)
2017 Cars 3 as Flo (voice)
2017 Jewel's Catch One as Self
2017 Big Hero 6 The Series as Professor Granville (voice) (2 episodes)
2016 The $100,000 Pyramid as Self (1 episode)
2016 To Tell the Truth as Self - Panelist (1 episode)
2016 Match Game as Self - Panelist (1 episode)
2015 The Wedding Ringer as Doris Jenkins
2015 Secrets of the Magic City as Aunt Valerie
2014 Think Like a Man Too as Loretta
2014 The Radiator Springs 500½ as Flo (voice)
2014 black-ish as Ruby Johnson (159 episodes)
2013 Baggage Claim as Catherine Moore
2013 Hiccups as Flo (voice)
2013 Teen Titans Go! as Microwavabelle (voice) (1 episode)
2012 Think Like a Man as Loretta Hanover
2012 Zambezia as Gogo (voice)
2012 RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars as Self - Guest Judge (1 episode)
2012 Jenifer Lewis and Shangela as Jenifer Lewis (4 episodes)
2011 When Harry Met Sally 2 with Billy Crystal & Helen Mirren as Retirement Home Waitress (uncredited)
2011 Cars 2 as Flo (voice)
2011 Five as Maggie
2011 The Playboy Club as Pearl (3 episodes)
2010 Hereafter as Candace
2010 Young Justice as Olympia Savage (voice) (1 episode)
2009 The Princess and the Frog as Mama Odie (voice)
2009 Not Easily Broken as Mary 'Mama' Clark
2009 Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen as Self - Guest (1 episode)
2008 Prop 8: The Musical as Riffing Prop 8'er
2008 Meet the Browns as Vera
2007 Who's Your Caddy? as C-Note's Mom
2007 Redrum as Therapist
2006 Cars as Flo (voice)
2006 Dirty Laundry as Aunt Lettuce
2006 Madea's Family Reunion as Milay Jenay Lori
2006 Geared-Up
2006 Shark as Ellie Broussard (1 episode)
2006 Day Break as Elizabeth Hopper (1 episode)
2005 Earth to America as Self
2005 American Dad! as Lessie (voice) (1 episode)
2005 The Boondocks as Boss Willona (voice) (1 episode)
2005 The Boondocks as Geraldine (voice) (1 episode)
2005 Dancing with the Stars as Self - Musical Guest (1 episode)
2004 The Cookout as Lady Em
2004 Nora's Hair Salon as Nora
2004 Shark Tale as Motown Turtle (voice)
2004 Boston Legal as Judge Isabel Fisher (2 episodes)
2003 That's So Raven as Vivian (1 episode)
2002 Juwanna Mann as Aunt Ruby
2002 Antwone Fisher as Aunt Mary Williams (uncredited)
2001 The Brothers as Louise Smith
2001 Dancing in September as Judge Warner
2000 Partners as Detective Lancy
2000 Little Richard as Muh Penniman
2000 Cast Away as Becca Twig
2000 Girlfriends as Veretta Childs (8 episodes)
2000 Bette
2000 Strong Medicine as Lana Hawkins (132 episodes)
1999 Mystery Men as Lucille
1999 Jackie's Back! as Jackie Washington
1999 Get Bruce! as Self
1999 Blast from the Past as Dr. Aron
1999 Grown Ups
1999 The PJs as Bebe Ho (voice) (43 episodes)
1999 Time of Your Life
1998 The Mighty as Mrs. Addison
1998 An Unexpected Life as Camille
1998 Rituals as Carmen
1998 The Temptations as Mama Rose (2 episodes)
1997 The Chris Rock Show as Self (1 episode)
1996 The Preacher's Wife as Margueritte Coleman
1996 Girl 6 as Boss #1 - Lil
1996 The Jamie Foxx Show as Josie (1 episode)
1996 Moesha as Mrs. Biggs (1 episode)
1996 Promised Land as Queenie (1 episode)
1996 The Daily Show
1995 Panther as Rita
1995 Deadline for Murder: From the Files of Edna Buchanan as Denice Cooper
1995 Dead Presidents as Mrs. Curtis
1995 The Parent 'Hood
1995 Courthouse as Judge Rosetta Reide (11 episodes)
1995 Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child as Female Black Widow Spider (voice) (1 episode)
1995 Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child as Hazel (voice) (1 episode)
1994 Deconstructing Sarah as Betty
1994 Shake, Rattle and Rock! as Amanda
1994 Corrina, Corrina as Jevina
1994 Renaissance Man as Mrs. Coleman
1994 Friends as Paula (1 episode)
1994 New York Undercover
1994 Touched by an Angel as Queenie (1 episode)
1994 Rebel Highway as Amanda Baldwin Cooper (1 episode)
1993 Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit as Vegas Backup Singer #1
1993 Undercover Blues as Cab Driver
1993 What's Love Got to Do with It as Zelma Bullock
1993 Poetic Justice as Annie
1993 The Meteor Man as Mrs. Williams
1993 Living Single
1993 Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman as Mystique (1 episode)
1992 Sister Act as Michelle
1992 Frozen Assets as Jomisha
1992 Hangin' with Mr. Cooper as Georgia Rodman (3 episodes)
1991 Sunday in Paris as Taylor Chase
1991 Roc as Charlaine (1 episode)
1990 The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air as Aunt Helen (8 episodes)
1990 In Living Color
1990 Dream On as Carolyn (1 episode)
1988 Beaches as Diva
1987 A Different World as Susan Clayton (1 episode)
1987 A Different World as Dean Dorothy Dandridge Davenport (8 episodes)
1984 Bette Midler: Art or Bust as Self - Harlette
1983 Bette Midler: No Frills as Herself
Rhona Who Lives by the River as Missy (1 episode)

Production

2012 Jenifer Lewis and Shangela Producer
1999 Jackie's Back! Co-Producer

Sound

2012 Jenifer Lewis and Shangela Theme Song Performance

Crew

2013 LaQuifa is Halleloosin' It! Thanks

Creator

2012 Jenifer Lewis and Shangela Creator