Before Jenifer Lewis, "from Saint Louis" (ba-dum-bum), started working with Bette as a Harlette, she was performing small roles on Broadway. Shortly after arriving in New York City, she landed a role in the 1979 musical "Eubie", based on the work of Eubie Blake. Soon after that, she snatched up the role of Effie White in "Dreamgirls", but when the production moved to Broadway, the role was taken over by Jennifer Holliday.

That didn't stop Jenifer. In the summer of 1983, Bette Midler decided to take her hit "De Tour" on a second cross-country run, and that's when Jenifer joined the group as one of Bette's Harlettes. Some notable highlights of Jenifer's career as a Harlette include her accordion solo of "Hold That Tiger" as one of the DeLago Sisters, and a performance in Denver when Jenifer "stepped over Bette's body" to perform the lead vocals on "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" (Bette had collapsed backstage from the heat and was unable to return to the stage).

Jenifer's "stint" as a Harlette lead to her first credited film role in the 1988 movie "Beaches", appearing in the "Otto Titsling" production number. At the same time, Jenifer was developing her cabaret act; an autobiographical musical comedy show which was well received. She performed the show Off-Broadway at the Public Theatre. That same year, Jenifer moved to Los Angeles. It was a slow period for her, as far as acquiring new roles, but she devoted her time to perfecting her nightclub routine.

In 1992, Jenifer was cast in the role of one of the back-up singers to Delores van Cartier (Whoopie Goldberg's character) in the film "Sister Act". Originally, she was hired to provide the vocals for Whoopie Goldberg, but Jenifer convinced Whoopie that she could sing the part herself, and ended up becoming Whoopie's vocal coach during the filming of the movie.

Whoopie Goldberg and Jenifer Lewis became close friends, and Whoopie sponsored several performances of Jenifer's one-woman show, "The Diva is Dismissed" (which Jenifer co-wrote with Charles Randolph-Wright). The show had a successful three-year run in Los Angeles. Whoopie had planned to produce the show for HBO, but that never transpired. However, the production did earn her two NAACP Theatre Awards (Best Actress and Best Playwright). She also began receiving attention from Hollywood. After one of the performances, the producers of the show "In Living Color" approached Jenifer to recreate two of her childhood characters for the comedy series.

In 1992 she landed a role on the NBC sitcom, "A Different World" and spent that season playing the part of Dean Davenport. She also had a recurring role in "The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air" as Will's "Aunt Helen".

She got her first big break in the movies with the 1993 role of Tina Turner's mother in "What's Love Got To Do With It". She had originally hoped to play the part of Tina, but her critically acclaimed performance as Zelma Bollack earned her an NAACP Image Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

Since then, Jenifer has worked steadily in strong supporting roles in film and television, as well as continuing her career on stage. In 1996, her performance in "The Preacher's Wife" garnered her another Image Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Critics praised her performance in the role of a lesbian judge in the short-lived CBS series "Courthouse", and she received rave reviews of her theatre performance in the sold-out, autobiographical show, "Now What" (which she co-wrote).

In 1999, Jenifer starred in the Lifetime Television movie, "Jackie's Back", which Bette Midler also appeared in. She currently stars in the Lifetime Network drama, "Strong Medicine" as the receptionist, Lana Hawkins.

This talented performer's credits are too numerous to mention on this one little biography page, so please visit http://www.imdb.com to view a more detailed list of her movie roles and televison appearances. One more detail worthy of mention, however, is that Jenifer also appeared with Bette Midler on the last taping of "The Tonight Show".

Off-screen and stage, Jenifer devotes a great deal of her time and energy as an advocate for AIDS awareness and prevention. She appears at AIDS benefits and fundraisers whenever possible, lending her amazing talents toward the fight against AIDS. It is a subject she is passionate about, having lost over 200 of her friends to the disease since 1979.