Devine was born in Houston, Texas, the daughter of Eunice O'Neal (née Toliver), a beautician, and James Devine, a laborer. Devine graduated from the University of Houston in 1971 with a Bachelor of Arts in Speech and Drama and Brandeis University in 1976 with a MFA in Theater. Devine is a member of The Epsilon Lambda Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Devine appeared in the 1978 flop A Broadway Musical, which closed after one performance. She captured attention in Dreamgirls, a Broadway musical loosely based on the history of the Supremes. It premiered on December 20, 1981 and ran for over 1500 performances; it eventually won six Tony awards. Minor roles for Devine followed in films such as Little Nikita and Stanley and Iris. She has a cameo Read more...

Loretta Devine (born August 21, 1949) is a five-time NAACP Image Awards-winning American actress. Devine is known for her role of teacher Marla Hendricks on the FOX drama Boston Public. She has a recurring role as Adele Webber on the ABC medical drama Grey's Anatomy and now plays Patti on the legal drama Eli Stone.