Jenifer Lewis
Known for
An exuberant American actress and singer, self-styled the 'Mother of Black Hollywood', with a booming stage presence and a huge body of work. Born in Missouri, she has voiced Flo in 'Cars' (2006) and Mama Odie in 'The Princess and the Frog' (2009), appeared in 'Cast Away' (2000), and became widely loved as the grandmother Ruby on the sitcom 'Black-ish'. A larger-than-life character actress with roots in musical theatre, she brings irrepressible energy and warmth to comedy, drama and animation.
Jenifer Lewis
50 Movies
45 Series
An exuberant American actress and singer, self-styled the 'Mother of Black Hollywood', with a booming stage presence and a huge body of work. Born in Missouri, she has voiced Flo in 'Cars' (2006) and Mama Odie in 'The Princess and the Frog' (2009), appeared in 'Cast Away' (2000), and became widely loved as the grandmother Ruby on the sitcom 'Black-ish'. A larger-than-life character actress with roots in musical theatre, she brings irrepressible energy and warmth to comedy, drama and animation.
Movies
Plays Flo Everson (voice)
GOAT
2026
Plays Flo (voice)
Cars 2
2011
Plays Flo (voice)
Cars 3
2017
Plays Flo (voice)
Cars
2006
Plays Becca Twig
Cast Away
2000
Plays Mama Odie (voice)
The Princess and the Frog
2009
Plays Motown Turtle (voice)
Shark Tale
2004
Plays Great Auntie Sloom (Voice)
The Addams Family
2019
Plays Nazara (voice)
Spellbound
2024
Plays Michelle
Sister Act
1992
Plays Doris Jenkins
The Wedding Ringer
2015
Plays Vegas Backup Singer #1
Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit
1993
Plays Dr. Aron
Blast from the Past
1999
Plays Loretta
Think Like a Man Too
2014
Plays Lucille
Mystery Men
1999
Plays Candace
Hereafter
2010
Plays Annie
Poetic Justice
1993
Plays Diva
Beaches
1988
Plays Mrs. Curtis
Dead Presidents
1995
Plays Loretta Hanover
Think Like a Man
2012
Plays Zelma Bullock
What's Love Got to Do with It
1993
Plays Mrs. Addison
The Mighty
1998
Plays Mrs. Coleman
Renaissance Man
1994
Plays Gogo (voice)
Zambezia
2012
Plays Jevina
Corrina, Corrina
1994
Plays Margueritte Coleman
The Preacher's Wife
1996
Plays Mary 'Mama' Clark
Not Easily Broken
2009
Plays Rita
Panther
1995
Plays Boss #1 - Lil
Girl 6
1996
Plays Mrs. Williams
The Meteor Man
1993
Plays Catherine Moore
Baggage Claim
2013
Plays Cab Driver
Undercover Blues
1993
Plays C-Note's Mom
Who's Your Caddy?
2007
Plays Therapist
Redrum
2007
Plays Vera
Meet the Browns
2008
Plays Flo (voice)
The Radiator Springs 500½
2014
Plays Lady Em
The Cookout
2004
Plays Louise Smith
The Brothers
2001
Plays Aunt Ruby
Juwanna Mann
2002
Plays Flo (voice)
Hiccups
2013
Plays Riffing Prop 8'er
Prop 8: The Musical
2008
Plays Nora
Nora's Hair Salon
2004
Plays Aunt Lettuce
Dirty Laundry
2006
Plays Jomisha
Frozen Assets
1992
TV Shows
Plays Ruby Johnson
black-ish
2014
Plays Lana Hawkins
Strong Medicine
2000
Plays Bebe Ho (voice)
The PJs
1999
Plays Aunt Helen
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
1990
Plays Veretta Childs
Girlfriends
2000
Plays Patricia Cochran
I Love That for You
2022
Plays Dean Dorothy Dandridge Davenport
A Different World
1987
Plays Patty (voice)
The Ghost and Molly McGee
2021
Plays Dr. Pearl Edmunds
The Upshaws
2021
Plays Grandma Tuskmon (voice)
Monsters at Work
2021
Creator
Plays Jenifer Lewis
Jenifer Lewis and Shangela
2012
Plays Georgia Rodman
Hangin' with Mr. Cooper
1992
Plays Pearl
The Playboy Club
2011
Plays Ruby Johnson
grown-ish
2018
Plays Mama Rose
The Temptations
1998
Plays Donna
Not Dead Yet
2023
Plays Professor Granville (voice)
Big Hero 6 The Series
2017
Plays Ellie Broussard
Shark
2006
Plays Lessie (voice)
American Dad!
2005
Plays Paula
Friends
1994
Plays Josie
The Jamie Foxx Show
1996
Plays Mrs. Biggs
Moesha
1996
Plays Mystique
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
1993
Plays Bartender (voice)
Star Trek: Lower Decks
2020
Plays Ms. Marjorie (voice)
Rugrats
2021
Plays Olympia Savage (voice)
Young Justice
2010
Plays Charlaine
Roc
1991
Plays Queenie
Promised Land
1996
Plays Female Black Widow Spider (voice)
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
1995
Plays Elizabeth Hopper
Day Break
2006
Latest Trailers
Watch Trailer
GOAT
Full Filmography
GOAT
Flo Everson (voice)
2026
Film
Haunted Hotel
Additional Voices (voice) · 1 episode
2025–
TV
Ado
Ms. Hopkins
2025
Film
Spellbound
Nazara (voice)
2024
Film
The Fairly OddParents: A New Wish
Mother Nature (voice) · 1 episode
2024–
TV
History of the World: Part II
Grandma · 1 episode
2023–
TV
Not Dead Yet
Donna · 2 episodes
2023–
TV
Night Court
Erika · 1 episode
2023–
TV
Rugrats
Ms. Marjorie (voice) · 1 episode
2021–2022
TV
Photos
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Jenifer Lewis and where are they from?
Jenifer Lewis is 69 years old, born on January 25, 1957 in Kinloch, Missouri, USA.
What are the most famous roles of Jenifer Lewis?
Jenifer Lewis is best known for roles in Cars, Cast Away, Cars 2.
How many movies has Jenifer Lewis been in?
Over a 43-year career (since 1983), Jenifer Lewis has appeared in 50 movies and 44 TV shows.
What was Jenifer Lewis's first movie?
The career of Jenifer Lewis began with Bette Midler: No Frills (1983).
What is Jenifer Lewis's most recent movie or series?
Jenifer Lewis's most recent release is GOAT, which premiered on February 11, 2026.
What TV shows has Jenifer Lewis appeared in?
On television, Jenifer Lewis has appeared in Friends, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, American Dad!, Monsters at Work.
Jenifer Lewis
1957-01-25 · Kinloch, Missouri, USA
Jenifer Jeanette Lewis (born January 25, 1957) is an American film and television actress and singer.
She is one of Hollywood's most familiar faces, with more than 300 appearances in film and television and was dubbed a "national treasure" by TV Guide.com. She began her career appearing in Broadway musicals and worked as a back-up singer for Bette Midler before appearing in the films Beaches and Sister Act.
She delivered legendary performances as Tina Turner's mother in What's Love Got to Do With It and in The Preacher's Wife as the mother of Whitney Houston's character.
She starred opposite Matt Damon in Clint Eastwood's Hereafter. For director Tyler Perry, she created unforgettable characters in Madea's Family Reunion and Meet the Browns. In the movie Cast Away, she portrayed Tom Hanks' boss. In animated films, Jenifer's uniquely recognizable voice is adored by Disney fans worldwide in roles such as "Flo" in Cars and Cars 2, and as "Mama Odie" in The Princess and the Frog.
For six seasons, Jenifer portrayed "Lana Hawkins" on Lifetime's hit series Strong Medicine. She starred on the hit show Black-ish (ABC), where her hilarious portrayal of "Ruby Johnson" earned her a nomination for the 2016 Critics Choice Award.
She has also written two books: The Mother of Black Hollywood and Walking in My Joy: In These Streets.