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.
Loretta Devine | |
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Born | (1949-08-21) August 21, 1949 (age 73) |
Education | University of Houston (BA) Brandeis University (MFA) |
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 1977–present |
Spouse | Glenn Marshall (m. 2001) |
Awards | Full list |
Loretta Devine was born in Houston, Texas, on August 21, 1949.[1] She grew up in the Acres Homes area of Houston, where her mother was a single mother to six children.[2] She was very active on the pep squad, and performed in talent shows at George Washington Carver High School.[3]
In 1971, Devine graduated from the University of Houston with a Bachelor of Arts in Speech and Drama.[3] In 1976, she received a Master of Fine Arts in Theater from Brandeis University.[4]
She was initiated into the Epsilon Lambda chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha.[citation needed]
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 1981 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.
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. She has a cameo performance in the film version of Dreamgirls.
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 movie, The Preacher's Wife, her second movie with Houston and Hines. She later co-starred opposite Alfre Woodard in Down in the Delta (1998) and Funny Valentines (1999).
Devine played roles as a repertory character in the play The Colored Museum with Vickilyn Reynolds. Devine and Reynolds both went on to play sisters in the short-lived TV series Sugar and Spice. During the period between the play and the series, Devine appeared in the first season of the TV series A Different World as Stevie Rallen, a dormitory director at the fictional Hillman College.
From 2000 to 2004, Devine starred as high school teacher Marla Hendricks on the Fox drama series Boston Public. Devine won three more Image Awards for her work in the series. She also continued to work in film, playing prominent roles in Urban Legend, Urban Legends: Final Cut, and I Am Sam. Devine earned yet another Image Award nomination and an Independent Spirit Award nomination for her work in the 2004 film Woman Thou Art Loosed. She also appeared in the 2005 film Crash. In 2007, she appeared in This Christmas, and in the next year had a series regular role on the ABC comedy-drama Eli Stone. Devine also was part of the ensemble casts of two Tyler Perry-directed films For Colored Girls and Madea's Big Happy Family. In 2008, she was featured prominently on George Michael's remake of "Feeling Good." She also appeared in First Sunday, Beverly Hills Chihuahua and Jumping the Broom.[5]
Devine had a recurring role in the Shonda Rhimes drama series Grey's Anatomy as Dr. Richard Webber's first wife, Adele.[7] In 2011 she won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her performance. She was nominated for a second time for her performance in 2012.[8] Devine also won Gracie Allen Award for Outstanding Female Actor in a Feature Role for Grey's Anatomy in 2012.[9]
In 2011, she also starred on the short-lived ABC Family comedy State of Georgia. In 2012, she was part of Being Mary Jane cast. She also voiced the character Hallie, on the Disney Junior series Doc McStuffins. Later that year she began starring in the Lifetime series The Client List, playing the role of Georgia Cummings, the owner of the massage parlor where the lead character Riley Parks works. The series was canceled after two seasons.[10] Devine also played Cynthia Carmichael on the NBC sitcom The Carmichael Show.[11][12] Devine currently stars on the Netflix series, Family Reunion, with Richard Roundtree and Tia Mowry-Hardrict.
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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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: The Definitive Reason Why Men Are Dogs | 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 mother | 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 | ||
Christmas Déjà Vu | - | ||
2022 | Mack & Rita | Sharon | |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
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" |
The American Clock | Irene Mack Shaw | TV movie | |
Family Album | June | Episode: "Salon, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehn, Goodbye" | |
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 | |
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 | Freedom Song | Evelyn Walker | TV movie |
Best Actress | Connie Travers | TV movie | |
Family Law | Gloria Rivers | Episode: "Playing God" | |
Ally McBeal | Nora Mills | Episode: "I Will Survive" | |
2000–04 | Boston Public | Marla Hendricks | Main cast |
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) |
2005–06 | Girlfriends | Judge Vashti Jackson | Episode: "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) |
2005–17 | Supernatural | Missouri Moseley | 2 episodes |
2006 | Boston Legal | Annabelle Carruthers | Episode: "The Nutcrackers" |
Life Is Not a Fairy Tale | Addie Collins | TV movie | |
2006–07 | Everybody Hates Chris | Maxine Rock | 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 | 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" | |
RuPaul's Drag Race | Herself | Episode: "Snatch Game" | |
2012–13 | The Client List | Georgia Cummings-Clemens | Main cast |
2012–20 | Doc McStuffins | Hallie Hippo/Nurse Hattie (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 | Nubbin & Friends | Mrs. Sandy Johnson | Episode: "The Letter "A"" |
2017 | The Lost Souls Cafe | Geneva | TV movie |
2018 | Behind the Movement | Jo Ann Robinson | TV movie |
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 | |
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 | |
2019–22 | Family Reunion | M'Dear | 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 | Episode: "Day 82" & "Day 90" | |
2020–22 | P-Valley | Earnestine | Recurring cast |
2021 | Teenage Euthanasia | God (voice) | Episode: "First Date with the Second Coming" |
Christmas in Harmony | Mama | TV movie | |
2021–22 | The Loud House | Gayle McBride (voice) | 4 episodes |
2022 | Days of Our Lives: Beyond Salem | Angela | Main cast (season 2) |
RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race | Herself/Fabulosity | Episode: "I'm Coming Out: First Time in Drag!" | |
Eureka! | Wanda (voice) | 2 episodes |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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2015 | King's Quest | Muriel Hobblepot (voice) |
Year | Awards | Category | Title | Outcome |
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1996 | NAACP Image Awards | NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture | Waiting to Exhale | Won |
1997 | NAACP Image Awards | NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture | The Preacher's Wife | Won |
2001 | NAACP Image Awards | NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | Boston Public | Won |
NAACP Image Awards | NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special | Freedom Song | Won | |
2002 | NAACP Image Awards | NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture | Kingdom Come | Nominated |
2003 | NAACP Image Awards | NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | Boston Public | Won |
Satellite Awards | Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress – Television Series | Boston Public | Nominated | |
2004 | NAACP Image Awards | NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | Boston Public | Won |
2005 | NAACP Image Awards | NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture | Woman Thou Art Loosed | Nominated |
Independent Spirit Awards | Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female | Woman Thou Art Loosed | Nominated | |
2007 | NAACP Image Awards | NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special | Life Is Not a Fairy Tale | Nominated |
2008 | NAACP Image Awards | NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture | This Christmas | Nominated |
2009 | NAACP Image Awards | NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series | Eli Stone | Nominated |
2011 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series | Grey's Anatomy | Won |
2012 | Gracie Allen Awards | Gracie Allen Award for Outstanding Actress in a Featured Role | Grey's Anatomy | Won |
NAACP Image Awards | NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | Grey's Anatomy | Nominated | |
Primetime Emmy Awards | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series | Grey's Anatomy | Nominated | |
Critics' Choice Television Awards | Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Guest Performer in a Drama Series | Grey's Anatomy | Nominated | |
2013 | NAACP Image Awards | NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | Grey's Anatomy | Won |
2022 | Children's and Family Emmy Awards | Children's and Family Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Performance | Family Reunion | Pending |
RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race | |||||
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