Many associate Loretta Devine, with her many memorable performances on both the big and small screen, including the hit movies Waiting to Exhale and Jumping The Broom, as well as her Emmy-winning performance on Grey’s Anatomy, her scene-stealing role on Being Mary Jane, her starring role on the breakout hit, The Carmichael Show or her voice on the hugely popular kids cartoon, Doc McStuffins.
“It’s a very positive script,” explains Devine when speaking about Doc McStuffins. “And Hallie is so supportive to what this young girl is trying to do, and it’s all about the stuffed animals. They all have these little ailments, which are not true ailments, which makes it sort of playful. It’s such a great teaching tool for young kids, from two up to five. They won’t be afraid to go to the doctor. They’ll understand what a check-up is. They’ll understand how important a check-up is. If they have a bite, they’ll know to show their mom. I think it’s a very positive little show. It was so successful – I was very happy with that. We did like 52 episodes in the first year.”
Recently, Devine has taken her talents to the STARZ hit show, P-Valley.
“In ‘P-Valley’ I play an 80-year-old cussing stripper that owns a juke joint down in the valley, and it was just an incredible experience,” said Devine of the role. “I was very excited to do it, but I was so scared of some of the language, and some of the stuff I said ’bout Jesus. I said, ‘Oh Lord, it’s a good thang my mom wasn’t here to hear it.’”
Her portrayal of the foul-mouthed grandmother to The Pynk’s owner, Uncle Clifford, won her an NAACP Image Award for the best outstanding guest performance this year.
“There are roles I wouldn’t take, there are roles I haven’t taken. You know, people think I took everything. I’m getting a chance at this age to play things I never dreamed of.”
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But there’s one role that still comes to mind when many people think of Loretta.
Over 30 years ago, Loretta achieved fame as Lorrell in the original Broadway production of Dreamgirls.
Growing up in Texas in a single-parent home with six children, Devine wanted to be a singer but wasn’t finding musical scholarships or opportunities, so she focused on acting. After receiving an undergraduate degree from the University of Houston, she headed to Boston, where she got a Master of Fine Arts degree in theater at Brandeis. Then it was off to New York, where she took acting and dancing classes and began working in the theater.
“We had such a long run, and people came to see it over and over,” recalls Devine, who, since then, has appeared in over one hundred television series and films. “That’s what happens when you’re in a classic,” she says. “And I feel so lucky that I’ve continued to find work, especially at my age.”
The actress has shared her steps for always feeling like a “Dreamgirl”:
“Sit Up and Stand Tall”
Studies show that people who sit up straight in their chairs instead of slouching tend to be more…