About Loretta Devine
Loretta Devine 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), Amelia "M'Dear" McKellan in the Netflix series, Family Reunion (2022), 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). She is also known for her roles as Stevie Rallen on NBC's A Different World during its first season and for her portrayal Marla Hendricks on the television series Boston Public (2000–2004). The story of Dreamgirls was created during 6-week-long workshops that occurred across a three year period, wherein Devine, Sheryl Lee Ralph, and Jennifer Holliday improvised their characters. While rehearsing for Dreamgirls in 1981, Devine was cast in Jessie Maple's Will, the first independent feature-length film directed by an African-American woman. During the period between the play and the series, Devine appeared in the first season of the TV series A Different World as Stevie Rallen, a dormitory director at the fictional Hillman College.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.