You must have heard that an actress or a singer can be called successful when she becomes a motivation and example for newcomers in this field. Find out more at houstonka.
Houston actress Loretta Devine is just like that. She has an incredible talent and a beautiful voice, and with confidence mixed with charisma, she already knows how to motivate people.
What has this woman been through to achieve her present results? What is known about the family and personal life of the actress? What movie made Loretta famous?
The more the merrier
Loretta Devine was born on August 21, 1949, in Houston, Texas. Her parents divorced when the girl was very young. Since then, Eunice O’Neal (actress’ mother) raised her six children alone. The large family of the future celebrity affected the woman’s character, kindness and working capacity.
From an early age, Devine was a creative child. She studied at the Secondary School of Applied Technologies, Engineering and Arts named after George Washington Carver. At the same time, she also was performing at the young talents show.
After finishing school, she attended the University of Houston, where she studied language and drama intensively. In 1971, Loretta received her degree from an educational institution.
First performances and the best role
Loretta started her career on Broadway. In 1978, she had a debut in the Broadway Musical. She worked in this field for several years.
The most striking role that led the actress to fame was in the Broadway production Dreamgirls in 1981. Devine was finally convinced that she had chosen the right career and took on new projects with even greater enthusiasm.
In the same year, in 1981, she played the leading part in the movie Will. The actress received 500 dollars for work, as the film budget was small. At the outset of her career, Loretta rarely turned down offered roles, even the small ones. Her supporting parts can be seen in such films as Stanley & Iris and Little Nikita.
The major role in the famous movie Waiting to Exhale (1995) brought Devine true glory. Except that the woman could work with such well-known personalities as Whitney Houston and Angela Bassett, she also won an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress.
Then she got a part in the film The Preacher’s Wife, in which the actress starred with Whitney Houston and Gregory Hines for the second time.
Thus, Loretta managed to become famous and approve herself as a professional actress. Since the 2000s, more cinematography masterpieces have appeared on the screens, and in some of them, the woman played leading roles.
The following films and series became her most notable works: Urban Legend, I Am Sam, Eli Stone and Grey’s Anatomy (for the role in this series, Devine won several prizes and awards).
Since the woman has a beautiful and melodious voice, she often provides it to various cartoon characters. One of these is the character of Hallie in the Disney Junior series Doc McStuffins.
Personal Life
Devine got married twice. The first husband was Lamar Tyler, they got married in 1978. However, the woman was not happy in this wedlock, so she initiated the divorce.
Loretta has been dating her second husband for a long time, about six years. The actress told that at the time, all her friends (who were in relationships) broke up before the engagement, so she held off the marriage.
Still, it seems that Loretta and Glenn Marshall (the singer’s second husband) are real soulmates and a very sweet couple. They often appeared together at various events. The couple got married in 2001. Glenn is not a media person but fully supports his wife in her acting career. He’s an accountant himself.
As of 2023, the couple is still in a relationship. The actress has shared that she feels really happy and beloved by her husband and Marshall is her true love.