
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.
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Biography from TMDB.
- January 25, 1957 (69)
- Kinloch, Missouri, USA
- Actor, also producer
- 94 on MovieCove · 125 credits in all
What are Jenifer Lewis' films like?
Across their 36 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 4 · Wry 1 · Earnest 27
Light 19 · Serious 10 · Dark 3
A split, not a type: Grounded 18 · Stylized 10 · Heightened 4
A split, not a type: Gentle 16 · Charged 12 · Intense 4
Steady 18 · Shifting 11 · Whiplash 3
Straight-faced 6 · Some laughs 15 · Funny 11
Slow burn 13 · Even-paced 19 · Relentless 0
Casual 24 · Engaged 8 · Full focus 0
Easy watch 20 · Affecting 8 · Heavy 4
Resolved 29 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 0
Roles they play
Usually the Mentor: 3 of 9 analyzed roles.
Show the 9 rolesHide the roles
- Allyas Betty in Deconstructing Sarah (1994)
- Threshold guardianas Boss #1 - Lil in Girl 6 (1996)
- Heroas Jackie Washington in Jackie's Back! (1999)
- Mentoras Muh Penniman in Little Richard (2000)
- Threshold guardianas Lady Em in The Cookout (2004)
- Mentoras Mama Odie in The Princess and the Frog (2009)
- Heraldas Catherine in Baggage Claim (2013)
- Mentoras Patricia in I Love That for You (2022)
- Heraldas Nazara in Spellbound (2024)
Moods and endings
- Happy22
- Bittersweet10
- Ambiguous3
- Other1
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Jenifer Lewis' films?
As of October 24, 2026, 72 of their 94 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Disney+ (19).
- Amphibia (2019) · actor
- What's Love Got to Do with It (1993) · actor
- Cars (2006) · actor
- The Princess and the Frog (2009) · actor
- Dead Presidents (1995) · actor
- Cars 3 (2017) · actor
- Sister Act (1992) · actor
- The Ghost and Molly McGee (2021) · actor
- Black-ish (2014) · actor
- Big Hero 6: The Series (2017) · actor
- Cars 2 (2011) · actor
- American Dad! (2005) · actor
- +7 more
- The Temptations (1998) · actor · free
- What's Love Got to Do with It (1993) · actor · free
- Jackie's Back! (1999) · actor, producer · free
- Finding Kendrick Johnson (2021) · actor, producer · free
- Blast from the Past (1999) · actor · free
- Corrina, Corrina (1994) · actor · free
- Think Like a Man (2012) · actor · free
- Poetic Justice (1993) · actor · free
- The Brothers (2001) · actor · free
- The Parent 'Hood (1995) · actor · free
- The Preacher's Wife (1996) · actor · free
- The Addams Family (2019) · actor · free
- +4 more
- Haunted Hotel (2025) · actor
- GOAT (2026) · actor
- Black-ish (2014) · actor
- The Upshaws (2021) · actor
- A Different World (1987) · actor
- The Fairly OddParents: A New Wish (2024) · actor
- Shark Tale (2004) · actor
- The Jamie Foxx Show (1996) · actor
- Adventures in Zambezia (2012) · actor
- Spellbound (2024) · actor
- Touched by an Angel (1994) · actor
- Christmas on the Square (2020) · actor
- +2 more
- Boston Legal (2004) · actor
- The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990) · actor
- New York Undercover (1994) · actor
- Living Single (1993) · actor
- Black-ish (2014) · actor
- Not Dead Yet (2023) · actor
- American Dad! (2005) · actor
- Grown-ish (2018) · actor
- That's So Raven (2003) · actor
- Teen Titans Go! (2013) · actor
- History of the World: Part II (2023) · actor
- MovieSphere+, show their 4 titles on MovieSphere+
- Howdy, show their 2 titles on Howdy
- ALLBLK, show their title on ALLBLK
- FOX One, show their title on FOX One
- MagellanTV, show their title on MagellanTV
- Shout! TV, show their title on Shout! TV
- UP Faith & Family, show their title on UP Faith & Family
- XiveTV Documentaries, show their title on XiveTV Documentaries
Subscription and free streaming for Jenifer Lewis' titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
125 credits, 94 with a MovieCove page; 20 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

GOAT(2026)
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films
Haunted Hotel(2025)
Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows
Ado (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

Spellbound(2024)
Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows
This Is Me... Now(2024)
Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all shows
Not Dead Yet(2023)
Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all shows
Night Court(2023)
Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all shows
So Help Me Todd(2022)
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all shows
Cars on the Road(2022)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all shows
I Love That for You(2022)
Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all shows
And Just Like That...(2021)
Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all shows
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all shows
Mickey Mouse Funhouse(2021)
Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all shows
All Boys Aren't Blue (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

Finding Kendrick Johnson(2021)
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films
Monsters at Work(2021)
Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all shows
Rugrats (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

The Upshaws(2021)
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all shows
Christmas on the Square(2020)
Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films
Star Trek: Lower Decks(2020)
Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows
The Addams Family(2019)
Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films
Amphibia(2019)
Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows
Forbidden (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

Grown-ish(2018)
Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all shows
Big Hero 6: The Series(2017)
Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all shows
Cars 3(2017)
Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
Secrets of the Magic City (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

The Wedding Ringer(2015)
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
It Had to Be You(2015)
Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films
Black-ish(2014)
Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all shows
Think Like a Man Too(2014)
Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films
The Radiator Springs 500½ (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

Baggage Claim(2013)
Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films
LaQuifa is Halleloosin' It! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

Teen Titans Go!(2013)
Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all shows
Hiccups (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

Jenifer Lewis and Shangela (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

Adventures in Zambezia(2012)
Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films
Think Like a Man(2012)
Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films
Five(2011)
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
The Playboy Club (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

Cars 2(2011)
Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films
Young Justice(2010)
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows
Hereafter(2010)
Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films
Not Easily Broken(2009)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
Prop 8: The Musical (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

Meet the Browns(2008)
Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films
Redrum(2007)
Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films
Who's Your Caddy?(2007)
Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films
Day Break (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

Geared-Up (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

Shark(2006)
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows
Dirty Laundry (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

Cars(2006)
Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films
Madea's Family Reunion(2006)
Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films
The Boondocks(2005)
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows
American Dad!(2005)
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows
Boston Legal(2004)
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows
Shark Tale(2004)
Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films
The Cookout(2004)
Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films
Nora's Hair Salon(2004)
Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films
That's So Raven(2003)
Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all shows
Antwone Fisher(2002)
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films
Juwanna Mann(2002)
Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films
The Brothers(2001)
Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films
Dancing in September (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

Cast Away(2000)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
Bette (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

Girlfriends(2000)
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all shows
Strong Medicine (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

Partners (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

Little Richard(2000)
Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
Time of Your Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)
Grown Ups (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

Mystery Men(1999)
Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films
Jackie's Back!(1999)
Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
Blast from the Past(1999)
Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films
The PJs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

The Temptations(1998)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows
An Unexpected Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

The Mighty(1998)
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films
Rituals (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

The Preacher's Wife(1996)
Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films
Promised Land (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

The Jamie Foxx Show(1996)
Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all shows
The Daily Show(1996)
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all shows
Girl 6(1996)
Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films
Moesha(1996)
Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all shows
Dead Presidents(1995)
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all filmsCourthouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)
Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films
Panther(1995)
Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all shows
The Parent 'Hood(1995)
Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all shows
Deconstructing Sarah(1994)
Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films
Friends(1994)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows
Touched by an Angel(1994)
Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all shows
New York Undercover(1994)
Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all shows
Shake, Rattle and Rock!(1994)
Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films
Corrina, Corrina(1994)
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films
Rebel Highway (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

Renaissance Man(1994)
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all shows
Undercover Blues(1993)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
Living Single(1993)
Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all shows
The Meteor Man(1993)
Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films
Poetic Justice(1993)
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films
Frozen Assets(1992)
Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films
Hangin' with Mr. Cooper(1992)
Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all shows
Sister Act(1992)
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films
Roc(1991)
Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all shows
Sunday in Paris (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows
Dream On (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

In Living Color (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

Beaches(1988)
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films
A Different World(1987)
Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all showsRhona Who Lives by the River (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Women Like Us (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Career shape
Star power in the 98th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 124 titles, 122 of them dated from 1987 to 2026; peak year 1994.
Film career
Peak 1994 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 3 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.
- 1987Screen debut· A Different World
- 1988First film· Beaches
- 2000Career best· Cast Away
- 2014Career best· black-ish
- 2014Screen Actors Guild Award nomination· black-ish
Billing
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.
Awards
3 major nominations and no wins, 2017–2018.
- Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
+1 other major body · 1 nomination
- Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
- Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.
How do Jenifer Lewis' films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 51st percentile, the median of all 53; across their 32 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 42nd percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up27
- 50th to 74th27
- 25th to 49th22
- Below 25th18
Shape of the crowd
38 of their 94 titles are Mixed.
- Universally Loved8
- Loved with Detractors1
- Divisive6
- Cult Classic4
- Crowd Pleaser33
- Broadly Agreed4
- Mixed38
Reviewers score the acting 63/100 in their films, across 30 reviewed titles; fans 77, detractors 41. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Is Jenifer Lewis' work okay for kids?
Across up to 13 MovieCove titles with content scores, frightening / intense runs heavier than most films.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.
Who does Jenifer Lewis work with?
People who share at least 2 of Jenifer Lewis' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Tamala Jones shares the most, 4.
Directors
- Tim StoryShared titles: Think Like a Man Too (2014), Think Like a Man (2012)See all 2 shared titles with Tim Story

- Robert TownsendShared titles: Little Richard (2000), Jackie's Back! (1999)See all 2 shared titles with Robert Townsend

- Allan ArkushShared titles: The Temptations (1998), Shake, Rattle and Rock! (1994)See all 2 shared titles with Allan Arkush

Writers
- David A. NewmanShared titles: Think Like a Man Too (2014), Think Like a Man (2012)See all 2 shared titles with David A. Newman
- Keith MerrymanShared titles: Think Like a Man Too (2014), Think Like a Man (2012)See all 2 shared titles with Keith Merryman
Actors
- Tamala JonesShared titles: Who's Your Caddy? (2007), Nora's Hair Salon (2004), The Brothers (2001), Little Richard (2000)See all 4 shared titles with Tamala Jones

- Kevin HartShared titles: Think Like a Man Too (2014), Think Like a Man (2012), Not Easily Broken (2009)See all 3 shared titles with Kevin Hart

- Meagan GoodShared titles: Think Like a Man Too (2014), Think Like a Man (2012), The Cookout (2004)See all 3 shared titles with Meagan Good

- Taraji P. HensonShared titles: Think Like a Man Too (2014), Think Like a Man (2012), Not Easily Broken (2009)See all 3 shared titles with Taraji P. Henson

Composers and editors
- Christopher LennertzShared titles: Think Like a Man Too (2014), Think Like a Man (2012)See all 2 shared titles with Christopher Lennertz

- Peter S. ElliotShared titles: Think Like a Man Too (2014), Think Like a Man (2012)See all 2 shared titles with Peter S. Elliot

- Marcus MillerShared titles: Think Like a Man (2012), The Brothers (2001)See all 2 shared titles with Marcus Miller

- Randy NewmanShared titles: The Princess and the Frog (2009), Cars (2006)See all 2 shared titles with Randy Newman

Producers
- John LasseterShared titles: Spellbound (2024), The Princess and the Frog (2009), Cars (2006)See all 3 shared titles with John Lasseter

- Will PackerShared titles: Think Like a Man Too (2014), Think Like a Man (2012)See all 2 shared titles with Will Packer

- Bob WeinsteinShared titles: Who's Your Caddy? (2007), The Mighty (1998)See all 2 shared titles with Bob Weinstein

- Harvey WeinsteinShared titles: Who's Your Caddy? (2007), The Mighty (1998)See all 2 shared titles with Harvey Weinstein



