Pam Grier
Known for: Acting
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
Series
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Assistant US Attorney Claudia Williams
1999
Series
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
Self - Guest
2009
Series
The Daily Show
Self - Guest
1996
Series
Smallville
Amanda Waller
2001
Series
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Self
1962
Series
Bob's Burgers
Evelyn (voice)
2011
Series
The Kelly Clarkson Show
Self
2019
Series
The Jennifer Hudson Show
Self
2022
Series
The Love Boat
Cynthia Wilbur
1977
Series
Sherri
Self - Guest
2022
Series
Roots: The Next Generations
Francey
1979
Series
The View
Self
1997
Series
This Is Us
Grandma
2016
Series
Miami Vice
1984
Series
Miami Vice
Valerie Gordon
1984
Series
The Cosby Show
Samantha
1984
Series
Hollywood Squares
Self - Panelist
1998
Series
Knots Landing
Lieutenant Guthrie
1979
Series
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Self - Guest
1993
Series
Night Court
Benet Collins
1984
Series
The L Word
Kit Porter
2004
Series
The Wild Thornberrys
Mother Springbok (voice)
1998
Series
People's Choice Awards
Self
1975
Series
The Great North
Neckbone (voice)
2021
Series
Intimate Portrait
Self
1993
Series
Martin
Pam Grier
1992
Series
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Janice
1990
Series
Celebrity Ghost Stories
Self
2009
Series
Crime Story
Suzanne Terry
1986
Series
The Wayans Bros.
Erica
1995
Series
Justice League
My'ria'h (voice)
2001
Series
Monsters
Matilde
1988
Film
Mars Attacks!
Louise Williams
1996
Series
Them
Athena
2021
Series
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
Nightingale (voice)
1995
Film
Jackie Brown
Jackie Brown
1997
Series
The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn
Self - Guest
1999
Film
Above the Law
Delores 'Jacks' Jackson
1988
Film
Larry Crowne
Frances
2011
Series
Bless This Mess
Constance
2019
Film
The Arena
Mamawi
1974
Film
Escape from L.A.
Hershe Las Palamas
1996
Film
Foxy Brown
Foxy Brown
1974
Film
Ghosts of Mars
Commander Helena Braddock
2001
Film
Jawbreaker
Detective Vera Cruz
1999
Film
The Man with the Iron Fists
Jane
2012
Series
Strange Frequency
2001
The Sinbad Show
1993
Film
Just Wright
Janice Wright
2010
Film
Pet Sematary: Bloodlines
Majorie Washburn
2023
Film
Posse
Phoebe
1993
Film
Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey
Ms. Wardroe
1991
Film
Cleveland Abduction
Carla
2015
Series
Frank's Place
Neema Sharone
1987
Film
Coffy
Coffy
1973
Film
Beyond the Valley of the Dolls
Fourth Woman
1970
Film
The Package
Ruth Butler
1989
Film
The Adventures of Pluto Nash
Flura Nash
2002
Film
Class of 1999
Ms. Connors
1990
Film
Breakdown: 1975
Self (archive footage)
2025
Series
Time Warp: The Greatest Cult Films of All Time
Self
2020
Series
Pacific Station
Grace Ballard
1991
Linc's
Eleanor Braithwaite Winthrop
1998
Film
In Too Deep
Det. Angela Wilson
1999
Film
Holy Smoke
Carol
1999
Film
Fortress 2
Susan Mendenhall
2000
Film
Something Wicked This Way Comes
Dust Witch
1983
Film
Poms
Olive
2019
Series
E! True Hollywood Story
1996
Film
Bones
Pearl
2001
Film
Women in Cages
Alabama
1971
Film
The Big Doll House
Grear
1971
Film
Skin: A History of Nudity in the Movies
Self
2020
Film
Bad Grandmas
Coralee
2017
Film
Snow Day
Tina
2000
Film
A Decade Under the Influence
Self
2003
Film
Fort Apache, the Bronx
Charlotte
1981
Film
Mystery Cuddlers
Juniper
2024
Film
The Allnighter
Sargeant McLeish
1987
Film
Sheba, Baby
Sheba Shayne
1975
Film
Drum
Regine
1976
Film
Black Mama, White Mama
Lee Daniels
1973
Film
Time Warp Vol. 1: Midnight Madness
Self
2020
Film
Paul Robeson: Speak of Me as I Am
Narrator (voice)
1998
Film
Feast of All Saints
Suzette Lermontant
2001
Film
Corman's World
Self - Actress
2011
Film
Mafia
James Womack
2011
Film
Friday Foster
Friday Foster
1975
Film
Fakin' Da Funk
Annabelle Lee
1997
Series
MADtv
Self - Guest Host
1995
Film
The Twilight People
Ayesa, the Panther Woman
1972
Film
Ladies of the House
Birdie
2008
Film
The Way Things Seem to Be
Self
2026
Film
Original Gangstas
Laurie Thompson
1996
Film
Richard Pryor: Omit the Logic
Self (archive footage)
2013
Film
3 A.M.
George
2001
Film
Machete Maidens Unleashed!
Self
2010
Quentin Tarantino: From a Movie Buff to a Hollywood Legend
Self (archive footage)
2021
Film
Scream Blacula Scream
Lisa Fortier
1973
Film
The Big Bird Cage
Blossom
1972
Film
Greased Lightning
Mary Jones
1977
Film
Cool Breeze
Mona
1972
Film
Jackie Brown: How It Went Down
Self
2002
Film
Tough Enough
Myra
1983
Film
Back in the Day
Mrs. Cooper
2005
Film
BaadAsssss Cinema
Self
2002
Film
First to Die
Claire Washburn
2003
Film
Wilder
Detective Della Wilder
2000
Film
Badge of the Assassin
Alexandra 'Alie' Horn
1985
Film
Love the Hard Way
Linda Fox
2003
Film
On the Edge
Cara
1986
Film
No Tomorrow
Diane
1999
Film
Sinbad: Son of a Preacher Man
Self
1996
Film
Cinnamon
Mama
2023
Film
Stand Alone
Cathryn Bolan
1985
Film
Badass Supermama
(archive footage)
1996
Film
Serial Killer
Capt. Maggie Davis
1995
Film
Quentin Tarantino: 20 Years of Filmmaking
Self
2013
Film
Woman Thou Art Loosed: On the 7th Day
Detective Barrick
2012
Film
Celebrity Nude Revue: The Saucy 70's Volume 1
Self
2010
Film
Family Blessings
Mrs. Quincy
1998
Film
Hit Man
Gozelda
1972
Film
Being Rose
Lily
2017
Film
Afro Promo
Self (archive footage)
1997
Film
Do I Look Like a Lady? (Comedians and Singers)
Self (archive footage)
2016
Film
The Vindicator
Hunter
1986
Film
A Christmas Wish
Mary
2019
Film
Beautiful Like a Poem
Self (archive footage)
2020
Film
Bucktown
Aretha
1975
Film
All Saints: The Video
Herself (archive footage) (uncredited)
1998
Film
Diggin’ Up "Bones"
Self
Film
A Mother's Right: The Elizabeth Morgan Story
Linda Holman
1992
Film
Hayley Wagner, Star
Sam
1999
Film
Strip Search
Janette
1997
Film
Pete Rock: Soul Survivor
Pam Grier
1998
Film
As We Know It
Beverly Jones
2023
Film
The Invited
Zelda
2010
Film
It Conquered Hollywood! The Story of American International Pictures
Self
2001
Film
Kings of Cult
(archive footage)
2015
Film
Bad Girls Behind Bars
Alabama (archive footage)
2005
Film
How It Feels to Be Free
Self (archival footage)
2021
Film
Twilight of Love
Sandra
1977