Dawnn Lewis

Dawnn Jewel Lewis, born August 13, 1961, in Brooklyn, New York, is an American actress, singer, and voice artist whose career spans Broadway, television, film, and animation. The daughter of Carl and Joyce Lewis, who are of African-American and Guyanese descent, she began singing at age four and acting at eleven. Lewis graduated from the High School of Music & Art in New York City at sixteen, then pursued musical theatre with a minor in journalism at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida, earning a Bachelor of Music degree cum laude in 1982.

Lewis's professional stage career began when she performed in the chorus and as the character Dulcie in the national tour of The Tap Dance Kid, running from August 1, 1985, to July 6, 1986, under the billing "Dawnn J. Lewis." Her Broadway work spans from 1985 to 2019, with credits including The Tap Dance Kid and Tina. From November 2019 to January 2022, she portrayed Zelma, Tina Turner's mother, in the Broadway musical Tina. She also played Addaperle in The Wiz with New York City Center's Encores!, and portrayed Deloris Van Cartier in Peter Schneider's Sister Act the Musical, which opened at the Pasadena Playhouse on October 24, 2006.

On television, Lewis became widely recognized for playing Jaleesa Vinson–Taylor on the NBC sitcom A Different World from 1987 through the end of its fifth season in 1992. She co-wrote the series' opening theme song alongside Bill Cosby and Stu Gardner, and co-performed it during the first season. Following her departure from that series, she joined the cast of ABC's Hangin' with Mr. Cooper in September 1992, appearing in 20 of the 22 first-season episodes as Robin Dumars, Mark's childhood best friend and roommate. Lewis, Holly Robinson, and R&B quartet En Vogue performed the first season's theme song together. She departed the series after its first season when producers chose to change the show's direction. In 2000, Lewis played Blabberwort the Troll in the five-episode NBC miniseries The 10th Kingdom. Her later television credits include Denise Fields on One Tree Hill in 2009, a recurring role as Lauren's mother on The Secret Life of the American Teenager beginning in 2010, Dr. Knapp on Days of Our Lives in 2012–2013, and Patrice on Major Crimes across the show's final four seasons beginning in 2014, a character who became the wife of Lt. Provenza.

In film, Lewis appeared as Cheryl Spade in the 1988 comedy I'm Gonna Git You Sucka and as Melba Early in the 2006 film adaptation of Dreamgirls. She co-starred in two Disney Channel Original Movies: The Poof Point, in which she played Marigold Ballord, and Let It Shine, in which she played Gail DeBarge. Lewis released her debut album, Worth Waiting For, in 2006.

Her voice acting work is extensive. She voiced Storm of the X-Men in three video games, most recently Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2, and provided additional voices in True Crime: New York City. Her television animation credits include LaBarbara Conrad on Futurama, Detective Terri Lee on Spider-Man: The Animated Series, Di Archer on Bruno the Kid, Granny Grim on The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, Sharona on King of the Hill, and multiple characters on The Boondocks. She voiced Grandma McStuffins on Disney Junior's Doc McStuffins beginning in March 2016, Fannie Granger on DreamWorks's Spirit Riding Free and Dr. Jones in Stretch Armstrong and the Flex Fighters beginning in 2018, and The Chief on Netflix's animated Carmen Sandiego beginning in 2019. In 2019 she voiced Attorney General's special agent Lenora Carter in The Simpsons episode "The Fat Blue Line," and beginning with the 2021 episode "Uncut Femmes," she became the voice of Bernice Hibbert on that series. From August 2020 to December 2024, Lewis starred as Captain Carol Freeman in the animated series Star Trek: Lower Decks. From 2021 to 2022, she voiced Ms. Jackie Washington in the animated series Karma's World.

In 2021, Lewis was among the first honorees inducted into the Women Songwriters Hall of Fame. She is also an honorary member of the Zeta Phi Beta sorority.