| Birth Date: | 21 August 1949 |
| Birth Place: | Houston, Texas, U.S. |
| Education: | University of Houston (BA) Brandeis University (MFA) |
| Occupation: | Actress |
| Yearsactive: | 1977–present |
| Children: | 2 |
| Awards: | Full list |
Loretta Devine (born August 21, 1949) is an American actress. She is known for numerous roles across stage and screen. Her most high profile roles include Lorrell Robinson in the original (1981) Broadway production of Dreamgirls, the long-suffering Gloria Matthews in the film Waiting to Exhale (1995), and her recurring role as Adele Webber on the medical drama Grey's Anatomy, for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series in 2011.
Loretta Devine was born in Houston, Texas, on August 21, 1949.[1] She grew up in the Acres Homes area of Houston, where her mother was a single mother to six children.[2] She was very active on the pep squad, and performed in talent shows at George Washington Carver High School.[3]
In 1971, Devine graduated from the University of Houston with a Bachelor of Arts in Speech and Drama. In 1976, she received a Master of Fine Arts in Theater from Brandeis University.[4]
Devine has worked extensively on Broadway. Her Broadway debut was in 1978 in a musical called A Broadway Musical, which closed after 14 previews and only one performance on December 21, 1978. She captured attention in her second Broadway show, called Comin' Uptown, which featured Gregory Hines.
She rose to stardom in Dreamgirls, a smash 1983 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. She also received raves in the 1995 Apollo revival of The Wiz as Glinda the Good Witch of the South. In May 2024 she starred in The Preacher’s Wife, a musical that began its run in Atlanta at The Alliance Theatre and is based on the previous films.
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.[5] For her featured role in the low-budget film, Devine earned $500.
Minor roles for Devine followed in films such as Little Nikita and Stanley & Iris.
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 film, The Preacher's Wife, her second film with Houston and Hines. She later co-starred opposite Alfre Woodard in Down in the Delta (1998) and Funny Valentines (1999).
She has a cameo performance in the film version of Dreamgirls.
Devine played roles as 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 Rallen, a dormitory director at the 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, , 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 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. In 2008, she was featured prominently on George Michael's remake of "Feeling Good." She also appeared in First Sunday, Beverly Hills Chihuahua and Jumping the Broom.[6]
Devine had a recurring role in the Shonda Rhimes drama series Grey's Anatomy as Dr. Richard Webber's first wife, Adele.[7] 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.[8] Devine also won Gracie Allen Award for Outstanding Female Actor in a Feature Role for Grey's Anatomy in 2012.[9]
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 voiced the character Hallie, on the Disney Junior series 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 canceled after two seasons.[10] Devine also played Cynthia Carmichael on the NBC sitcom The Carmichael Show.[11] [12] Devine starred on the Netflix series, Family Reunion, with Richard Roundtree and Tia Mowry-Hardrict.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Will | Will's Wife | ||
| 1988 | Little Nikita | Verna McLaughlin | ||
| Sticky Fingers | Diane Cooley | |||
| 1990 | Stanley & Iris | Bertha Simmons | ||
| 1991 | Caged Fear | Judy | ||
| Livin' Large! | Nadine Biggs | |||
| 1992 | Class Act | Ms. Brown | ||
| 1993 | Amos & Andrew | Ula | ||
| 1994 | The Hard Truth | Rose Maxwell | Direct-to-DVD | |
| 1995 | Waiting to Exhale | Gloria Matthews | ||
| 1996 | The Preacher's Wife | Beverly | ||
| 1997 | The Price of Kissing | Jackee Blaine | ||
| Hoodlum | Pigfoot Mary | |||
| Lover Girl | Leticia | |||
| 1998 | Love Kills | Sylvia Finkelstein | ||
| Down in the Delta | Zenia | |||
| Urban Legend | Reese Wilson | |||
| Operation Splitsville | Principal | |||
| Alyson's Closet | Raul's Mother (voice) | Short film | ||
| 1999 | Funny Valentines | Dearie B. | ||
| The Breaks | Floria | |||
| Lillie | Michelle | |||
| 2000 | Punks | Aretha Stone | ||
| Reese Wilson | ||||
| What Women Want | Florence "Flo" Glover | |||
| 2001 | Kingdom Come | Marguerite Slocumb | ||
| I Am Sam | Margaret Calgrove | |||
| 2002 | Book of Love | Mary Baker | ||
| Baby of the Family | Delores Evans | |||
| 2004 | Woman Thou Art Loosed | Cassey Jordan | ||
| Crash | Shaniqua Johnson | |||
| 2005 | King's Ransom | Miss Gladys | ||
| 2006 | Dirty Laundry | Evelyn | ||
| Dreamgirls | Gladys Brooks | |||
| 2007 | Cougar Club | Dolly | ||
| This Christmas | Shirley Ann "Ma'Dere" Whitfield | |||
| 2008 | First Sunday | Sister Doris | ||
| Beverly Hills Chihuahua | Delta (voice) | |||
| 2009 | Spring Breakdown | Dr. Marguerite Tyson | ||
| My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done? | Ms Willheima Roberts | |||
| 2010 | Death at a Funeral | Cynthia | ||
| Lottery Ticket | Grandma Dorothy Carson | |||
| For Colored Girls | Juanita Sims/Green | |||
| 2011 | Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 | Delta (voice) | Direct-to-DVD | |
| Madea's Big Happy Family | Shirley | |||
| Jumping the Broom | Pamela Taylor | |||
| Politics of Love | Shirlee Gupta | |||
| 2012 | In the Hive | Mrs. Inez | ||
| 2013 | The Get Away | Ms. Crawford | Short film | |
| Khumba | Mama V (voice) | |||
| A Very Larry Christmas | Mrs. Claus | |||
| 2014 | Comeback Dad | Malinda | ||
| Welcome to Me | Barb Vaughn | |||
| The Sound and the Fury | Dilsey | |||
| You're Not You | Marilyn | |||
| 2015 | Back to School Mom | Meghan Graham | ||
| 1440 and Counting | Mrs. Nickel | Short film | ||
| For the Love of Ruth | Naomi | |||
| 2016 | Norm of the North | Tamecia (voice) | ||
| Caged No More | Aggie James | |||
| Grandma's House | Grandma Margie | |||
| Chapter & Verse | Miss Maddy | |||
| No Regrets | Ms. Carey | |||
| 2017 | My Other Home | Mabel Marbury | ||
| Naked | Carol | |||
| Violets | Marcy | Short film | ||
| 2018 | Sierra Burgess Is a Loser | Ms. April Thomson | ||
| 2019 | The Trap | Mama Jay | ||
| First Day Back | Superintendent Lola Greene | Short film | ||
| Postmarked | Hattie | |||
| 2020 | The Last Starship | Dorothy | ||
| Spell | Eloise | |||
| Always and Forever | Elda | |||
| The McHenry Trial - Don't Judge a Kid by Their Hoodie | Doris McHenry | Short film | ||
| 2021 | Queen Bees | Sally Hanson | ||
| The Starling | Velma | |||
| 2022 | Mack & Rita | Sharon | ||
| Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules | Irene (voice) | |||
| 2023 | A Snowy Day in Oakland | Jeanette | ||
| Lucille | Lucille | |||
| 2024 | Bull Street | Mrs. Big-Gal | ||
| Rock the Boat 2 | TBA | |||
| TBA | Lost & Found in Cleveland | Joy Morris |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Anna to the Infinite Power | Ms. Benson | Television film | |
| 1986 | The Core of the Apple | Herself | Episode: "Manhattan Afrodreams" | |
| 1987 | CBS Summer Playhouse | Cheryl | Episode: "Sirens" | |
| 1987–88 | A Different World | Stevie Rallen | Main cast (season 1) | |
| 1988 | The Murder of Mary Phagan | Annie Maude Carter | Episodes: "Episode #1.1 & #1.2" | |
| Amen | Lydia Cummings | Episode: "Court of Love" | ||
| 1989 | Parent Trap III | Thelma | Television film | |
| Heart and Soul | Tonia Harris | |||
| 1990 | Murphy Brown | Nurse Diana Hawking | Episode: "The Bitch's Back" | |
| Sugar and Spice | Loretta Fontaine | Main cast | ||
| Cop Rock | Juror | Episode: "Marital Blitz" & "No Noose Is Good Noose" | ||
| 1991 | Great Performances | Janine | Episode: "The Colored Museum" | |
| Reasonable Doubts | Valerie Hall | Episode: "Hard Bargains" | ||
| 1992 | Love & War | Donna | Episode: "For John" | |
| 1992–93 | Roc | Cynthia | Recurring cast (season 2) | |
| 1993 | Out All Night | Crystal | Episode: "The Way We Were" | |
| Family Album | June | Episode: "Salon, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehn, Goodbye" | ||
| The American Clock | Irene Mack Shaw | Television film | ||
| 1995 | Picket Fences | Marla Melrose | Episode: "Close Encounters" | |
| Ned and Stacey | Mrs. Duncan | Episode: "Reality Check" | ||
| 1996 | Miss Mary Johnson | Television film | ||
| 1997 | Touched by an Angel | Tonya Hawkins | Episode: "Amazing Grace: Part 1" | |
| Promised Land | Episode: "Amazing Grace: Part 2" | |||
| Mother (voice) | Episode: "The Golden Goose" | |||
| Clover | Everleen | Television film | ||
| Connie Harper | ||||
| 1998 | E | Behind the Scenes | Herself | Episode: "Urban Legend" |
| 1999 | Moesha | Steph | Episode: "It Takes Two" | |
| Clueless | Phyllis Holiday | Episode: "Graduation" | ||
| Jackie's Back | Snookie Tate | Television film | ||
| Introducing Dorothy Dandridge | ||||
| 1999–01 | The PJs | Muriel Stubbs (voice) | Main cast | |
| 2000 | Family Law | Gloria Rivers | Episode: "Playing God" | |
| Ally McBeal | Nora Mills | Episode: "I Will Survive" | ||
| Freedom Song | Evelyn Walker | Television film | ||
| Best Actress | Connie Travers | |||
| Cold Shoulder | Rosie | |||
| 2000–04 | Boston Public | Marla Hendricks | Main cast | |
| 2003 | Half & Half | Erika Duke | Episodes: "The Big Phat Mouth Episode: Part 1 & 2" | |
| 2004–05 | Wild Card | M. Pearl McGuire | Main cast (season 2) | |
| 2005; 2017 | Supernatural | Missouri Moseley | Episodes: "Home" & "Patience" | |
| 2005–06 | Girlfriends | Judge Vashti Jackson | Episodes: "Trial and Errors", "...Ain't Nothing Over There" | |
| 2005–13 | Grey's Anatomy | Adele Webber | Recurring cast (season 2-4 & 7-8), guest (season 5-6 & 9) | |
| 2006 | Life Is Not a Fairy Tale | Addie Collins | Television film | |
| 2006–07 | Everybody Hates Chris | Maxine | Guest (season 1), recurring cast (season 2) | |
| 2006; 2007 | Boston Legal | Judge Victoria Thomson / Annabelle Carruthers | Episode: "The Nutcrackers" & "Oral Contracts" | |
| 2008–09 | Eli Stone | Patti Dellacroix | Main cast | |
| 2009 | Cold Case | Chandra Patterson '09 | Episode: "Soul" | |
| 2010 | Legally Mad | Jeanette Woods | Television film | |
| Party Down | Diane Ellison | Episode: "James Ellison Funeral" | ||
| 2011 | Glee | Sister Mary Constance | Episode: "Original Song" | |
| State of Georgia | Aunt Honey Dupree | Main cast | ||
| 2012 | RuPaul's Drag Race | Herself | Episode: "Snatch Game" | |
| Shake It Up | Judge Marsha Sanders | Episode: "Judge It Up" | ||
| The Game | Grandma Mack | Episode: "There's No Place Like Home" | ||
| The Cleveland Show | Shirley (voice) | Episode: "Mama Drama" | ||
| The Soul Man | Della Ballentine | Episodes: "To Leave or Not to Leave" & "Momma's Home" | ||
| 2012–13 | The Client List | Georgia Cummings-Clemens | Main cast | |
| 2012–20 | Doc McStuffins | Hallie Hippo (voice) | Main cast | |
| 2013 | The Doc Files | Miniseries | ||
| Teachers | Doris | Television film | ||
| 2014 | Psych | Melba Birdson | Episode: "1967: A Psych Odyssey" | |
| Sullivan & Son | Rose | Episode: "Hank Goes Black" | ||
| Turbo Fast | Lydia (voice) | Episode: "Zoo Lander/Balloonatics" | ||
| 2014–15 | Sirens | Rosemary St. Claire | Recurring cast (season 1), guest (season 2) | |
| 2015 | Being Mary Jane | CeCe Robinson | Recurring cast (season 3) | |
| 2015–17 | The Carmichael Show | Cynthia Carmichael | Main cast | |
| 2016 | Nubbin & Friends | Mrs. Sandy Johnson | Episode: "The Letter "A"" | |
| 2017 | The Lost Souls Cafe | Geneva | Television film | |
| 2018 | Dear White People | Sorbet (voice) | Episode: "Volume 2: Chapter VII" | |
| Living Biblically | Estelle | Episode: "Never Let Loyalty Love You" | ||
| Love Is | Rose | Episodes: "Nuri and Yasir" & "Supportive" | ||
| Behind the Movement | Jo Ann Robinson | Television film | ||
| Jingle Belle | Emory Simons | |||
| 2019 | A Black Lady Sketch Show | Pastor Rosetta Daniels | Episode: "Your Boss Knows You Don't Have Eyebrows" | |
| Black-ish | Lynette Mae | Episodes: "Pops the Question", "O Mother Where Art Thou?" & "Father Christmas" | ||
| A Sweet Christmas Romance | Mrs. Rose | Television film | ||
| A Family Reunion Christmas | Amelia 'M'Dear' McKellan | |||
| 2019–22 | Family Reunion | Main cast | ||
| 2020 | Cherish the Day | Herself | Episode: "Catharsis" | |
| Amelia 'M'Dear' McKellan | Episode: "Family Reunion: Remember the Family's Feud?" | |||
| Connecting... | Dayleen | Episodes: "Day 82" & "Day 90" | ||
| Pandemically Single | Hazel Grant | Television pilot | ||
| 2020–22 | P-Valley | Ernestine Sayles | Main cast (season 1), recurring cast (season 2) | |
| 2021 | Summer Camp Island | Sea Cow (voice) | Episode: "Sea Bunnies" | |
| Teenage Euthanasia | God (voice) | Episode: "First Date with the Second Coming" | ||
| Christmas in Harmony | Mama | Television film | ||
| Christmas Déjà Vu | Crystal | |||
| 2021–23 | The Loud House | Nana Gayle McBride (voice) | Recurring cast (season 5-6), guest (season 7) | |
| 2022 | Angela | Main cast (season 2); Miniseries | ||
| Eureka! | Wanda (voice) | Episodes: "Eurek-Or-Treat/Nomad Like Home" & "Barry's Brrr-thday/Ptero Tap" | ||
| RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race | Herself/Fabulosity | Episode: "I'm Coming Out: First Time in Drag!" | ||
| All I Didn't Want for Christmas | Lorraine | Television film | ||
| 2023 | Days of Our Lives | Angela | Episodes: "Episode #1.14592" & "Episode #1.14595" | |
| Doc McStuffins: The Doc and Bella Are In | Hallie Hippo (voice) | Miniseries | ||
| God-ly | Clotho | Episode: "King of the Castle P1" | ||
| Young Love | Gigi Young (voice) | Recurring cast | ||
| Kingdom Business | Darlene | Recurring cast (season 2) | ||
| Act Your Age | Judith | Episode: "Yo' Mama" |
| Year | Musical | Role | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Hair | Dionne | Samuel J. Friedman Theatre | |
| Langston Hughes | Soloist | AMAS Repertory Theatre | ||
| Karma | - | Richard Allen Center | ||
| Verandah | Gloria | New Dramatists | ||
| Seasons Reasons | Soloists | Henry Street Settlement Playhouse | ||
| 1978 | Godsong | Minister | La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club | |
| A Broadway Musical | Yenta Lady | Lunt-Fontanne Theatre | ||
| Miss Truth | Loretta | Apollo Theatre | ||
| Bones | - | Circle in the Square Theatre | ||
| The Wiz | Glinda the Good Witch of the South | Henry Street Settlement Playhouse | ||
| The Blacks | Virtue | Richard Allen Center | ||
| 1979 | Comin' Uptown | Young Mary | Winter Garden Theatre | |
| 1980 | Lion and the Jewel | Jewel | Lincoln Center | |
| Dementos | Precious | New York City Center | ||
| 1981 | Dreamgirls | Lorell Robinson | Imperial Theatre | |
| 1983 | The Casting of Kevin Christian | - | Shepherd Street Art Gallery | |
| 1984 | Gotta Getaway! | Mermaid | Radio City Music Hall | |
| 1985 | Long Time Since Yesterday | Janeen Earl-Taylor | Henry Street Settlement Playhouse | |
| 1986 | Big Deal | Lilly | Broadway Theatre | |
| The Colored Museum | Lala, Wigs, and Model | Public Theaters/Susan Stein Shiva Theater | ||
| 1990 | Spunk | Delia | Mark Taper Forum | |
| Woman from the Town | Cissy | - | ||
| A Midsummer Night's Dream | Cissy | - | ||
| The Hot Mikado | Cissy | - | ||
| 1991 | Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill | Billie Holiday | Old Globe Theatre, San Diego, CA, then Little Theatre, Phoenix, AZ, 1991 | |
| Rabbit Foot | Holly Day | Los Angeles Theatre Center | ||
| East Texas Hot Links | Charlesetta | The Met | ||
| Rodgers, Hart, Hammerstein Tribute | Soloist | Embassy Theatre | ||
| Big Moments on Broadway | Soloist | Kennedy Center Opera House | ||
| 1995 | The Wiz | Glinda the Good Witch of the South | Apollo Revival |