Loretta Devine
Loretta Devine | |
---|---|
Born | |
Education | University of Houston (BA) Brandeis University (MFA) |
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 1977–present |
Spouse |
Glenn Marshall Tyler
(m. 1967) |
Children | 2 |
Awards | Full list |
Loretta Devine (born August 21, 1949) is an American actress. She is known for numerous roles across stage and screen. Her most high profile roles include Lorrell Robinson in the original Broadway production of Dreamgirls, the long-suffering Gloria Matthews in the film Waiting to Exhale, and her recurring role as Adele Webber on the medical drama Grey's Anatomy, for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series in 2011.
Early life
Loretta Devine was born in
In 1971, Devine graduated from the
Career
Stage work
Devine has worked extensively on Broadway. Her Broadway debut was in 1978 in a musical called A Broadway Musical, which closed after 14 previews and only one performance on December 21, 1978. She captured attention in her second Broadway show, called Comin' Uptown, which featured Gregory Hines.[5]
She rose to stardom in Dreamgirls, a smash 1983 Broadway musical loosely based on the history of The Supremes, in which she originated the role of Lorrell Robinson (a fictional character based on Mary Wilson). The story of Dreamgirls was created during workshops that were carried out in six-week workshops over the period of three years, which Devine, Sheryl Lee Ralph, and Jennifer Holliday developed via improv.[5] She also received raves in the 1995 Apollo revival of The Wiz as Glinda the Good Witch of the South.[citation needed]
Film
While rehearsing for Dreamgirls with a little girl in 1981, Devine was cast in Jessie Maple's Will, the first independent feature-length film directed by an African-American woman.[6] For her featured role in the low-budget film, Devine earned $500.[6]
Minor roles for Devine followed in films such as Little Nikita and Stanley & Iris.
In 1995, she landed a major role as Gloria Matthews in Waiting to Exhale, opposite Whitney Houston, Gregory Hines, and Angela Bassett. The role earned her an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture, as did her next film, The Preacher's Wife, her second film with Houston and Hines. She later co-starred opposite Alfre Woodard in Down in the Delta (1998) and Funny Valentines (1999).
She has a cameo performance in the film version of Dreamgirls.
Television and continued film successes
Devine played roles as a repertory character in the play
From 2000 to 2004, Devine starred as high school teacher Marla Hendricks on the
Devine had a recurring role in the
In 2011, she also starred on the short-lived
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1981 | Will | Will's Wife | |
1983 | Anna to the Infinite Power | Ms. Everett Benson | |
1988 | Little Nikita | Verna McLaughlin | |
Sticky Fingers | Diane Cooley | ||
1990 | Stanley & Iris | Bertha Simmons | |
1991 | Caged Fear | Judy | |
Livin' Large | Nadine Biggs | ||
1992 | Class Act | Ms. Brown | |
1993 | Amos & Andrew | Ula | |
1994 | The Hard Truth | Rose Maxwell | |
1995 | Waiting to Exhale | Gloria Matthews | |
1996 | The Preacher's Wife | Beverly | |
1997 | The Price of Kissing | Jackee Blaine | |
Hoodlum | Pigfoot Mary | ||
Lover Girl | Leticia | ||
1998 | Love Kills | Sylvia Finkelstein | |
Down in the Delta | Zenia | ||
Urban Legend | Reese Wilson | ||
Operation Splitsville | Principal | ||
Alyson's Closet | Raul's Mother (voice) | Short | |
1999 | Funny Valentines | Dearie B. | |
The Breaks | Floria | ||
Lillie | Michelle | ||
2000 | Punks | Aretha Stone | |
Urban Legends: Final Cut | Reese Wilson | ||
What Women Want | Florence "Flo" Glover | ||
2001 | Kingdom Come | Marguerite Slocumb | |
I Am Sam | Margaret Calgrove | ||
2002 | Book of Love | Mary Baker | |
Baby of the Family | Delores Evans | ||
2004 | Woman Thou Art Loosed | Cassey Jordan | |
Crash | Shaniqua Johnson | ||
2005 | King's Ransom | Miss Gladys | |
2006 | Dirty Laundry | Evelyn | |
Dreamgirls | Gladys Brooks | ||
2007 | Cougar Club | Dolly | |
This Christmas | Shirley Ann "Ma'Dere" Whitfield | ||
2008 | First Sunday | Sister Doris | |
Beverly Hills Chihuahua | Delta (voice) | ||
2009 | Spring Breakdown | Dr. Marguerite Tyson | |
My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done?
|
Miss Willheima Roberts | ||
2010 | Death at a Funeral | Cynthia | |
Lottery Ticket | Grandma Dorothy Carson | ||
For Colored Girls | Juanita Sims/Green | ||
Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 | Delta (voice) | Video | |
2011 | Madea's Big Happy Family | Shirley | |
Jumping the Broom
|
Pamela Taylor | ||
Politics of Love | Shirlee Gupta | ||
2012 | In the Hive | Mrs. Inez | |
2013 | The Get Away | Ms. Crawford | Short |
Khumba | Mama Veronica aka Mama V (voice) | ||
A Very Larry Christmas | Mrs. Claus | ||
2014 | Comeback Dad | Malinda | |
Welcome to Me | Barb Vaughn | ||
The Sound and the Fury | Dilsey | ||
You're Not You | Marilyn Jo | ||
2015 | Back to School Mom | Meghan Graham | |
1440 and Counting | Mrs. Nickel | Short | |
For the Love of Ruth | Naomi | ||
2016 | Norm of the North | Tamecia (voice) | |
Caged No More | Aggie James | ||
Grandma's House | Grandma Margie | ||
36 Hour Layover | Mrs. Carey | ||
2017 | My Other Home | Mabel Marbury | |
Naked | Carol | ||
Violets | Marcy | Short | |
2018 | Sierra Burgess Is a Loser | Ms. April Thomson | |
2019 | The Trap | Mama Jay | |
First Day Back | Superintendent Lola Greene | Short | |
Postmarked | Hattie | Short | |
2020 | The Last Starship | Dorothy | Short |
Spell | Eloise | ||
Always and Forever | Elda | ||
The McHenry Trial - Don't Judge a Kid by Their Hoodie | Doris McHenry | Short | |
2021 | Queen Bees | Sally Heart | |
The Starling | Velma | ||
2022 | Mack & Rita | Sharon | |
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules | Irene | ||
2023 | A Snowy Day in Oakland | Jeanette | |
TBA | Lost & Found in Cleveland | TBA | Completed |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1986 | The Core of the Apple | Herself | Episode: "Manhattan Afrodreams" |
1987 | CBS Summer Playhouse | Cheryl | Episode: "Sirens" |
1987–88 | A Different World
|
Stevie Rallen | Main cast (season 1) |
1988 | The Murder of Mary Phagan | Annie Maude Carter | Episode: "Episode #1.1 & #1.2" |
Amen | Lydia Cummings | Episode: "Court of Love" | |
1989 | Parent Trap III | Thelma Pardrige | TV movie |
Heart and Soul | Tonia Harris | TV movie | |
1990 | Murphy Brown | Nurse Diana Hawking | Episode: "The Bitch's Back" |
Sugar and Spice | Loretta Fontaine | Main cast | |
Cop Rock | Juror Devine | Episode: "Marital Blitz" & "No Noose Is Good Noose" | |
1991 | Great Performances | Janine Wills | Episode: "The Colored Museum" |
Reasonable Doubts | Valerie Hall | Episode: "Hard Bargains" | |
1992 | Love & War | Donna | Episode: "For John" |
1992–93 | Roc | Cynthia Raine | Recurring cast (season 2) |
1993 | Out All Night | Crystal | Episode: "The Way We Were" |
Family Album | June | Episode: "Salon, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehn, Goodbye" | |
The American Clock | Irene Mack Shaw | TV movie | |
1995 | Picket Fences | Marla Melrose | Episode: "Close Encounters" |
Ned and Stacey | Mrs. Sally Duncan | Episode: "Reality Check" | |
1996 | Rebound: The Legend of Earl 'The Goat' Manigault
|
Miss Mary Johnson | TV movie |
1997 | Touched by an Angel | Tonya Hawkins | Episode: "Amazing Grace: Part 1" |
Promised Land | Tonya Hawkins | Episode: "Amazing Grace: Part 2" | |
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child | Mother (voice) | Episode: "The Golden Goose" | |
Clover
|
Everleen Moore | TV movie | |
Don King: Only in America | Connie Harper | TV movie | |
1998 | E! Behind the Scenes | Herself | Episode: "Urban Legend" |
1999 | Moesha | Gwen "Stephanie" "Steph" Watkins | Episode: "It Takes Two" |
Clueless | Phyllis Holiday | Episode: "Graduation" | |
Jackie's Back | Snookie Tate | TV movie | |
Introducing Dorothy Dandridge | Ruby Dandridge | TV movie | |
1999–2001 | The PJs | Muriel Stubbs (née Warren) (voice) | Main cast |
2000 | Family Law | Gloria Rivers | Episode: "Playing God" |
Ally McBeal | Nora Mills | Episode: "I Will Survive" | |
Freedom Song | Evelyn Walker | TV movie | |
Best Actress | Connie Travers | TV movie | |
2001 | Intimate Portrait | Herself | Episode: "Lela Rochon" |
Hollywood Squares | Herself/Panelist | Recurring guest | |
2000–04 | Boston Public | Marla Hendricks | Main cast |
2003 | Pyramid
|
Herself/Celebrity Contestant | Episode: "Nov 4, 2003" |
Half & Half | Erika Duke | Episode: "The Big Phat Mouth Episode: Part 1 & 2" | |
2004–05 | Wild Card | M. Pearl McGuire | Main cast (season 2) |
2005 | Supernatural | Missouri Moseley | Episode: "Home" |
2005–06 | Girlfriends
|
Judge Vashti Jackson | Episodes: "Trial and Errors", "...Ain't Nothing Over There" |
2005–13 | Grey's Anatomy | Adele Webber | Recurring cast (season 2-4 & 7-8), guest (season 5-6 & 9) |
2006 | Boston Legal | Annabelle Carruthers | Episode: "The Nutcrackers" |
Life Is Not a Fairy Tale | Addie Collins | TV movie | |
2006–07 | Everybody Hates Chris | Maxine | Guest (season 1), recurring cast (season 2) |
2007 | Boston Legal | Judge Victoria Thomson | Episode: "Oral Contracts" |
2008–09 | Eli Stone | Patti Dellacroix | Main cast |
2009 | Cold Case | Chandra Patterson '09 | Episode: "Soul" |
Legally Mad | Jeanette Woods | Unaired pilot[13] | |
2010 | Party Down | Diane Ellison | Episode: "James Ellison Funeral" |
2011 | Glee | Sister Mary Constance | Episode: "Original Song" |
State of Georgia | Honey Dupree | Main cast | |
2012 | RuPaul's Drag Race | Herself | Episode: "Snatch Game" |
Shake It Up | Judge Marsha Elliott | Episode: "Judge It Up" | |
The Game
|
Grandma Donna Mack | Episode: "There's No Place Like Home" | |
The Cleveland Show | Shirley (voice) | Episode: "Mama Drama" | |
The Soul Man | Della Ballentine | Recurring cast (season 1) | |
2012–13 | The Client List | Georgia Cummings-Clemens | Main cast |
2012–20 | Doc McStuffins | Hallie Hippo (voice) | Main cast |
2013 | Teachers | Doris | TV movie |
2014 | Psych | Melba Birdson | Episode: "1967: A Psych Odyssey" |
Sullivan & Son | Rose | Episode: "Hank Goes Black" | |
Turbo Fast | Lydia | Episode: "Zoo Lander/Balloonatics" | |
2014–15 | Sirens | Rosemary St. Claire | Recurring cast (season 1), guest (season 2) |
2015 | Being Mary Jane | CeCe Robinson | Recurring cast (season 3) |
2015–17 | The Carmichael Show | Cynthia Carmichael | Main cast |
2016 | Hollywood Game Night | Herself/Celebrity Player | Episode: "Sealed with a Kesha" |
Nubbin & Friends | Mrs. Sandy Johnson | Episode: "The Letter "A"" | |
2017 | Supernatural | Missouri Moseley | Episode: "Patience" |
The Lost Souls Cafe | Geneva | TV movie | |
2018 | Dear White People | Sorbet | Episode: "Volume 2: Chapter VII" |
Living Biblically | Estelle Williams | Episode: "Never Let Loyalty Love You" | |
Love Is | Rose Marie | Recurring cast | |
Behind the Movement | Jo Ann Robinson | TV movie | |
Jingle Belle | Emory Simons | TV movie | |
2019 | A Black Lady Sketch Show | Pastor Rosetta Daniels | Episode: "Your Boss Knows You Don't Have Eyebrows" |
Black-ish | Lynette Mae | Recurring cast ( season 6 )
| |
A Sweet Christmas Romance | Mrs. Rose | TV movie | |
A Family Reunion Christmas | Amelia 'M'Dear' McKellan | TV movie | |
2019–22 | Family Reunion | Amelia 'M'Dear' McKellan | Main cast |
2020 | Cherish the Day | Herself | Episode: "Catharsis" |
Game On: A Comedy Crossover Event | Amelia 'M'Dear' McKellan | Episode: "Family Reunion: Remember the Family's Feud?" | |
Connecting | Dayleen | Recurring cast | |
2020–22 | P-Valley | Earnestine Sayles | Main cast (season 1), recurring cast (season 2) |
2021 | Teenage Euthanasia | God (voice) | Episode: "First Date with the Second Coming" |
Christmas in Harmony | Mama | TV movie | |
Christmas Déjà Vu | Crystal | TV movie | |
2021–23 | The Loud House | Gayle McBride (voice) | Recurring cast (season 5-6), guest (season 7) |
2022 | Days of Our Lives: Beyond Salem | Angela | Main cast (season 2) |
Eureka! | Wanda (voice) | Recurring cast | |
RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race | Herself/Fabulosity | Episode: "I'm Coming Out: First Time in Drag!" | |
All I Didn't Want for Christmas | Lorraine | TV movie | |
2023 | Days of Our Lives | Angela | 2 episodes |
Doc McStuffins: The Doc and Bella Are In! | Hallie Hippo (voice) | Recurring cast | |
God-ly | Clotho | Episode: "King of the Castle P1" | |
Young Love | Gigi Young (voice) | Recurring cast | |
Kingdom Business | Darlene | Recurring cast (season 2) |
Music video
Year | Song | Artist |
---|---|---|
2004 | "What If" | Ruben Studdard |
Video games
Year | Title | Role |
---|---|---|
2015 | King's Quest | Muriel Hobblepot |
Broadway
Year | Musical | Role | Location |
---|---|---|---|
1977 | Hair | Dionne | Samuel J. Friedman Theatre |
Langston Hughes | Soloist | AMAS Repertory Theatre | |
Karma | - | Richard Allen Center | |
Verandah | Gloria | New Dramatists | |
Seasons Reasons | Soloists | Henry Street Settlement Playhouse | |
1978 | Godsong | Minister | La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club |
A Broadway Musical | Yenta Lady | Lunt-Fontanne Theatre | |
Miss Truth | Loretta | Apollo Theatre | |
Bones | - | Circle in the Square Theatre | |
The Wiz | Glinda the Good Witch of the South | Henry Street Settlement Playhouse | |
The Blacks | Virtue | Richard Allen Center | |
1979 | Comin' Uptown | Young Mary | Winter Garden Theatre |
1980 | Lion and the Jewel | Jewel | Lincoln Center |
Dementos | Precious | New York City Center | |
1981 | Dreamgirls | Lorell Robinson | Imperial Theatre |
1983 | The Casting of Kevin Christian | - | Shepherd Street Art Gallery |
1984 | Gotta Getaway! | Mermaid | Radio City Music Hall |
1985 | Long Time Since Yesterday | Janeen Earl-Taylor | Henry Street Settlement Playhouse |
1986 | Big Deal | Lilly | Broadway Theatre |
The Colored Museum | Lala, Wigs, and Model | Public Theaters/Susan Stein Shiva Theater | |
1990 | Spunk | Delia | Mark Taper Forum |
Woman from the Town | Cissy | - | |
A Midsummer Night's Dream | Cissy | - | |
The Hot Mikado | Cissy | - | |
1991 | Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill | Billie Holiday | Old Globe Theatre, San Diego, CA, then Little Theatre, Phoenix, AZ, 1991 |
Rabbit Foot | Holly Day | Los Angeles Theatre Center | |
East Texas Hot Links | Charlesetta | The Met | |
Rodgers, Hart, Hammerstein Tribute | Soloist | Embassy Theatre | |
Big Moments on Broadway | Soloist | Kennedy Center Opera House | |
1995 | The Wiz | Glinda the Good Witch of the South | Apollo Revival |
Awards and nominations
See also
- History of the African-Americans in Houston
References
- ISBN 978-0-7864-5804-2. Archivedfrom the original on August 24, 2023. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
- ^ Loewenstein, Melinda (August 19, 2011). "Emmy Nominee Loretta Devine Reflects on a Divine Career". Backstage. Archived from the original on August 15, 2016. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
- ^ a b Kelly, Chris (February 26, 2013). "Devine Calling". Modern Luxury – Houston. Archived from the original on October 9, 2018. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
- ^ Pease, Theresa (Summer 2011). "Achieving Devinity: Even if you don't know this Brandeis actress' name, you'll recognize her face". Brandeis Magazine. Brandeis University. Archived from the original on December 19, 2016. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
- ^ a b c Smiley, Tavis (May 4, 2011). "Actress Loretta Devine" (Video interview). Tavis Smiley. PBS. Archived from the original on August 24, 2023. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
- ^ a b Oxendine, Alece (July 31, 2013). "Remembering Jessie Maple And Her Landmark 1981 Feature-Length Film, 'Will'". Indie Wire. indiewire.com. Archived from the original on August 24, 2023. Retrieved February 18, 2017.
- ^ Braxton, Greg (April 17, 2008). "Devine counts many blessings". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on August 24, 2023. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
- ^ "| Academy of Television Arts & Sciences". Emmys.com. Archived from the original on August 31, 2013. Retrieved January 12, 2014.
- ^ "2012 Gracie Awards". thegracies.org. Archived from the original on October 4, 2012. Retrieved October 28, 2012.
- ^ "The Client List: canceled, no season three | canceled + renewed TV shows". TV Series Finale. November 2013. Retrieved January 12, 2014.
- ^ Wells, Veronica (August 25, 2015). "Loretta Devine Talks New Show, Waiting To Exhale & More". MadameNoire. Archived from the original on May 18, 2021. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
- ^ Raqiyah, Mays (August 26, 2015). "Loretta Devine Tackles Topical Comedy on 'The Carmichael Show' [Interview]". Ebony. Archived from the original on August 15, 2016. Retrieved August 5, 2016..
- ^ Schneider, Michael (May 11, 2009). "NBC passing on 'Legally Mad'". Variety. Archived from the original on December 29, 2019. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
External links
- Loretta Devine at IMDb
- Loretta Devine at the Internet Broadway Database
- Loretta Devine at the Internet Off-Broadway Database