Loretta Devine Movies and Career Information

Loretta Devine (born August 21, 1949) is an American film and television actress known for her roles on Boston Public, Grey's Anatomy and Eli Stone. She also provided her voice for the stop motion animated television series The PJs. Devine is a five-time NAACP Image Award winner. 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 Home 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 is a member of The Epsilon Lambda Chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. Devine appeared in the 1978 flop 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). It premiered on December 20, 1981 and ran for over 1500 performances; it eventually won