There are few actresses as endlessly compelling as Jenifer Lewis, a performer who can be hilarious and dead serious in the same breath. And while she may often be known for playing a mother figure rather than a romantic lead — though she’s very much capable of that, too — Lewis proves range matters more than any archetype.
Thanks to her roles in “black-ish,” Think Like A Man, Baggage Claim, What's Love Got to Do with It, and several other projects, we’ve seen that the Black Hollywood mom trope can look wildly different depending on the film or series. Even outside her live-action work, Lewis has lent her voice to animated classics like Disney’s The Princess and the Frog and “Cars on the Road.”
In any case, Lewis is great at what she does, which probably explains why she’s been booked and busy for the bulk of her career. With that in mind, REVOLT looked back at 13 of her best roles, in no particular order.
1. Ruby Johnson in “black-ish”
ABC’s “black-ish” is beloved for its comedy and social commentary, but one of the show’s most meaningful moments comes from its family dynamics — particularly Ruby (played by Lewis) and her often selfish ways. There’s never a dull moment when she’s on screen, whether she’s driving Dre and Rainbow up the wall or delivering some of the most outlandish lines.
2. Zelma Bullock in ‘What's Love Got to Do with It’
Lewis took on the role of Zelma Bullock, the mother of Alline and Anna Mae (better known as Tina Turner), in What’s Love Got to Do with It. Ike Turner even called her a “fine young thing” in the film, which chronicles the “Private Dancer” singer’s life.
3. Margueritte Coleman in ‘The Preacher’s Wife’
While Dudley (Denzel Washington) helps rekindle the romance between Reverend Henry (Courtney B. Vance) and Julia (Whitney Houston) — and restores their faith just in time for the holidays — we also see the mother of Black Hollywood take on another memorable mother role. She plays Julia’s mom and drops some wisdom people either agree with or don’t: “Child, men ain't changed since Adam! And he gave up one of his own ribs just so he could have somebody to keep things from."
4. Loretta in ‘Think Like A Man’
We’ll always wonder what really happened during the rest of Ms. Loretta’s “tour” with Kevin Hart’s character, Cedric, especially after she invited him to taste her “yams.” Think Like a Man was the definition of star-studded. In addition to Lewis, the cast included Meagan Good (Mya), Taraji P. Henson (Lauren), and Terrence J (Michael), whose mom she portrayed. Of course, Lewis also returned for the sequel, Think Like A Man Too.
5. Anne in ‘Poetic Justice’
Tupac Shakur’s performance as Lucky in Poetic Justice earned the No. 2 spot in our list of his best acting roles, and as some fans might recall, Lewis portrayed his mother, Anne. As the Black icon later shared on “Legacy Talk,” her “Boy, shut the f**k up and put the cigarette out” line was definitely not a part of the script.
“Tupac was a cold professional, baby. He had his lines down, he knew what he was doing, he came to the table,” she told Lena Waithe. “If you wanna know the truth, I kinda knew who Tupac was, but I really [didn’t] know who he was.”
6. Mary Clark in ‘Not Easily Broken’
Mama Clark, the very opinionated mother of Clarice (played by Taraji P. Henson), often projected her own baggage with men onto her daughter’s marriage. Lewis and Henson have shared the screen more than once, and every time they do, it’s pure magic.
7. Michelle in ‘Sister Act’
Musicals may not be everyone's cup of tea, but we’d argue that 1992’s Sister Act is a must-watch. While the film largely centers on Whoopi Goldberg as Sister Mary Clarence, we’re also introduced to Hurricane Lewis as Michelle, one of the lounge singers who performs alongside her at the club.
8. Catherine Moore in ‘Baggage Claim’
Even though Catherine Moore (played by Lewis) didn’t get her first karat until her third marriage, she’s incredibly eager for her daughters to tie the knot. “Throughout the film, Catherine is pushy but she still loves her daughters,” Lewis told ScreenSlam about the role, adding that it was one of the “happiest sets” she’s ever worked on.
9. Mama Odie in ‘The Princess and the Frog’
In The Princess and the Frog, Lewis voiced Mama Odie, a “blind, 197-year-old voodoo priestess” living in the Louisiana bayou. For such an already larger-than-life character on paper, the actress brought it to life perfectly. On top of that, the film gave us her unforgettable performance of “Dig a Little Deeper,” which she belts both on-screen and on the soundtrack.
10. Dean Davenport in “A Different World”
While the mother of Black Hollywood had plenty of big-screen roles throughout the ’90s, we can’t forget her time as Dean Davenport on “A Different World.” In one episode, she expelled Terrell for bringing a gun to school, but after Dwayne pleaded his case, she ultimately reversed the decision.
11. Mrs. Curtis in ‘Dead Presidents’
As Mrs. Curtis, Lewis played a supportive but worried mom who struggled with her son wanting to enlist in the Marine Corps after graduating, rather than follow his older brother to college.
12. Aunt Helen in “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”
A role that needs no introduction, Lewis’ Aunt Helen was one of the many enjoyable parts of “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” She portrayed Will Smith’s aunt and Vy’s sister, who spent much of her screen time teasing Uncle Phil.
13. Vera Brown in ‘Meet The Browns’
There’s no movie quite like a Tyler Perry movie. In Meet The Browns, the Diva brought to life Vera, whose funniest moment is arguably when she bursts into song, only to get pushed into a gravesite by a thoroughly annoyed Uncle L.B (Frankie Faison). Under normal circumstances, it probably wouldn't be funny, but considering the genre, it absolutely is.