WHO | HONOREE Jenifer Lewis

EMCEE Lupita Sanchez Cornejo, Chairman of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce

GUEST SPEAKERS  Debbie Allen and Marc Shaiman

WHAT Dedication of the 2,726^th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

WHEN Friday, July 15, 2022, at 11:30 AM PT

WHERE 6284 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood, CA 90028

WATCH LIVE The event will be streamed live exclusively at www.walkoffame.com  Multi-award-winning actress Jenifer Lewis will be honored with the 2,726^th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6284 Hollywood Boulevard, adjacent to the W Hollywood Hotel. Lewis will be awarded her star in the category of Television.

The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce has proudly hosted the globally iconic Hollywood Walk of Fame since 1960. The Chamber exists to transform business and improve lives. Through the Walk of Fame, the Chamber celebrates the business that transforms us all – the business of entertainment.  Entertainment is a unique blend of art and enterprise: elevating and inspiring us all.




ABOUT OUR HONOREE

“Jenifer Lewis is considered a national treasure and a force to be reckoned with. She is one of those performers who always keeps the audience on their toes! I placed Jenifer’s star next to one of her all-time favorite actresses, the legendary Katharine Hepburn. Those ladies are two peas in a pod, as both delved in Human Rights activities and are known to be as feisty as all get out!” stated Ana Martinez, Producer of the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Joining emcee Lupita Sanchez Cornejo for the star unveiling will be six-time Emmy Award winner and 2020 Kennedy Center Honoree Debbie Allen, along with Tony and Grammy Award winner, Marc Shaiman.

Jenifer Lewis was born on January 25^th in Missouri, and is the youngest of seven children. She began singing in her church choir at the age of five.

After college, she moved to New York City, where she debuted on Broadway in a small role in Eubie, the musical based on the work of Eubie Blake.

Lewis accepted a position as a Harlette, a back-up singer for Bette Midler, which led to her first TV appearances on Midler's HBO specials. She acquired her first screen role as a result, appearing as a singer in the Bette Midler vehicle Beaches. At the same time, Lewis was developing her nightclub act, The Diva Is Dismissed, an autobiographical comedy and music show in New York City cabarets. She performed the show off-Broadway at the Public Theater.

Lewis starred on ABC’s Black-ish for eight seasons as the hilarious grandmother Ruby Johnson.  Lewis has appeared in more than 400 episodic television shows, 68 movies, 40 animations, and four Broadway shows. Credits include: The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Friends, A Different World, Twenties, Cast Away, What’s Love Got to Do With It, Think Like a Man, The Princess and the Frog, Mickey Mouse Funhouse, Rugrats, Cars I, II and III, American Dad, and Hairspray.

In 2000, she began starring on the Lifetime television medical drama Strong Medicine, which ran for six-seasons. Lewis performed the theme song for the series as well. She also had a recurring role as Veretta Childs (Toni's mother) in the UPN sitcom Girlfriends.

In film, she appeared as Morris Chestnut's mother in the romantic comedy The Brothers. In 2006, she had a featured role as the wedding planner in Tyler Perry's Madea's Family Reunion and appeared in Perry's comedy-drama Meet the Browns as Vera Brown. Other films include Juwanna Mann, The Cookout, Nora's Hair Salon, Dirty Laundry, Not Easily Broken, Sister Act, Hereafter, Think Like a Man, Think Like a Man Too, Baggage Claim, The Wedding Ringer, Corrina, Corrina, Renaissance Man, Cast Away,The Preacher’s Wife, Poetic Justice, and Five for which she received an NAACP Image Award nomination.

Currently, Lewis is starring in the new hit series, I Love That For You on Showtime.

Her autobiography, The Mother of Black Hollywood, became a chart-topping national best-seller in 2017, and her follow-up book, Walking in My Joy: In These Streets, is set for release next month on August 30^th.

In April, The International Press Academy presented her with the 2022 Honorary Satellite Award for her career contributions to the entertainment industry and her various charitable endeavors including: The Human Rights Campaign, The Los Angeles LGBT Center, The Coalition for At-Risk Youth, The Urban League, The EWOC Foundation: Exceptional Women of Color, and Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS.

ABOUT THE HOLLYWOOD CHAMBER’S WALK OF FAME  

The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a celebration of art, entertainment, and all things Hollywood. Star ceremonies are broadcast worldwide, connecting fans with their favorite artists. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce administers the Walk of Fame on behalf of the City of Los Angeles. Honorees are selected by a committee of their peers. Sponsors fund the star, the ceremony, and the maintenance of the legendary attraction. The Walk of Fame is free to all. To learn more and find your favorite stars, visit www.walkoffame.com.

ABOUT THE HOLLYWOOD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE (HCC)

 

Since 1921, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce (HCC) has transformed businesses and improved lives. With more than 750 members, the Chamber is the largest business organization in Hollywood and serves as a place for our diverse membership to connect, grow and make an impact. The HCC is the proud steward of two global icons; the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Hollywood sign. Held in the public trust, the HCC strengthens and promotes business through connecting, coaching, advocating, and innovating. To make a difference, connect with us at www.hollywoodchamber.net.