The Mother of Black Hollywood: All of Jenifer Lewis' Iconic Mom Roles
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When you look back over actress Jenifer Lewis long, illustrious career—there’s no denying her legendary status.
Not only has her talent, wit, and beauty graced our big and small screens for the last few decades, but in all that time she’s been able to cement herself in the history books as one of the few actresses whose quite literally mothered some of the most iconic characters in some of the most iconic films. It’s why she and the internet have dubbed her the “Mother of Black Hollywood.”
And it’s in that vein and in light of the forthcoming Mother’s Day holiday that we felt it fitting to look back on a handful of those roles and celebrate one woman whose undoubtedly contributed to both the canon of TV and film and the culture.
So, let’s get started with...
“Black-ish”
In the hit ABC comedy, “Black-ish,” Lewis played Ruby Johnson—mother to Anthony Anderson’s Andre and ex-wife (and then future wife) to his father Earl (Lawrence Fishburne).
“What’s Love Got to Do With It?”
In the 1993 hit film “What’s Love Got to Do With It?” Lewis played Zelma Bullock—mother to Anna Mae Bullock a.k.a Tina Turner (Angela Bassett).
“Poetic Justice”
In John Singelton’s 1993 hit film “Poetic Justice,” Lewis played the role of Anne, mother to the character Lucky (the late rapper Tupac).
“The Preacher’s Wife”
In the 1996 hit Christmas film, “The Preacher’s Wife,” Lewis played Margueritte Coleman, mother to Julia (Whitney Houston).
“The Brothers”
In the 2001 hit film “The Brothers,” Lewis played Louise Smith, mother to Jackson Smith (Morris Chestnut).
“Think Like a Man” & “Think Like a Man Too”
In the popular Will Packer-produced hit films “Think Like a Man” and its sequel “Think Like a Man Too”—Lewis played Loretta Hanover, mother to Michael Hanover (Terence J).
“Baggage Claim”
In the 2013 rom-com “Baggage Claim” from David E.Talbert, Lewis played Catherine Moore—mother to Montana Moore (Paula Patton).
“The Temptations”
In the beloved “The Temptations” biopic miniseries, Lewis played “Mama Rose”—mother to member Melvin Franklin (D.B. Woodside).
“The Princess and the Frog”
In Disney’s historic “The Princess and the Frog,” Lewis lended her voice for the role of voodoo practitioner, Mama Odie.
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“Panther”
In the Mario Van Peebles-directed , 1995 film “Panther,” Lewis played Rita, mother to Judge (Kadeem Harrison).
“Dead Presidents”
Im the 1995 film “Dead Presidents,” Lewis played Mrs. Curtis, mother to Anthony Curtis (Larenz Tate).
“Girlfriends”
In the popular Mara Brock Akil created series “Girlfriends,” Lewis played Vereta Childs mother to Toni Childs (Jill-Marie Jones).
