Jenifer Lewis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jenifer Lewis
Jenifer Lewis in 2008
Born	Jenifer Jeanette Lewis (1957-01-25) January 25, 1957 (age 68) Kinloch, Missouri, U.S.
Education	Webster University
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1979–present
Children	1

Jenifer Jeanette Lewis (born January 25, 1957) is a talented American actress. She started her career performing in exciting Broadway musicals. She also sang as a back-up singer for the famous Bette Midler. Later, she became well-known for her roles in movies like Beaches (1988) and Sister Act (1992).

Jenifer Lewis is often called "The Mother of Black Hollywood." This is because she frequently plays strong mother figures in films and TV shows. You might recognize her as Mama Odie's voice in Disney's animated movie The Princess and the Frog (2009). She also voiced Flo in Pixar's popular Cars series. Some of her other movie roles include Dead Presidents (1995), Cast Away (2000), and Hereafter (2010).

On television, Lewis starred as Lana Hawkins in the medical drama Strong Medicine from 2000 to 2006. She also had recurring roles in popular sitcoms like A Different World, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and Girlfriends. Since 2014, she has played Ruby Johnson in the ABC comedy series Black-ish. For this role, she earned two nominations for the Critics' Choice Television Award.

Early Life and Start

Jenifer Lewis was born in Kinloch, Missouri. This town is a suburb of St. Louis. Her mother was a nurse's aide, and her father worked in a factory. Jenifer is the youngest of seven children. She started singing in her church choir when she was just five years old.

She went to Kinloch High School. After that, she attended Webster University in Webster Groves, Missouri. In 2015, Webster University gave her an honorary degree. After college, Lewis moved to New York City to pursue her dreams.

Her Amazing Career

Starting on Broadway and with Bette Midler (1970s–1980s)

When Jenifer Lewis arrived in New York City, she quickly made her Broadway debut. She had a small part in Eubie (1979). This musical was based on the work of Eubie Blake. Next, she got the role of Effie White in the early version of Dreamgirls. However, another actress, Jennifer Holliday, took the role when the show moved to Broadway.

Lewis then became a "Harlette." This meant she was a back-up singer for the famous Bette Midler. This job led to Jenifer's first TV appearances. She was on Midler's HBO specials. She also got her first movie role as a singer in Midler's film Beaches (1988). At the same time, Lewis created her own show called The Diva Is Dismissed. It was a funny and musical show about her life. She performed it in New York City.

TV and Movie Roles (1990s)

After moving to Los Angeles, Lewis started appearing in many TV sitcoms. These included Murphy Brown, Dream On, and Friends. From 1992 to 1993, she played Dean Davenport in A Different World. She also had a recurring role as Aunt Helen in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. In 1995, she starred as Judge Rosetta Reide in Courthouse. This was a very important role as it was one of the first main African American lesbian characters on TV.

In 1992, Lewis was cast in the comedy film Sister Act. She played one of the back-up singers for Whoopi Goldberg. The next year, she played the mother of Tupac Shakur's character in Poetic Justice. She also played Zelma Bullock, Tina Turner's mother, in What's Love Got to Do With It. For this role, she was nominated for an NAACP Image Award. She continued to play mother roles in films like Panther and Dead Presidents in 1995.

In 1996, Lewis played Whitney Houston's character's mother in The Preacher's Wife. She received another NAACP Image Award nomination for this. She also appeared in The Mighty (1998) and The Temptations miniseries (1998). In 1999, she had the main role in the film Jackie's Back.

Voice Acting and More TV (2000s)

In 2000, Lewis had a supporting role in the adventure drama Cast Away. That same year, she began starring in the medical drama Strong Medicine. She even sang the show's theme song. The show ran until 2006. She also became the voice of Flo in Pixar's Cars movies. She had a recurring role as Veretta Childs in the sitcom Girlfriends.

In movies, she played Morris Chestnut's mother in The Brothers (2001). In 2006, she was a wedding planner in Tyler Perry's Madea's Family Reunion. She also appeared in Perry's Meet the Browns (2008).

In 2008, Lewis joined the Broadway show Hairspray as Motormouth Maybelle. She also did voice acting for The Princess and the Frog (2009). For this, she was nominated for an Annie Award.

Continued Success (2010s)

In 2010, Clint Eastwood cast Lewis in his fantasy film Hereafter. The next year, she starred in Five and received her third NAACP Image Award nomination. She played an overbearing mother in the hit movies Think Like a Man (2012) and Think Like a Man Too (2014). In 2013, she was Paula Patton's mother in Baggage Claim.

In 2014, Lewis was cast as Ruby Johnson in the ABC comedy series Black-ish. She became a main cast member in the second season. In 2017, she published her book, The Mother of Black Hollywood. In it, she shared stories about her life and career.

Recent Achievements (2020s)

In 2022, Jenifer Lewis was honored with a star on the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame. This is a huge achievement for actors!

In 2024, Lewis appeared on The Masked Singer as "Miss Cleocatra." She was eliminated on "Girl Group Night." Also in 2024, a special called After the Fall: A Conversation with Robin Roberts and Jenifer Lewis aired. It talked about a serious accident she had while on vacation in Africa. In 2024, she also received a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame.

Personal Life

Jenifer Lewis has shared that she has been engaged four times but has never married. She has an adopted daughter named Charmaine Lewis.

Jenifer Lewis has openly talked about her journey with mental health. She shared that she learned to love herself after many years of therapy. In 2022, Lewis had a serious accident in Serengeti, Africa. She fell from a hotel balcony and had to have a long surgery. She has since recovered.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Music videos

Theme parks

See also

In Spanish: Jenifer Lewis para niños