
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).
Movie | Urban Legend | Reese | 2024 |
Series | Legally Mad | Jeanette Harris | 2024 |
Series | Young Love | Gigi Young (voice) | 2023-09-21 |
Movie | A Snowy Day in Oakland | Jeanette | 2023-03-17 |
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 | Christmas Déjà Vu | 2021-11-25 | |
Movie | Christmas in Harmony | Mama | 2021-10-29 |
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 | The Trap | Mama Jay | 2019-04-01 |
Movie | A Sweet Christmas Romance | Loretta | 2019-11-10 |
Series | Family Reunion | M'Dear | 2019-07-10 |
Movie | A Family Reunion Christmas | Amelia 'M'Dear' McKellan | 2019-12-09 |
Movie | Sierra Burgess Is a Loser | Ms. Thomson | 2018-09-07 |
Movie | Urban Legacy: The Story Behind Urban Legend | Self | 2018-11-20 |
Movie | The Doc McStuffins Christmas Special | Hallie | 2018-12-02 |
Movie | Jingle Belle | Emory Simons | 2018-11-25 |
Movie | Behind the Movement | Jo Ann Robinson | 2018-11-15 |
Movie | Naked | Carol | 2017-08-11 |
Movie | Chapter & Verse | Miss Maddy | 2017-02-03 |
Movie | No Regrets | Ms Carey | 2016-09-24 |
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 | |
Series | The Carmichael Show | Cynthia Carmichael | 2015-08-26 |
Movie | The Sound and the Fury | Dilsey | 2015-10-23 |
Movie | Back to School Mom | Meghan Graham | 2015-02-14 |
Movie | You're Not You | Marilyn | 2014-10-10 |
Movie | Comeback Dad | Malinda | 2014-06-21 |
Movie | Welcome to Me | Barb Vaughn | 2014-09-05 |
Movie | Doc Mcstuffins: A Little Cuddle Goes A Long Way | Hallie | 2014-03-17 |
Movie | Khumba | Mama V (voice) | 2013-07-18 |
Movie | A Very Larry Christmas | Mrs. Claus | 2013-12-31 |
Series | The Client List | Georgia Cummings | 2012-04-08 |
Movie | In the Hive | Mrs. Inez | 2012-12-14 |
Series | Doc McStuffins | Nurse Hallie (voice) | 2012-03-23 |
Movie | Madea's Big Happy Family | Shirley | 2011-04-22 |
Movie | Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 | Delta (voice) | 2011-02-01 |
Movie | Jumping the Broom | Mrs. Taylor | 2011-05-06 |
Series | State of Georgia | Honey Dupree | 2011-06-29 |
Movie | Politics of Love | Shirlee Gupta | 2011-08-26 |
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 |
Series | Party Down | Unknown | 2009-03-20 |
Movie | Spring Breakdown | Dr. Marguerite | 2009-05-22 |
Movie | My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done | Miss Roberts | 2009-12-11 |
Movie | Beverly Hills Chihuahua | Delta (voice) | 2008-10-03 |
Movie | First Sunday | Sister Doris | 2008-01-11 |
Series | Eli Stone | Patti Dellacroix | 2008-01-31 |
Movie | This Christmas | Shirley Ann "Ma'Dere" Whitfield | 2007-11-27 |
Movie | Cougar Club | Dolly | 2007-01-01 |
Movie | Dirty Laundry | Evelyn | 2006-07-15 |
Movie | Life Is Not a Fairytale: The Fantasia Barrino Story | Addie Collins | 2006-08-19 |
Movie | Dreamgirls | Jazz Singer | 2006-12-25 |
Series | Everybody Hates Chris | Unknown | 2005-09-22 |
Movie | Crash | Shaniqua Johnson | 2005-05-06 |
Series | Supernatural | Missouri Moseley | 2005-09-13 |
Movie | King's Ransom | Miss Gladys | 2005-04-22 |
Series | Boston Legal | Unknown | 2004-10-03 |
Movie | Woman Thou Art Loosed | Cassey Jordan | 2004-09-30 |
Series | Cold Case | Unknown | 2003-09-28 |
Series | Wild Card | M. Pearl McGuire | 2003-08-02 |
Series | Half & Half | Unknown | 2002-09-23 |
Movie | Book of Love: The Definitive Reason Why Men Are Dogs | 2002-02-14 | |
Movie | I Am Sam | Margaret Calgrove | 2001-12-28 |
Movie | Kingdom Come | Marguerite Slocumb | 2001-04-11 |
Movie | Freedom Song | Evelyn Walker | 2000-02-27 |
Movie | Best Actress | Connie Travers | 2000-03-18 |
Movie | Punks | Health Counselor | 2000-01-24 |
Movie | Urban Legends: Final Cut | Reese | 2000-09-22 |
Series | Strong Medicine | Unknown | 2000-07-23 |
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 | Funny Valentines | Dearie B. | 1999-02-14 |
Movie | Jackie's Back! | Snookie Tate (Jackie's Childhood Friend) | 1999-06-14 |
Movie | Love Kills | Sylvia Finkelstein | 1999-10-04 |
Series | Family Law | Unknown | 1999-09-20 |
Movie | Introducing Dorothy Dandridge | Ruby Dandridge | 1999-08-21 |
Movie | The Breaks | Floria | 1999-02-26 |
Movie | Urban Legend | Reese Wilson | 1998-09-25 |
Movie | Down in the Delta | Zenia | 1998-12-25 |
Movie | Lover Girl | Leticia / 'Coco' | 1997-09-11 |
Movie | Don King: Only in America | Connie Harper | 1997-11-15 |
Movie | The Price of Kissing | Jackee | 1997-04-01 |
Movie | Hoodlum | Pigfoot Mary | 1997-08-27 |
Movie | Clover | Everleen | 1997-09-10 |
Series | Ally McBeal | Unknown | 1997-09-08 |
Series | Promised Land | Unknown | 1996-09-17 |
Movie | The Preacher's Wife | Beverly | 1996-12-13 |
Series | Moesha | Unknown | 1996-01-23 |
Movie | Waiting to Exhale | Gloria | 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 |
Movie | Stanley & Iris | Bertha | 1990-02-09 |
Series | Cop Rock | Unknown | 1990-09-26 |
Series | Sugar and Spice | 1990-03-30 | |
Movie | Parent Trap III | Thelma | 1989-04-09 |
Movie | Sticky Fingers | Diane | 1988-05-06 |
Movie | Little Nikita | Verna McLaughlin | 1988-03-17 |
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 |