Loretta Devine facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Loretta Devine
Loretta Devine in 2010
Born	(1949-08-21) August 21, 1949 (age 75) Houston, Texas, U.S.
Education	University of Houston (BA) Brandeis University (MFA)
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1977–present
Spouse(s)	Glenn Marshall Tyler ​ (m. 1967)​
Children	2
Awards	Full list

Loretta Devine (born August 21, 1949) is a talented American actress. She is famous for her many roles on stage and in movies and TV shows. Some of her most well-known roles include Lorrell Robinson in the original Broadway musical Dreamgirls (1981). She also played Gloria Matthews in the movie Waiting to Exhale (1995). On TV, she was Adele Webber in the medical drama Grey's Anatomy, a role that won her an Emmy Award. Loretta Devine also appeared as Juanita Sims in the film For Colored Girls (2010).

Early life and education

Loretta Devine was born in Houston, Texas, on August 21, 1949. She grew up in a part of Houston called Acres Homes. Her mother raised six children by herself. Loretta was very active in school. She was on the pep squad and performed in talent shows at George Washington Carver High School.

In 1971, Loretta graduated from the University of Houston. She earned a degree in Speech and Drama. Later, in 1976, she received a Master of Fine Arts degree in Theater from Brandeis University.

Her acting career

Loretta Devine has had a long and successful career in acting. She has performed on Broadway, in many movies, and on popular TV shows.

On the stage

Loretta Devine has worked a lot on Broadway, which is where the biggest stage shows in New York City happen. Her first Broadway show was in 1978. It was a musical called A Broadway Musical. She gained more attention in her second Broadway show, Comin' Uptown, which starred Gregory Hines.

She became very famous for her role in Dreamgirls. This popular 1983 Broadway musical was inspired by the story of the music group The Supremes. Loretta played the original role of Lorrell Robinson. This character was based on Mary Wilson from The Supremes. Loretta, along with other actors like Sheryl Lee Ralph and Jennifer Holliday, helped create the story of Dreamgirls through workshops and improv. She also received great reviews in 1995 for her role as Glinda the Good Witch in the Apollo revival of The Wiz.

In movies

While working on Dreamgirls in 1981, Loretta Devine was cast in a movie called Will. This film was special because it was the first independent movie directed by an African-American woman, Jessie Maple. Loretta earned $500 for her part in this low-budget film.

She then had smaller roles in movies like Little Nikita and Stanley & Iris. In 1995, she got a big role as Gloria Matthews in Waiting to Exhale. She starred alongside famous actresses like Whitney Houston and Angela Bassett. This role helped her win an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture. She won the same award for her next film, The Preacher's Wife, where she worked with Whitney Houston again. She also appeared in Down in the Delta (1998) and Funny Valentines (1999).

Loretta Devine even had a small appearance in the movie version of Dreamgirls.

On television and more films

Loretta Devine played a character in the play The Colored Museum. She and another actress from the play, Vickilyn Reynolds, later played sisters in the TV series Sugar and Spice. Before that, Loretta was in the first season of the TV show A Different World. She played Stevie Rallen, a dorm director at a fictional college.

From 2000 to 2004, Loretta starred as Marla Hendricks, a high school teacher, in the TV drama Boston Public. She won three more Image Awards for her work on this show. She also kept acting in movies, with important roles in Urban Legend, Urban Legends: Final Cut, and I Am Sam. She was nominated for an Image Award and an Independent Spirit Award for her role in the 2004 film Woman Thou Art Loosed. She also appeared in the movie Crash in 2005.

In 2007, she was in This Christmas. The next year, she had a regular role on the TV show Eli Stone. Loretta Devine also appeared in two movies directed by Tyler Perry: For Colored Girls and Madea's Big Happy Family. She was also featured in George Michael's remake of the song "Feeling Good" in 2008. Other movies she appeared in include First Sunday, Beverly Hills Chihuahua, and Jumping the Broom.

Loretta Devine had a recurring role in the TV drama Grey's Anatomy. She played Adele, the first wife of Dr. Richard Webber. In 2011, she won an Emmy Award for her performance. She was nominated again in 2012. She also won a Gracie Allen Award for her role in Grey's Anatomy in 2012.

In 2011, she starred in the comedy show State of Georgia. In 2012, she was part of the cast for Being Mary Jane. She also lent her voice to the character Hallie the Hippo in the Disney Junior cartoon series Doc McStuffins. Later that year, she began starring in the TV series The Client List. She played Georgia Cummings, who owned a massage parlor. The show ran for two seasons. Loretta also played Cynthia Carmichael on the NBC sitcom The Carmichael Show. More recently, she starred in the Netflix series Family Reunion.

Broadway performances

Loretta Devine has performed in many musicals and plays on Broadway and in other theaters.

Awards and nominations

Loretta Devine has won many awards for her acting.

See also

In Spanish: Loretta Devine para niños

• History of the African-Americans in Houston