Pam Grier
Born: 1949-05-26 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
Known For: Acting
Biography
Pamela Suzette Grier (born May 26, 1949) is an American actress. Described by director Quentin Tarantino as cinema's first female action star, she achieved fame for her starring roles in a string of 1970s action, blaxploitation, and women in prison films for American International Pictures and New World Pictures. Her accolades include nominations for an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Satellite Award, and a Saturn Award. Grier came to prominence with her titular roles in the films Coffy (1973) and Foxy Brown (1974); her other major films during this period included The Big Doll House (1971), Women in Cages (1971), The Big Bird Cage (1972), Black Mama, White Mama (1973), Scream Blacula Scream (1973), The Arena (1974), Sheba, Baby (1975), Bucktown (1975), and Friday Foster (1975). She portrayed the title character in Quentin Tarantino's crime film Jackie Brown (1997), and also appeared in Escape from L.A. (1996), Jawbreaker (1999), Holy Smoke!, (1999), Bones (2001), Just Wright (2010), Larry Crowne (2011), and Poms (2019). On television, Grier portrayed Eleanor Winthrop in the Showtime comedy-drama series Linc's (1998–2000), Kate "Kit" Porter on the Showtime drama series The L Word (2004–2009), and Constance Terry in the ABC sitcom Bless This Mess (2019–2020). She received praise for her work in the animated series Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child (1999).
Filmography
2026
- The Way Things Seem to Be as Self
2025
- Breakdown: 1975 as Self (archive footage)
2024
- Mystery Cuddlers as Juniper
2023
- Pet Sematary: Bloodlines as Majorie Washburn
- Cinnamon as Mama
- As We Know It as Beverly Jones
2022
- The Jennifer Hudson Show as Self
- Sherri as Self - Guest
2021
- The Great North as Neckbone (voice)
- Them as Athena
- Quentin Tarantino: From a Movie Buff to a Hollywood Legend as Self (archive footage)
- How It Feels to Be Free as Self (archival footage)
2020
- Time Warp: The Greatest Cult Films of All Time as Self
- Skin: A History of Nudity in the Movies as Self
- Time Warp Vol. 1: Midnight Madness as Self
- Beautiful Like a Poem as Self (archive footage)
2019
- The Kelly Clarkson Show as Self
- Bless This Mess as Constance
- Poms as Olive
- A Christmas Wish as Mary
2017
- Bad Grandmas as Coralee
- Being Rose as Lily
2016
- This Is Us as Grandma
- Do I Look Like a Lady? (Comedians and Singers) as Self (archive footage)
2015
- Cleveland Abduction as Carla
- Kings of Cult as (archive footage)
2013
- Richard Pryor: Omit the Logic as Self (archive footage)
- Quentin Tarantino: 20 Years of Filmmaking as Self
2012
- The Man with the Iron Fists as Jane
- Woman Thou Art Loosed: On the 7th Day as Detective Barrick
2011
- Bob's Burgers as Evelyn (voice)
- Larry Crowne as Frances
- Corman's World as Self - Actress
- Mafia as James Womack
2010
- Just Wright as Janice Wright
- Machete Maidens Unleashed! as Self
- Celebrity Nude Revue: The Saucy 70's Volume 1 as Self
- The Invited as Zelda
2009
- Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen as Self - Guest
- Celebrity Ghost Stories as Self
2008
- Ladies of the House as Birdie
2005
- Back in the Day as Mrs. Cooper
- Bad Girls Behind Bars as Alabama (archive footage)
2004
- The L Word as Kit Porter
2003
- A Decade Under the Influence as Self
- Love the Hard Way as Linda Fox
- First to Die as Claire Washburn
2002
- The Adventures of Pluto Nash as Flura Nash
- Jackie Brown: How It Went Down as Self
- BaadAsssss Cinema as Self
2001
- Smallville as Amanda Waller
- Justice League as My'ria'h (voice)
- Ghosts of Mars as Commander Helena Braddock
- Strange Frequency
- Bones as Pearl
- Feast of All Saints as Suzette Lermontant
- 3 A.M. as George
- It Conquered Hollywood! The Story of American International Pictures as Self
2000
- Fortress 2 as Susan Mendenhall
- Snow Day as Tina
- Wilder as Detective Della Wilder
1999
- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Assistant US Attorney Claudia Williams
- The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn as Self - Guest
- Jawbreaker as Detective Vera Cruz
- Holy Smoke as Carol
- In Too Deep as Det. Angela Wilson
- No Tomorrow as Diane
- Hayley Wagner, Star as Sam
1998
- Hollywood Squares as Self - Panelist
- The Wild Thornberrys as Mother Springbok (voice)
- Linc's as Eleanor Braithwaite Winthrop
- Paul Robeson: Speak of Me as I Am as Narrator (voice)
- Family Blessings as Mrs. Quincy
- All Saints: The Video as Herself (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Pete Rock: Soul Survivor as Pam Grier
1997
- The View as Self
- Jackie Brown as Jackie Brown
- Fakin' Da Funk as Annabelle Lee
- Afro Promo as Self (archive footage)
- Strip Search as Janette
1996
- The Daily Show as Self - Guest
- Mars Attacks! as Louise Williams
- Escape from L.A. as Hershe Las Palamas
- E! True Hollywood Story
- Original Gangstas as Laurie Thompson
- Badass Supermama as (archive footage)
- Sinbad: Son of a Preacher Man as Self
1995
- The Wayans Bros. as Erica
- Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child as Nightingale (voice)
- MADtv as Self - Guest Host
- Serial Killer as Capt. Maggie Davis
1993
- Late Night with Conan O'Brien as Self - Guest
- Intimate Portrait as Self
- The Sinbad Show
- Posse as Phoebe
1992
- Martin as Pam Grier
- A Mother's Right: The Elizabeth Morgan Story as Linda Holman
1991
- Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey as Ms. Wardroe
- Pacific Station as Grace Ballard
1990
- The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air as Janice
- Class of 1999 as Ms. Connors
- Chicago Joe and the Showgirl ... (Thanks)
1989
- The Package as Ruth Butler
1988
- Monsters as Matilde
- Above the Law as Delores 'Jacks' Jackson
1987
- Frank's Place as Neema Sharone
- The Allnighter as Sargeant McLeish
1986
- Crime Story as Suzanne Terry
- On the Edge as Cara
- The Vindicator as Hunter
1985
- Stand Alone as Cathryn Bolan
- Badge of the Assassin as Alexandra 'Alie' Horn
1984
- Miami Vice
- The Cosby Show as Samantha
- Night Court as Benet Collins
1983
- Something Wicked This Way Comes as Dust Witch
- Tough Enough as Myra
1981
- Fort Apache, the Bronx as Charlotte
1979
- Roots: The Next Generations as Francey
- Knots Landing as Lieutenant Guthrie
1977
- The Love Boat as Cynthia Wilbur
- Greased Lightning as Mary Jones
- Twilight of Love as Sandra
1976
- Drum as Regine
1975
- People's Choice Awards as Self
- Friday Foster as Friday Foster
- Sheba, Baby as Sheba Shayne
- Bucktown as Aretha
1974
- Foxy Brown as Foxy Brown
- The Arena as Mamawi
1973
- Coffy as Coffy
- Black Mama, White Mama as Lee Daniels
- Scream Blacula Scream as Lisa Fortier
1972
- The Big Bird Cage as Blossom
- Cool Breeze as Mona
- The Twilight People as Ayesa, the Panther Woman
- Hit Man as Gozelda
1971
- The Big Doll House as Grear
- Women in Cages as Alabama
1970
- Beyond the Valley of the Dolls as Fourth Woman