Jenifer Lewis
Biography
Jenifer Lewis, an American actress and singer, began her career in Broadway musicals, making her debut in Eubie (1979) and working as a backup singer for Bette Midler before her first film roles in Beaches (1988) and Sister Act (1992). Born in Kinloch, Missouri, she became known for playing mothers in films such as What's Love Got to Do with It (1993), The Preacher's Wife (1996), The Brothers (2001), The Cookout (2004), Think Like a Man (2012), Think Like a Man Too (2014), Baggage Claim (2013) and The Wedding Ringer (2015). She voiced Mama Odie in The Princess and the Frog (2009) and Flo in the Cars franchise. On television, she starred as Lana Hawkins in Strong Medicine from 2000 to 2006 and as Ruby Johnson in Black-ish from 2014, earning two Critics' Choice Television Award nominations and seven NAACP Image Award nominations.
69years old
Turns 70 on January 25in 104 days
- Born Kinloch
- Star sign: AquariusThe sign runs January 20 to February 18
- Also credited as Jenifer Jeanette Lewis
Movie Career
- Films
- 34
- Career span
- 33 years1993 to 2026
Genres
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Did you know?!
A role that slipped away
Lewis was cast as Effie White in the workshop of Dreamgirls, the musical Michael Bennett directed. For the Broadway production, Bennett picked Jennifer Holliday instead.
Big break
Bette Midler's back-up group, the Harlettes, included Jenifer Lewis, and that job opened the door to her earliest television work on Midler's HBO specials.
First role
Soon after Jenifer Lewis got to New York City, she made her Broadway debut in Eubie (1979), a musical drawn from Eubie Blake's work, playing a small part.
Beyond film
Jenifer Lewis performed the theme song for Strong Medicine, the Lifetime medical drama in which she starred as Lana Hawkins from 2000 to 2006.
Beyond film
Jenifer Lewis developed an autobiographical comedy and music nightclub act called The Diva Is Dismissed, which she performed off-Broadway at the Public Theater.
Jenifer Lewis movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
Tim Story directed two of these films, Tyler Perry two. Two actors appear in four of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Kevin Hart's page
Gabrielle Union's page
Keith David's page
Angela Bassett's page
Taraji P. Henson's page
Meagan Good's page
All films by Tim Story
All films by Tyler Perry
Also three films together3 more actors
- Vanessa Bell CallowayThe Brothers (2001), The Temptations (1998) and What's Love Got to Do with It (1993)
- La La AnthonyThink Like a Man Too (2014), Baggage Claim (2013) and Think Like a Man (2012)
- Terrence JenkinsThink Like a Man Too (2014), Baggage Claim (2013) and Think Like a Man (2012)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.
Box office
What Jenifer Lewis's films earned in cinemas worldwide.
Combined worldwide box office
$2.2 billion
24 of the 34 films have a worldwide figure.
Of the 34 films: 24 worldwide figure; 1 us gross only; 6 never in cinemas; 1 streaming, short cinema run; 2 figure not found.
- 24Worldwide figure
- 1US gross only
- 6Never in cinemas
- 1Streaming, short cinema run
- 2Figure not found
Top grosser
Highest grossing
The eight biggest films earned 83% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.
- 1$462M21.1% of the total
- 2$430M19.6% of the total
- 3$271M12.4% of the total
- 4$204M9.3% of the total
- 5$194M8.8% of the total
- 6$96M4.4% of the total
- 7$80M3.6% of the total
- 8$70M3.2% of the total
$383 millionfrom the other 16 films with a worldwide figure, 17% of the total