Loretta Devine has had a successful career as an actress across both film and television circles. The American actress is now recognizable to most people thanks to her incredible talent and hard work over the years.
Her soft sweet voice has made her a favourite for ma’am roles that require a sweet, loving mother figure. Read below to find out more about Loretta Devine beyond the characters she has portrayed so well on screen.
Who Is Loretta Devine?
On August 21, 1949, Loretta Devine came into the world. Her birthplace was Houston, Texas and her parents were Eunice O’Neal and James Devine, a beautician mother and a labourer father. Loretta Devine was, however, raised in a single-parent household with five other children – her siblings.
From a very young age, Loretta was very much a part of the pep squad and could often be found performing in talent shows at George Washington Carver High School. She went to the University of Houston where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Speech and Drama; this was in 1971. Loretta would still go on later to get a Master of Fine Arts in Theater in 1976 from Brandeis University. The entertainer also got initiated to the Epsilon Lambda Chapter’s Alpha Kappa Alpha while pursuing her studies.
Her career took off soon after, starting on Broadway with a 1978 musical titled A Broadway Musical. It closed after only a single performance. Loretta’s first Broadway show was, however, Comin’ Uptown and it was a show which featured Gregory Hines. Dreamgirls shot her into a little limelight when she acted the part of Lorrell Robinson a fictional character that was based on the person of Mary Wilson. Although Loretta Devine only had a cameo role in the film version of Dreamgirls, she was part of the three women who facilitated the creation of the story by taking part in a series of six-week workshops spread across three years. Loretta Devine worked with Sheryl Lee Ralph and Jennifer Holliday to develop the story via improv.
The actress’ first role in a feature-film happened in 1981 in the Jessie Maple film titled Will. It was not until 1995 that she finally landed a major film role in Waiting to Exhale acting the part of Gloria Matthews alongside such big names as Whitney Houston, Gregory Hines, and Angela Bassett. The part gave her an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture.
She soon forayed into television with quite a number of roles most prominent of which was her 2000 and 2004 role as Marla Hendricks on Boston Public. She also had a recurring role in Grey’s Anatomy as Adele, Dr Richard Webber’s wife. In 2012, Loretta Devine was a member of the cast for Being Mary Jane.
Devine won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series in 2011 for her performance as Adele in Greys Anatomy. In 2012 she was nominated again for the category and that same year, she won the Gracie Allen Award for Outstanding Female Actor. Whether on T.V or film, Loretta Devine has shown a penchant for bringing her A-game to any role that she is given to play and has crafted a brilliant career for herself with her talent.
What Is Her Net Worth?
Loretta Devine is said to be worth about $8 million. Her wealth no doubt stems from her many years of work in the film and television industry in America. Loretta’s numerous award wins have made her a choice pick for great roles and from her first paid film job where she collected only $500 she has come quite a long way.
Loretta Devine’s Husband and Children
The Hollywood star has been married twice with one divorce behind her and her current marriage still going strong. In 1973, Loretta Devine got married to her first husband, Lamar Tyler. The two were separated and later got divorced in 2008 after Loretta filed for it.
Prior to their divorce, they had a child together whom they named James Lawrence Tyler. She soon met and got married to Glenn Marshall. Loretta and Glenn are often seen together at public events and the various award functions that Devine attends.
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