Loretta Devine
Born August 21, 1949
Houston, Texas, U.S.
Alma mater University of Houston
Occupation Actress, singer
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Loretta Devine (born August 21, 1949) is an American actress and singer, best known for her roles as Marla Hendricks in the Fox drama series Boston Public, and for her recurring role as Adele Webber on the Shonda Rhimes’ Grey’s Anatomy, for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series in 2011. She had a role in the series Everybody Hates Chris as Rochelle’s mother. In film, Devine appeared in Waiting to Exhale, The Preacher’s Wife, I Am Sam, Urban Legend, Crash, Woman Thou Art Loosed, For Colored Girls, This Christmas and Jumping the Broom. She also played Cynthia Carmichael on the NBC sitcom The Carmichael Show.
Devine was born in Houston, Texas. Her mother, Eunice O’Neal (née Toliver), was a beautician, and her father, James Devine, worked as a laborer. She grew up in the Acres Homes area of Houston where her mom was a single mom to six children. She was very active on the pep squad, and performed in talent shows at George Washington Carver High School.
In 1971, Devine graduated from the University of Houston with a Bachelor of Arts in Speech and Drama. In 1976, she received a Master of Fine Arts in Theater from Brandeis University.
Devine was initiated into Alpha Kappa Alpha the Epsilon Lambda Chapter.
Broadway
Devine has worked extensively on Broadway. She appeared in the 1978 musical A Broadway Musical, which closed after one performance. Her first Broadway show was called Comin’ Uptown, and featured Gregory Hines.
She captured attention in Dreamgirls, a 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.
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).
Filmography
Film
Year Title Role Notes
1981 Will Will’s wife
1983 Anna to the Infinite Power Ms. Benson
1988 Little Nikita Verna McLaughlin
1988 Sticky Fingers Diane
1989 Heart and Soul Tonia Harris Short film
1990 Stanley & Iris Bertha
1990 Sugar and Spice Loretta Fontaine
1990 Cop Rock Juror
1991 Livin’ Large Nadine Biggs
1992 Caged Fear Judy
1992 Class Act Blade’s mom
1993 Amos & Andrew Ula
1994 The Hard Truth Nichols’ secretary
1995 Waiting to Exhale Gloria Matthews NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
1996 The Preacher’s Wife Beverly NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
1997 The Price of Kissing Jackee
1997 Hoodlum Pigfoot Mary
1997 Lover Girl Leticia
1998 Urban Legend Reese Wilson
1999 Lillie Michelle
1999 Operation Splitsville Principal
1999 The Breaks Floria
2000 Punks Health counselor
2000 Urban Legends: Final Cut Reese Wilson
2000 What Women Want Flo the Doorwoman
2001 Kingdom Come Marguerite Slocumb Nominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
2001 I Am Sam Margaret Calgrove
2002 Baby of the Family Delores
2002 Book of Love N/A
2003 Zoe Busiek: Wild Card N/A
2004 Woman Thou Art Loosed Cassey Jordan Nominated—Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female
Nominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
2004 Crash Shaniqua Johnson Nominated—Black Reel Award for Best Supporting Actress
2005 King’s Ransom Miss Gladys
2006 Dirty Laundry Evelyn
2006 Dreamgirls Jazz singer
2007 Cougar Club Dolly
2007 This Christmas Shirley Ann “Ma’Dere” Whitfield Nominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
2008 First Sunday Sister Doris
2008 Beverly Hills Chihuahua Delta (voice)
2008 Spring Breakdown Dr. Marguerite
2009 My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done? Miss Roberts
2010 Death at a Funeral Cynthia
2010 Lottery Ticket Grandma
2010 For Colored Girls Juanita Sims
2010 Politics of Love Shirlee Gupta
2011 Jumping the Broom Pamela Taylor
2011 Madea’s Big Happy Family Shirley
2013 Khumba Mama V (voice)
2014 You’re Not You Marilyn
2015 Welcome to Me The Lawyer
2016 Norm of the North Tamecia (voice)
2016 Caged No More Aggie
2017 My Other Home Mabel Marbury
2017 Naked Carol
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1987 CBS Summer Playhouse Cheryl Episode: “Sirens”
1987–1988 A Different World Stevie Rallen 10 episodes
1988 The Murder of Mary Phagan Annie Maude Carter Television film
1989 Amen Lydia Cummings Episode: “Court of Love”
1989 Parent Trap III Thelma Television film
1990 Murphy Brown Nurse Hawking Episode: “The Bitch’s Back”
1991 Great Performances Janine Episode: “The Colored Museum”
1991 Reasonable Doubts Valerie Hall Episode: “Hard Bargains”
1992–1993 Roc Cynthia 5 episodes
1993 The American Clock Irene Television film
1995 Picket Fences Marla Melrose Episode: “Close Encounters”
1995 Ned and Stacey Mrs. Duncan Episode: “Reality Check”
1996 Rebound: The Legend of Earl ‘The Goat’ Manigault Miss Mary Television film
1997 Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child Mother Episode: “The Golden Goose”
1997 Touched by an Angel Tonya Hawkins Episode: “Amazing Grace – Part 1”
1997 Clover Everleen Television film
1997 Don King: Only in America Connie Harper Television film
1999–2003 The PJs Muriel Stubbs (voice) 43 episodes
1999 Moesha Steph Episode: “It Takes Two”
1999 Clueless Phyliss Holiday Episode: “Graduation”
1999 Funny Valentines Dearie B. Television film
1999 Jackie’s Back! Snookie Tate Television film
1999 Introducing Dorothy Dandridge Ruby Dandridge Television film
2000–2004 Boston Public Marla Hendricks 81 episodes
NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (2001, 2003–04)
Nominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series
Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress – Television Series (2003–04)
2000 Family Law Gloria Rivers Episode: “Playing God”
2000 Ally McBeal Nora Mills Episode: “I Will Survive”
2000 Freedom Song Evelyn Walker Television film
Nominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special
2000 Best Actress Connie Travers Television film
2003 The System Mrs. Marsha Waters Unsold TV pilot
2003 Half & Half Erika 2 episodes
2004–2005 Wild Card M. Pearl McGuire 19 episodes
2005–2013 Grey’s Anatomy Adele Webber 22 episodes
Gracie Allen Award for Outstanding Actress in a Featured Role
NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
Nominated—Critics’ Choice Television Award for Best Guest Performer in a Drama Series
Nominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
2005, 2017 Supernatural Missouri Moseley 2 episodes
2005–2006 Girlfriends Judge Vashti Jackson 2 episodes
2006 Boston Legal Annabelle Carruthers Episode: “The Nutcrackers”
2006 Life Is Not a Fairy Tale Addie Collins Television film
Nominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special
2006–2007 Everybody Hates Chris Maxine 3 episodes
2007 Boston Legal Judge Victoria Thomson Episode: “Oral Contracts”
2008–2009 Eli Stone Patti Dellacroix 26 episodes
Nominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series
2009 Cold Case Chandra Patterson ’09 Episode: “Soul”
2010 Party Down Diane Ellison Episode: “James Ellison Funeral”
2010 Legally Mad Jeanette Television film
2011 Glee Sister Mary Constance Episode: “Original Song”
2011 State of Georgia Aunt Honey 12 episodes
2012–present Doc McStuffins Hallie Hippo/Nurse Hattie (voice) 18 episodes
2012 The Game Grandma Mack Episode: “There’s No Place Like Home”
2012 The Cleveland Show Shirley (voice) Episode: “Mama Drama”
2012 RuPaul’s Drag Race Herself Episode: “Snatch Game”
2012 Shake It Up Judge Marsha Episode: “Judge It Up”
2012–2013 The Client List Georgia Cummings 25 episodes
2014 Psych Melba Birdson Episode: “1967: A Psych Odyssey”
2014–2015 Sirens Hank’s Mother 3 episodes
2015 Being Mary Jane CeCe 6 episodes
2015–2017 The Carmichael Show Cynthia Carmichael 32 episodes
2016 Dinner in America with Brett Gelman Herself TV Special
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