Early life

Devine was born in Houston, Texas. Her mother, Eunice O'Neal (née Toliver), was a beautician, and her father, James Devine, worked as a laborer. She grew up in the Acres Homes area of Houston. She was very active on the pep squad, and performed in talent shows at George Washington Carver High School. Devine graduated from the University of Houston in 1971 with a Bachelor of Arts in Speech and Drama and Brandeis University in 1976 with a MFA in Theater. Devine was initiated into Alpha Kappa Alpha the Epsilon Lambda Chapter.

Career

Devine appeared in the 1978 musical A Broadway Musical, which closed after one performance. She captured attention in Dreamgirls, a 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). Minor roles for Devine followed in films such as Little Nikita and Stanley & Iris. She has a cameo performance in the film version of Dreamgirls. She was 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 Rollins, dormitory director at fictional Hillman College.

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 movie, The Preacher's Wife, her second movie with Houston and Hines. She later co-starred opposite Alfre Woodard in Down in the Delta (1998) and Funny Valentines (1999).

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, 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 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.

Devine had a recurring role in the Shonda Rhimes drama series Grey's Anatomy as Dr. Richard Webber's wife, Adele. 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. Devine also won Gracie Allen Award for Outstanding Female Actor in a Feature Role for Grey's Anatomy in 2012. In 2011, she also starred on the short-lived ABC Family comedy State of Georgia. In 2012, she played Hallie, a nurse, on Playhouse Disney's 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 cancelled after two seasons.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1981	Will	N/A
1983	Anna to the Infinite Power	Ms. Benson
1988	Little Nikita	Verna McLaughlin
1988	Sticky Fingers	Diane
1989	Heart and Soul	Tonia Harris	Short film
1990	Stanley & Iris	Bertha
1990	Sugar and Spice	Loretta Fontaine
1990	Cop Rock	Juror
1991	Livin' Large	Nadine Biggs
1992	Caged Fear	Judy
1992	Class Act	Blade's mom
1993	Amos & Andrew	Ula
1994	The Hard Truth	Nichols' secretary
1995	Waiting to Exhale	Gloria Matthews	NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
1996	The Preacher's Wife	Beverly	NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
1997	The Price of Kissing	Jackee
1997	Hoodlum	Pigfoot Mary
1997	Lover Girl	Leticia
1998	Urban Legend	Reece Wilson
1999	Lillie	Michelle
1999	Operation Splitsville	Principal
1999	The Breaks	Floria
2000	Punks	Health counselor
2000	Urban Legends: Final Cut	Reese Wilson
2000	What Women Want	Flo the Doorwoman
2001	Kingdom Come	Marguerite Slocumb	Nominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
2001	I Am Sam	Margaret Calgrove
2002	Baby of the Family	Delores
2002	Book of Love	N/A
2003	Zoe Busiek: Wild Card	N/A
2004	Woman Thou Art Loosed	Cassey Jordan	Nominated—Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female Nominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
2004	Crash	Shaniqua Johnson	Nominated—Black Reel Award for Best Supporting Actress
2005	King's Ransom	Miss Gladys
2006	Dirty Laundry	Evelyn
2006	Dreamgirls	Jazz singer
2007	Cougar Club	Dolly
2007	This Christmas	Ma'Dere	Nominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
2008	First Sunday	Sister Doris
2008	Beverly Hills Chihuahua	Delta (voice)
2008	Spring Breakdown	Dr. Marguerite
2009	My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done?	Miss Roberts
2010	Death at a Funeral	Cynthia
2010	Lottery Ticket	Grandma
2010	For Colored Girls	Juanita Sims
2010	Politics of Love	Shirlee Gupta
2011	Jumping the Broom	Pamela Taylor
2011	Madea's Big Happy Family	Shirley
2013	Khumba	Mama V (voice)
2014	You're Not You	Marilyn
2015	Welcome to Me	The Lawyer
2016	Norm of the North	Tamecia (voice)

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1987	CBS Summer Playhouse	Cheryl	Episode: "Sirens"
1987-1988	A Different World	Stevie Rallen	10 episodes
1988	The Murder of Mary Phagan	Annie Maude Carter	Television film
1989	Amen	Lydia Cummings	Episode: "Court of Love"
1989	Parent Trap III	Thelma	Television film
1990	Murphy Brown	Nurse Hawking	Episode: "The Bitch's Back"
1991	Great Performances	Janine	Episode: "The Colored Museum"
1991	Reasonable Doubts	Valerie Hall	Episode: "Hard Bargains"
1992-1993	Roc	Cynthia	5 episodes
1993	The American Clock	Irene	Television film
1995	Picket Fences	Marla Melrose	Episode: "Close Encounters"
1995	Ned and Stacey	Mrs. Duncan	Episode: "Reality Check"
1996	Rebound	Miss Mary	Television film
1997	Fairy Tales for Every Child	Mother	Episode: "The Golden Goose"
1997	Touched by an Angel	Tonya Hawkins	Episode: "Amazing Grace - Part 1"
1997	Clover	Everleen	Television film
1997	Don King: Only in America	Connie Harper	Television film
1999-2003	The PJs	Muriel Stubbs (voice)	42 episodes
1999	Moesha	Steph	Episode: "It Takes Two"
1999	Clueless	Phyliss Holiday	Episode: "Graduation"
1999	Funny Valentines	Dearie B.	Television film
1999	Jackie's Back!	Snookie Tate	Television film
1999	Introducing Dorothy Dandridge	Ruby Dandridge	Television film
2000-2004	Boston Public	Marla Hendricks	80 episodes NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Nominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress - Television Series
2000	Family Law	Gloria Rivers	Episode: "Playing God"
2000	Ally McBeal	Nora Mills	Episode: "I Will Survive"
2000	Freedom Song	Evelyn Walker	Television film Nominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special
2000	Best Actress	Connie Travers	Television film
2003	The System	Mrs. Marsha Waters	Unsold TV pilot
2003	Half & Half	Erika	2 episodes
2004-2005	Wild Card	M. Pearl McGuire	19 episodes
2005-2013	Grey's Anatomy	Adele Webber	22 episodes Gracie Allen Award for Outstanding Actress in a Featured Role NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series Nominated—Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Guest Performer in a Drama Series Nominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
2005	Supernatural	Missouri Moseley	Episode: "Home"
2005-2006	Girlfriends	Judge Vashti Jackson	2 episodes
2006	Boston Legal	Annabelle Carruthers	Episode: "The Nutcrackers"
2006	Life Is Not a Fairy Tale	Addie Collins	Television film Nominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special
2006-2007	Everybody Hates Chris	Maxine	3 episodes
2007	Boston Legal	Judge Victoria Thomson	Episode: "Oral Contracts"
2008-2009	Eli Stone	Patti Dellacroix	25 episodes Nominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series
2009	Cold Case	Chandra Patterson '09	Episode: "Soul"
2010	Party Down	Diane Ellison	Episode: "James Ellison Funeral"
2010	Legally Mad	Jeanette	Television film
2011	Glee	Sister Mary Constance	Episode: "Original Song"
2011	State of Georgia	Aunt Honey	12 episodes
2012-present	Doc McStuffins	Hallie Hippo (voice)	18 episodes
2012	The Game	Grandma Mack	Episode: "There's No Place Like Home"
2012	The Cleveland Show	Shirley (voice)	Episode: "Mama Drama"
2012	RuPaul's Drag Race	Herself	Episode: "Snatch Game"
2012	Shake It Up	Judge Marsha	Episode: "Judge It Up"
2012-2013	The Client List	Georgia Cummings	25 episodes
2014	Psych	Melba Birdson	Episode: "1967: A Psych Odyssey"
2014-2015	Sirens	Hank's Mother	3 episodes
2015-present	The Carmichael Show	Cynthia Carmichael	Series Regular

Stage appearances

• Minister, Godsong, La MaMa E.T.C., New York City, 1978
• (Broadway debut) Dionne, Hair (revival), Biltmore Theatre, 1977
• Soloist, Langston Hughes, AMAS Repertory Theatre, 1977
• Title role, Karma, Richard Allen Center, New York City, 1977
• Gloria, Verandah, New Dramatists, 1977
• Soloists, Seasons Reasons, Henry Street Settlement Playhouse, New York City, 1977
• Yenta lady, A Broadway Musical, Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, New York City, 1978
• Loretta, Miss Truth, Apollo Theatre, New York City, 1978
• Bones, Circle in the Square Theatre, New York City, 1978
• Ms. Dabney, Mahalia, Henry Street Settlement Playhouse, 1978
• Virtue, The Blacks, Richard Allen Center, New York City, 1978
• Young Mary, Comin' Uptown, Winter Garden Theatre, New York City, 1979
• Jewel, Lion and the Jewel, Lincoln Center, New York City, 1980
• Precious, Dementos, City Center, New York City, 1980
• Lorell Robinson, Dreamgirls, Imperial Theatre, New York City, 1981
• The Casting of Kevin Christian, Shepherd Street Art Gallery, 1983
• Mermaid, Gotta Getaway!, Radio City Music Hall, New York City, 1984
• Janeen Earl-Taylor, Long Time Since Yesterday, Henry Street Settlement Playhouse, New York City, 1985
• Lilly, Big Deal, Broadway Theater, New York City, 1986
• Lala, Wigs, and model, The Colored Museum, Public Theaters/Susan Stein Shiva Theater, New York City, 1986
• Delia, Spunk, Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles, 1990
• Billie Holiday, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill, Old Globe Theatre, San Diego, CA, then Little Theatre, Phoenix, AZ, 1991
• Holly Day, Rabbit Foot, Los Angeles Theatre Center, Los Angeles, 1991
• Charlesetta, East Texas Hot Links, The Met, Los Angeles, 1991
• Soloist, Rodgers, Hart, Hammerstein Tribute, Embassy Theatre, 1991
• Soloist, Big Moments on Broadway, Kennedy Center Opera House, Washington, DC, 1991
• Also appeared as Cissy, Woman from the Town and in A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Hot Mikado in 1990.

Charities

Loretta Devine supports the following charitable causes: Alzheimer's, AIDS.

[ Source: Wikipedia ]