
Loretta Devine was born on August 21, 1949 in Houston, Texas. She graduated from the University of Houston in 1971 with a Bachelor of Arts in Speech and Drama and BrandeisUniversity in 1976 with a MFA in Theater. Devine is a member of The Epsilon Lambda Chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. She began her career on Broadway starring in Dreamgirls. Minor roles for Devine followed in films such as Little Nikita (1988) and Stanley & Iris (1990). She also appeared in the first season of the TV series A Different World. In 1995, she landed a high-profile role as Gloria Matthews in Waiting to Exhale, joined in the cast by Whitney Houston, Gregory Hines, and Angela Bassett, among others. The role earned her an NAACP Image Award for Best Supporting Actress, as did her next movie, The Preacher's Wife, her second movie with Houston and Hines. In 2000, Devine took on the role of impassioned high school teacher Marla Hendricks on the Fox TV drama 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 Academy Awards Best Picture winning film Crash. She also plays Rochelle's mother, Maxine on the sitcom, Everybody Hates Chris. In 2007, she appeared in This Christmas, co-starring Delroy Lindo, Mekhi Phifer, and Regina King. Devine also appeared in Grey's Anatomy as Adele Webber. She played Patti on Eli Stone, an ABC television series which began airing in 2008 an in 2009, Devine starred in the TV series Cold Case. Most recently she can be seen in Lottery Ticket (2010), For Colored Girls (2010), Death at a Funeral and Madea’s Big Happy Family (2011).
Series | Legally Mad | Jeanette Harris | 2024 |
Movie | Urban Legend | Reese | 2024 |
Movie | Mack & Rita | Sharon | 2022-08-12 |
Movie | All I Didn't Want for Christmas | Lorraine | 2022-12-07 |
Movie | Queen Bees | Sally | 2021-06-11 |
Series | Days of Our Lives: Beyond Salem | Angela | 2021-09-06 |
Movie | Broadway: Beyond the Golden Age | Self | 2021-08-14 |
Movie | Spell | Eloise | 2020-10-30 |
Movie | Always and Forever | Elda | 2020-11-20 |
Movie | Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror | Self | 2019-02-07 |
Movie | A Family Reunion Christmas | Amelia 'M'Dear' McKellan | 2019-12-09 |
Movie | A Sweet Christmas Romance | Loretta | 2019-11-10 |
Series | Family Reunion | M'Dear | 2019-07-10 |
Movie | The Trap | Mama Jay | 2019-04-01 |
Movie | Sierra Burgess Is a Loser | Ms. Thomson | 2018-09-07 |
Movie | Urban Legacy: The Story Behind Urban Legend | Self | 2018-11-20 |
Movie | Behind the Movement | Jo Ann Robinson | 2018-11-15 |
Movie | Jingle Belle | Emory Simons | 2018-11-25 |
Movie | Chapter & Verse | Miss Maddy | 2017-02-03 |
Movie | Naked | Carol | 2017-08-11 |
Movie | Norm of the North | Tamecia (voice) | 2016-01-14 |
Movie | Caged No More | Aggie | 2016-01-15 |
Movie | Grandma's House | 2016-04-29 | |
Movie | No Regrets | Ms Carey | 2016-09-24 |
Movie | Back to School Mom | Meghan Graham | 2015-02-14 |
Movie | Welcome to Me | Barb Vaughn | 2015-05-01 |
Movie | The Sound and the Fury | Dilsey | 2015-10-23 |
Series | The Carmichael Show | Cynthia Carmichael | 2015-08-26 |
Movie | Comeback Dad | Malinda | 2014-06-21 |
Movie | Doc Mcstuffins: A Little Cuddle Goes A Long Way | Hallie | 2014-03-17 |
Movie | You're Not You | Marilyn | 2014-10-10 |
Movie | A Very Larry Christmas | Mrs. Claus | 2013-12-31 |
Movie | Khumba | Mama V (voice) | 2013-07-18 |
Series | The Client List | Georgia Cummings | 2012-04-08 |
Series | Doc McStuffins | Nurse Hallie (voice) | 2012-03-23 |
Movie | In the Hive | Mrs. Inez | 2012-12-14 |
Movie | Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 | Delta (voice) | 2011-02-01 |
Movie | Jumping the Broom | Mrs. Taylor | 2011-05-06 |
Movie | Madea's Big Happy Family | Shirley | 2011-04-22 |
Movie | Politics of Love | Shirlee Gupta | 2011-08-26 |
Series | State of Georgia | Honey Dupree | 2011-06-29 |
Movie | Lottery Ticket | Grandma | 2010-08-20 |
Movie | For Colored Girls | Juanita / Green | 2010-11-05 |
Movie | Death at a Funeral | Cynthia | 2010-04-15 |
Movie | My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done | Miss Roberts | 2009-12-11 |
Movie | Spring Breakdown | Dr. Marguerite | 2009-05-22 |
Series | Party Down | Unknown | 2009-03-20 |
Movie | First Sunday | Sister Doris | 2008-01-11 |
Series | Eli Stone | Patti Dellacroix | 2008-01-31 |
Movie | Beverly Hills Chihuahua | Delta (voice) | 2008-10-03 |
Movie | This Christmas | Shirley Ann "Ma'Dere" Whitfield | 2007-11-27 |
Movie | Cougar Club | Dolly | 2007-01-01 |
Movie | Dreamgirls | Jazz Singer | 2006-12-25 |
Movie | Dirty Laundry | Evelyn | 2006-07-15 |
Movie | Life Is Not a Fairytale: The Fantasia Barrino Story | Addie Collins | 2006-08-19 |
Movie | King's Ransom | Miss Gladys | 2005-04-22 |
Series | Supernatural | Missouri Moseley | 2005-09-13 |
Series | Everybody Hates Chris | Unknown | 2005-09-22 |
Movie | Crash | Shaniqua Johnson | 2005-05-06 |
Movie | Woman Thou Art Loosed | Cassey Jordan | 2004-09-30 |
Series | Boston Legal | Unknown | 2004-10-03 |
Series | Cold Case | Unknown | 2003-09-28 |
Series | Wild Card | M. Pearl McGuire | 2003-08-02 |
Movie | Book of Love: The Definitive Reason Why Men Are Dogs | 2002-02-14 | |
Series | Half & Half | Unknown | 2002-09-23 |
Movie | Kingdom Come | Marguerite Slocumb | 2001-04-11 |
Movie | I Am Sam | Margaret Calgrove | 2001-12-28 |
Movie | Freedom Song | Evelyn Walker | 2000-02-27 |
Series | Strong Medicine | Unknown | 2000-07-23 |
Movie | Best Actress | Connie Travers | 2000-03-18 |
Movie | Urban Legends: Final Cut | Reese | 2000-09-22 |
Series | Boston Public | Marla Hendricks | 2000-10-23 |
Movie | What Women Want | Flo | 2000-12-15 |
Series | Girlfriends | Unknown | 2000-09-11 |
Series | The PJs | Muriel Stubbs | 1999-01-10 |
Movie | The Breaks | Floria | 1999-02-26 |
Movie | Funny Valentines | Dearie B. | 1999-02-14 |
Series | Family Law | Unknown | 1999-09-20 |
Movie | Love Kills | Sylvia Finkelstein | 1999-10-04 |
Movie | Jackie's Back! | Snookie Tate (Jackie's Childhood Friend) | 1999-06-14 |
Movie | Introducing Dorothy Dandridge | Ruby Dandridge | 1999-08-21 |
Movie | Urban Legend | Reese Wilson | 1998-09-25 |
Movie | Down in the Delta | Zenia | 1998-12-25 |
Movie | The Price of Kissing | Jackee | 1997-04-01 |
Movie | Hoodlum | Pigfoot Mary | 1997-08-27 |
Movie | Clover | Everleen | 1997-09-10 |
Movie | Lover Girl | Leticia / 'Coco' | 1997-09-11 |
Series | Ally McBeal | Unknown | 1997-09-08 |
Movie | Don King: Only in America | Connie Harper | 1997-11-15 |
Series | Moesha | Unknown | 1996-01-23 |
Movie | The Preacher's Wife | Beverly | 1996-12-13 |
Series | Promised Land | Unknown | 1996-09-17 |
Movie | Waiting to Exhale | Gloria Matthews | 1995-12-22 |
Series | Touched by an Angel | Unknown | 1994-09-21 |
Movie | Amos & Andrew | Ula | 1993-03-05 |
Movie | The American Clock | 1993-01-02 | |
Movie | Class Act | Blade's Mom | 1992-06-05 |
Series | Love & War | Unknown | 1992-09-21 |
Movie | Caged Fear | Judy | 1991-05-17 |
Movie | Livin' Large! | Nadine Biggs | 1991-09-20 |
Series | Sugar and Spice | 1990-03-30 | |
Movie | Stanley & Iris | Bertha | 1990-02-09 |
Series | Cop Rock | Unknown | 1990-09-26 |
Movie | Parent Trap III | Thelma | 1989-04-09 |
Movie | Little Nikita | Verna McLaughlin | 1988-03-17 |
Movie | Sticky Fingers | Diane | 1988-05-06 |
Series | Murphy Brown | Unknown | 1988-11-14 |
Series | A Different World | Stevie Rallen | 1987-09-24 |
Movie | Anna to the Infinite Power | Mrs. Benson | 1983-01-12 |
Movie | Will | 1981-01-01 |