
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 | The Starling | 2022 | |
Movie | Spell | Eloise | 2020-10-30 |
Movie | Always and Forever | Elda | 2020-11-20 |
Series | Family Reunion | M'Dear | 2019-07-10 |
Movie | The Trap | Mama Jay | 2019-04-01 |
Movie | A Sweet Christmas Romance | Loretta | 2019-11-10 |
Movie | Urban Legacy: The Story Behind Urban Legend | 2018-11-20 | |
Movie | Jingle Belle | Emory Simons | 2018-11-25 |
Movie | Sierra Burgess Is a Loser | Ms. Thomson | 2018-09-07 |
Series | Legally Mad | Jeanette Harris | 2018 |
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 | 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 | Brett Gelman's Dinner in America | Herself | 2016-07-01 |
Movie | No Regrets | Ms Carey | 2016-09-24 |
Series | The Carmichael Show | Cynthia Carmichael | 2015-08-26 |
Movie | Back to School Mom | Meghan Graham | 2015-02-14 |
Movie | The Sound and the Fury | Dilsey | 2015-10-23 |
Movie | You're Not You | 2014-10-10 | |
Movie | Welcome to Me | Barb Vaughn | 2014-09-05 |
Movie | Comeback Dad | Malinda | 2014-06-21 |
Movie | Doc Mcstuffins: A Little Cuddle Goes A Long Way | Hallie | 2014-03-17 |
Movie | A Very Larry Christmas | Mrs. Claus | 2013-12-31 |
Movie | Saving Westbrook High | Doris | 2013-10-20 |
Movie | Khumba | Mama V (voice) | 2013-07-18 |
Movie | In the Hive | Mrs. Inez | 2012-12-14 |
Series | Doc McStuffins | Nurse Hallie (voice) | 2012-03-23 |
Series | The Client List | Georgia Cummings | 2012-04-08 |
Movie | Politics of Love | Shirlee Gupta | 2011-08-26 |
Series | State of Georgia | Honey Dupree | 2011-06-29 |
Movie | Jumping the Broom | Mrs. Taylor | 2011-05-06 |
Movie | Madea's Big Happy Family | Shirley | 2011-04-22 |
Movie | Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 | Delta (voice) | 2011-02-01 |
Movie | For Colored Girls | Juanita / Green | 2010-11-05 |
Movie | Lottery Ticket | Grandma | 2010-08-20 |
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 |
Series | Eli Stone | Patti Dellacroix | 2008-01-31 |
Movie | First Sunday | Sister Doris | 2008-01-11 |
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 | Life Is Not a Fairytale: The Fantasia Barrino Story | Addie Collins | 2006-08-19 |
Movie | Dirty Laundry | Evelyn | 2006-07-15 |
Movie | King's Ransom | Miss Gladys | 2005-04-22 |
Series | Grey's Anatomy | Adele Webber | 2005-03-27 |
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 | Wild Card | M. Pearl McGuire | 2003-08-02 |
Series | Cold Case | Unknown | 2003-09-28 |
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 |
Series | Strong Medicine | Unknown | 2000-07-23 |
Movie | Freedom Song | Evelyn Walker | 2000-02-27 |
Movie | Best Actress | Connie Travers | 2000-03-18 |
Series | Girlfriends | Unknown | 2000-09-11 |
Movie | Urban Legends: Final Cut | Reese Wilson | 2000-09-22 |
Series | Boston Public | Marla Hendricks | 2000-10-23 |
Movie | What Women Want | Flo the Doorwoman | 2000-12-15 |
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 | Jackie's Back! | Snookie Tate (Jackie's Childhood Friend) | 1999-06-14 |
Movie | Funny Valentines | Dearie B. | 1999-02-14 |
Series | The PJs | 1999-01-10 | |
Movie | Down in the Delta | Zenia | 1998-12-25 |
Movie | Urban Legend | Reese Wilson | 1998-09-25 |
Movie | The Price of Kissing | Jackee | 1997-04-01 |
Series | Ally McBeal | Unknown | 1997-09-08 |
Movie | Hoodlum | Pigfoot Mary | 1997-08-27 |
Movie | Clover | Everleen | 1997-09-10 |
Movie | Lover Girl | Leticia / 'Coco' | 1997-09-11 |
Series | Promised Land | Unknown | 1996-09-17 |
Series | Moesha | Unknown | 1996-01-23 |
Movie | The Preacher's Wife | Beverly | 1996-12-13 |
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 | |
Series | Love & War | Unknown | 1992-09-21 |
Movie | Class Act | Blade's Mom | 1992-06-05 |
Movie | Livin' Large! | Nadine Biggs | 1991-09-20 |
Movie | Caged Fear | Judy | 1991-01-01 |
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 |
Series | Murphy Brown | Unknown | 1988-11-14 |
Movie | Sticky Fingers | Diane | 1988-05-06 |
Movie | Little Nikita | 1988-03-17 | |
Series | A Different World | Stevie Rallen | 1987-09-24 |
Movie | Anna to the Infinite Power | Mrs. Benson | 1983-01-12 |