Loretta

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), 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).Early life edit Loretta Devine was born in Houston, Texas, on August 21, 1949.[1] She grew up in the Acres Homes area of Houston, where her mother was a single mother to six children.[2] She was very active on the pep squad, and performed in talent shows at George Washington Carver High School.[3] In 1971, Devine graduated from the University of Houston with a Bachelor of Arts in Speech and Drama.[3] In 1976, she received a Master of Fine Arts in Theater from Brandeis University.[4]Career edit Stage work edit Devine has worked extensively on Broadway. Her Broadway debut was in 1978 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 second Broadway show, called Comin' Uptown, which featured Gregory Hines.[5] She rose to stardom in Dreamgirls, a smash 1983 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 workshops that were carried out in six-week workshops over the period of three years, which Devine, Sheryl Lee Ralph, and Jennifer Holliday developed via improv.[5] She also received raves 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 a