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Loretta Devine

Loretta Devine

48 movies on Netflix

Biography

Loretta Devine is an American actress known for work on stage and screen. Born in Houston in 1949 and raised in the city's Acres Homes neighborhood, she studied speech and drama at the University of Houston and earned a master's degree in theater from Brandeis University. She made her Broadway debut in a 1977 revival of Hair and rose to prominence originating the role of Lorrell Robinson in the 1981 musical Dreamgirls. On film she played Gloria Matthews in Waiting to Exhale (1995), a role that won her an NAACP Image Award, and she took a second Image Award for The Preacher's Wife (1996). Her television work includes the first season of A Different World, Marla Hendricks on Boston Public from 2000 to 2004, and Adele Webber on Grey's Anatomy, which brought her a Primetime Emmy Award in 2011. She later starred on the Netflix series Family Reunion.

77years old

Turns 78 on August 21in 286 days

  • Born Houston
  • Star sign: LeoThe sign runs July 23 to August 22

Movie Career

Films
48
Career span
36 years1988 to 2024

Genres

First and latest

Photos

  • Loretta Devine, photo 1 of 3
  • Loretta Devine, photo 2 of 3
  • Loretta Devine, photo 3 of 3

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  1. Big break

    Devine originated the role of Lorrell Robinson in the 1981 Broadway musical Dreamgirls, a character based on Mary Wilson of The Supremes. The show's story grew out of six-week workshops over three years where Devine, Sheryl Lee Ralph and Jennifer Holliday improvised their characters.

  2. First role

    Devine made her Broadway debut in the 1977 revival of Hair, which ran 43 performances at the Biltmore Theatre. Her next Broadway show, A Broadway Musical, closed after 14 previews and a single performance on December 21, 1978.

Loretta Devine movies on Netflix

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

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  1. I Am Sam2001 Dramaas Margaret Calgrove

    IMDb rating 7.6164K votes

  2. Urban Legend1998 Horror, Mystery, Thrilleras Reese Wilson

    IMDb rating 5.679K votes

  3. Sierra Burgess Is a Loser2018as Ms. Thomson

    IMDb rating 5.743K votes

  4. Spell2020as Eloise

    IMDb rating 5.511K votes

  5. Waiting to Exhale1995as Gloria Matthews

    IMDb rating 6.114K votes

  6. Madea's Big Happy Family2011as Shirley

    IMDb rating 4.99.2K votes

  7. This Christmas2007as Ma'Dere Whitfield

    IMDb rating 6.411K votes

  8. What Women Want2000as Flo the Doorwoman

    IMDb rating 6.5241K votes

Most often with

Tyler Perry directed two of these films. Keith David appears in five of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

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Keith David, 5 films togetherSee the 5 films with Keith DavidWhoopi Goldberg, 3 films togetherSee the 3 films with Whoopi GoldbergBrad Dourif, 3 films togetherSee the 3 films with Brad DourifMichael Beach, 3 films togetherSee the 3 films with Michael BeachRegina Hall, 3 films togetherSee the 3 films with Regina HallAnika Noni Rose, 3 films togetherSee the 3 films with Anika Noni RoseTyler PerryDirector, 2 filmsSee the 2 films by Tyler Perry

Films together

Box office

What Loretta Devine's films earned in cinemas worldwide.

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Combined worldwide box office

$1.2 billion

23 of the 48 films have a worldwide figure.

Of the 48 films: 23 worldwide figure; 8 us gross only; 11 never in cinemas; 1 streaming, short cinema run; 5 figure not found.

  • 23Worldwide figure
  • 8US gross only
  • 11Never in cinemas
  • 1Streaming, short cinema run
  • 5Figure not found

Top grosser

What Women Want2000as Flo the Doorwoman$374 million

Highest grossing

The eight biggest films earned 77% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.

  1. 1
    What Women Want2000as Flo the Doorwoman
    $374M31.2% of the total
  2. 2
    Dreamgirls2006as Jazz Singer
    $155M12.9% of the total
  3. 3
    I Am Sam2001as Margaret Calgrove
    $93M7.7% of the total
  4. 4
    Waiting to Exhale1995as Gloria Matthews
    $81M6.8% of the total
  5. 5
    Urban Legend1998as Reese Wilson
    $73M6.0% of the total
  6. 6
    Madea's Big Happy Family2011as Shirley
    $54M4.5% of the total
  7. 7
    Death at a Funeral2010as Cynthia
    $49M4.1% of the total
  8. 8
    The Preacher's Wife1996as Beverly
    $48M4.0% of the total
First Sunday (2008), $38.8 millionUrban Legends: Final Cut (2000), $38.6 millionFor Colored Girls (2010), $38.0 millionJumping the Broom (2011), $37.7 millionKhumba (2013), $27.2 millionLottery Ticket (2010), $24.7 millionHoodlum (1997), $23.5 millionNorm of the North (2016), $17.1 millionAmos & Andrew (1993), $9.7 millionStanley & Iris (1990), $5.8 millionDown in the Delta (1998), $5.7 millionMack & Rita (2022), $2.5 millionLittle Nikita (1988), $1.7 millionYou're Not You (2014), $894,964Spell (2020), $500,104

$272 millionfrom the other 15 films with a worldwide figure, 23% of the total

Awards

One award and honor, one of them major.

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Loretta Devine's awards and nominations, grouped by award
YearAwardFilmResult
Emmy Awards
2011Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama SeriesGrey's AnatomyWon

Online

Official profiles and reference pages.

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