Loretta Devine

Loretta Devine (born August 21, 1949)[1] is an American actress and singer, best known for her roles as Marla Hendricks in the Foxdrama 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, Hoodlum, I Am Sam, Urban Legend, What Women Want, Kingdom Come, Crash, Woman Thou Art Loosed, For Colored Girls, This Christmas, First Sunday, Beverly Hills Chihuahua and Jumping the Broom.[2] She also played Cynthia Carmichael on the NBC sitcom The Carmichael Show.[3][4]
== Early life ==
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.[1] She grew up in the Acres Homes area of Houston, where her mother was a single mother to six children.[5] She was very active on the pep squad, and performed in talent shows at George Washington Carver High School.[6]
In 1971, Devine graduated from the University of Houston with a Bachelor of Arts in Speech and Drama.[6] In 1976, she received a Master of Fine Arts in Theater from Brandeis University.[7]
Devine was initiated into Alpha Kappa Alpha the Epsilon Lambda Chapter.
== Career ==
=== 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.[2]
She captured attention in the 1995 Apollo Revival of The Wiz as Glinda The Good Witch of the South and shortly after, acted 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.[2]
=== 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.[8] For her featured role in the low-budget film, Devine earned $500.[8]
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).
=== Television ===
She was 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 Rollins, dormitory director at 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 Awardnomination 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.
Devine had a recurring role in the Shonda Rhimes drama series Grey's Anatomyas Dr. Richard Webber's wife, Adele.[9] 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.[10] Devine also won Gracie Allen Award for Outstanding Female Actor in a Feature Role for Grey's Anatomy in 2012.[11] 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 played Hallie, a nurse, on Playhouse Disney's 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 cancelled after two seasons.[12]
== Filmography ==
=== Film ===
Year	Title 	Role 	Notes
1981	Will 	 	
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 	
2016	Grandma’s House 	Margie 	
2017	My Other Home 	Mabel Marbury 	
2017	Naked 	Carol 	
2018	Sierra Burgess Is a Loser 	Ms. Webber 	
2018	Night School 	Carole 	
TBA 	Welcome to Pine Grove! 	Sally 	Post-production
=== 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
1988 	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 	Promised Land 	Tonya Hawkins 	Episode: "Amazing Grace: Part 2"
1997 	Clover 	Everleen 	Television film
1997 	Don King: Only in America 	Connie Harper 	Television film
1999–2002 	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)	115 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
2018 	Dear White People 	Sorbet 	Episode: "Volume 2: Chapter VII"
2018 	Living Biblically 	Estelle 	Episode: "Never Let Loyalty Love You"
2018 	Love Is 	Rose 	2 episodes