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
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
2019
- The Kelly Clarkson Show as Self
- A Christmas Wish as Mary
- Poms as Olive
- Bless This Mess as Constance
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
- Quentin Tarantino: 20 Years of Filmmaking as Self
- Richard Pryor: Omit the Logic as Self (archive footage)
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
- Mafia as James Womack
- Corman's World as Self - Actress
2010
- Just Wright as Janice Wright
- The Invited as Zelda
- Machete Maidens Unleashed! as Self
- Celebrity Nude Revue: The Saucy 70's Volume 1
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
- BaadAsssss Cinema as Self
- The Adventures of Pluto Nash as Flura Nash
- Jackie Brown: How It Went Down as Self
2001
- Smallville as Amanda Waller
- Justice League as My'ria'h (voice)
- Ghosts of Mars as Commander Helena Braddock
- 3 A.M. as George
- Feast of All Saints as Suzette Lermontant
- It Conquered Hollywood! The Story of American International Pictures as Self
- Bones as Pearl
2000
- Snow Day as Tina
- Fortress 2 as Susan Mendenhall
- Wilder as Detective Della Wilder
1999
- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Assistant US Attorney Claudia Williams
- Jawbreaker as Detective Vera Cruz
- Holy Smoke as Carol
- The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn as Self - Guest
- No Tomorrow as Diane
- In Too Deep as Det. Angela Wilson
- Hayley Wagner, Star as Sam
1998
- The Wild Thornberrys as Mother Springbok (voice)
- Hollywood Squares
- Family Blessings as Mrs. Quincy
- Linc's as Eleanor Braithwaite Winthrop
- Paul Robeson: Speak of Me as I Am as Narrator (voice)
- Pete Rock: Soul Survivor as Pam Grier
- All Saints: The Video as Herself (archive footage) (uncredited)
1997
- The View as Self
- Jackie Brown as Jackie Brown
- Fakin' Da Funk as Annabelle Lee
- Strip Search as Janette
- Afro Promo as Self (archive footage)
1996
- The Daily Show as Self
- Original Gangstas as Laurie Thompson
- Mars Attacks! as Louise Williams
- Escape from L.A. as Hershe Las Palamas
- E! True Hollywood Story
- Sinbad: Son of a Preacher Man as Self
- Badass Supermama as (archive footage)
1995
- The Wayans Bros. as Erica
- Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child as Nightingale (voice)
- Serial Killer as Capt. Maggie Davis
- MADtv as Self - Guest Host
1993
- Late Night with Conan O'Brien as Self - Guest
- Intimate Portrait as Self
- Posse as Phoebe
- The Sinbad Show
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
- Above the Law as Delores 'Jacks' Jackson
1987
- The Allnighter as Sgt. McLeesh
- Miami Vice ‘The Prodigal Son’ as Valerie Gordon
- Frank's Place as Neema Sharone
1986
- Crime Story as Suzanne Terry
- The Vindicator as Hunter
- On the Edge as Cara
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
- Tough Enough as Myra
- Something Wicked This Way Comes as Dust Witch
1981
- Fort Apache, the Bronx as Charlotte
1979
- Knots Landing as Lieutenant Guthrie
- Roots: The Next Generations as Francey
1977
- The Love Boat as Cynthia Wilbur
- Greased Lightning as Mary Jones
- Twilight of Love as Sandra
1976
- Drum as Regine
1975
- 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
- Hit Man as Gozelda
- The Big Bird Cage as Blossom
- Cool Breeze as Mona
- The Twilight People as Ayesa, the Panther Woman
1971
- The Big Doll House as Grear
- Women in Cages as Alabama
1970
- Beyond the Valley of the Dolls as Fourth Woman