Loretta Devine (born August 21, 1949) is an American actress and singer, best known for her roles as Marla Hendricks in the
Fox drama series
Boston Public, and for her recurring role as Adele Webber on the
Shonda Rhimes'
Grey's Anatomy, for which she won
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series in 2011. In film, Devine appeared in
Waiting to Exhale,
The Preacher's Wife,
I Am Sam,
Urban Legend,
Crash,
Woman Thou Art Loosed,
For Colored Girls,
This Christmas and
Jumping the Broom.