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Loretta Devine
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 Broadway production of Dreamgirls (1981), Amelia "M'Dear" McKellan in the Netflix series, Family Reunion (2022), 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.
Devine also played Juanita Sims in the film adaptation of For Colored Girls (2010). She is also known for her roles as Stevie Rallen on NBC's A Different World during its first season and for her portrayal Marla Hendricks on the television series Boston Public (2000–2004).
Loretta Devine was born in Houston, Texas, on August 21, 1949 to James Devine and Eunice (Toliver). She grew up in the Acres Homes area of Houston, where her mother was a single mother to six children. She was very active on the pep squad, and performed in talent shows at George Washington Carver High School.
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.
Devine has worked extensively on Broadway. Her Broadway debut was in the 1977 revival of Hair, which played 43 performances at the Biltmore Theatre. The following year, Devine appeared 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 third Broadway show, called Comin' Uptown, a Harlem-set musical adaptation of A Christmas Carol, featuring Gregory Hines.
She rose to stardom in Dreamgirls, a smash 1981 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 6-week-long workshops that occurred across a three year period, wherein Devine, Sheryl Lee Ralph, and Jennifer Holliday improvised their characters.
She received rave reviews in the 1995 Apollo revival of The Wiz as Glinda the Good Witch of the South.[citation needed] 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.[citation needed]
While rehearsing for Dreamgirls in 1981, Devine was cast in Jessie Maple's Will, the first independent feature-length film directed by an African-American woman. 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.
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Loretta Devine
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 Broadway production of Dreamgirls (1981), Amelia "M'Dear" McKellan in the Netflix series, Family Reunion (2022), 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.
Devine also played Juanita Sims in the film adaptation of For Colored Girls (2010). She is also known for her roles as Stevie Rallen on NBC's A Different World during its first season and for her portrayal Marla Hendricks on the television series Boston Public (2000–2004).
Loretta Devine was born in Houston, Texas, on August 21, 1949 to James Devine and Eunice (Toliver). She grew up in the Acres Homes area of Houston, where her mother was a single mother to six children. She was very active on the pep squad, and performed in talent shows at George Washington Carver High School.
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.
Devine has worked extensively on Broadway. Her Broadway debut was in the 1977 revival of Hair, which played 43 performances at the Biltmore Theatre. The following year, Devine appeared 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 third Broadway show, called Comin' Uptown, a Harlem-set musical adaptation of A Christmas Carol, featuring Gregory Hines.
She rose to stardom in Dreamgirls, a smash 1981 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 6-week-long workshops that occurred across a three year period, wherein Devine, Sheryl Lee Ralph, and Jennifer Holliday improvised their characters.
She received rave reviews in the 1995 Apollo revival of The Wiz as Glinda the Good Witch of the South.[citation needed] 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.[citation needed]
While rehearsing for Dreamgirls in 1981, Devine was cast in Jessie Maple's Will, the first independent feature-length film directed by an African-American woman. 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.
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