Born on January 25, 1957
Movie, television, and Broadway actress Jenifer Lewis was born in Kinloch in St. Louis County and attended Webster University. After performing in Broadway musicals, she appeared in movies such as Sister Act, What’s Love Got to Do with It, Poetic Justice, The Preacher’s Wife, Castaway, Madea’s Family Reunion, and Think Like a Man. Beloved for her comedic charisma and rich portrayal of matriarchal figures, she was known as the “Mother of Black Hollywood.” She brought wit and personality to over 400 episodes of TV including The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, A Different World, and the critically-acclaimed Black-ish. Jenifer Lewis also voiced numerous animated films including The Princess and the Frog and Cars.
