Pam Grier

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).

Known For

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen

Smallville

The Daily Show

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

The Kelly Clarkson Show

The Jennifer Hudson Show

Bob's Burgers

All Movies (97)

• The Way Things Seem to Be2026 · as Self
• Mystery Cuddlers2024 · as Juniper
• As We Know It2023 · as Beverly Jones
• Pet Sematary: Bloodlines2023 · as Majorie Washburn
• Cinnamon2023 · as Mama
• How It Feels to Be Free2021 · as Self (archival footage)
• Quentin Tarantino: From a Movie Buff to a Hollywood Legend2021 · as Self (archive footage)
• Skin: A History of Nudity in the Movies2020 · as Self
• Beautiful Like a Poem2020 · as Self (archive footage)
• Time Warp Vol. 1: Midnight Madness2020 · as Self
• A Christmas Wish2019 · as Mary
• Poms2019 · as Olive
• Being Rose2017 · as Lily
• Bad Grandmas2017 · as Coralee
• Do I Look Like a Lady? (Comedians and Singers)2016 · as Self (archive footage)
• Kings of Cult2015 · as (archive footage)
• Cleveland Abduction2015 · as Carla
• Richard Pryor: Omit the Logic2013 · as Self (archive footage)
• Quentin Tarantino: 20 Years of Filmmaking2013 · as Self
• The Man with the Iron Fists2012 · as Jane
• Woman Thou Art Loosed: On the 7th Day2012 · as Detective Barrick
• Corman's World2011 · as Self - Actress
• Larry Crowne2011 · as Frances
• Mafia2011 · as James Womack
• Celebrity Nude Revue: The Saucy 70's Volume 12010 · as Self
• Machete Maidens Unleashed!2010 · as Self
• Just Wright2010 · as Janice Wright
• The Invited2010 · as Zelda
• Ladies of the House2008 · as Birdie
• Bad Girls Behind Bars2005 · as Alabama (archive footage)
• Back in the Day2005 · as Mrs. Cooper
• A Decade Under the Influence2003 · as Self
• Love the Hard Way2003 · as Linda Fox
• First to Die2003 · as Claire Washburn
• Jackie Brown: How It Went Down2002 · as Self
• The Adventures of Pluto Nash2002 · as Flura Nash
• BaadAsssss Cinema2002 · as Self
• Feast of All Saints2001 · as Suzette Lermontant
• Bones2001 · as Pearl
• Ghosts of Mars2001 · as Commander Helena Braddock
• 3 A.M.2001 · as George
• It Conquered Hollywood! The Story of American International Pictures2001 · as Self
• Wilder2000 · as Detective Della Wilder
• Fortress 22000 · as Susan Mendenhall
• Snow Day2000 · as Tina
• No Tomorrow1999 · as Diane
• Hayley Wagner, Star1999 · as Sam
• Holy Smoke1999 · as Carol
• In Too Deep1999 · as Det. Angela Wilson
• Jawbreaker1999 · as Detective Vera Cruz
• Family Blessings1998 · as Mrs. Quincy
• Pete Rock: Soul Survivor1998 · as Pam Grier
• All Saints: The Video1998 · as Herself (archive footage) (uncredited)
• Paul Robeson: Speak of Me as I Am1998 · as Narrator (voice)
• Jackie Brown1997 · as Jackie Brown
• Fakin' Da Funk1997 · as Annabelle Lee
• Strip Search1997 · as Janette
• Afro Promo1997 · as Self (archive footage)
• Mars Attacks!1996 · as Louise Williams
• Escape from L.A.1996 · as Hershe Las Palamas
• Original Gangstas1996 · as Laurie Thompson
• Sinbad: Son of a Preacher Man1996 · as Self
• Badass Supermama1996 · as (archive footage)
• Serial Killer1995 · as Capt. Maggie Davis
• Posse1993 · as Phoebe
• A Mother's Right: The Elizabeth Morgan Story1992 · as Linda Holman
• Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey1991 · as Ms. Wardroe
• Class of 19991990 · as Ms. Connors
• The Package1989 · as Ruth Butler
• Above the Law1988 · as Delores 'Jacks' Jackson
• The Allnighter1987 · as Sargeant McLeish
• On the Edge1986 · as Cara
• The Vindicator1986 · as Hunter
• Stand Alone1985 · as Cathryn Bolan
• Badge of the Assassin1985 · as Alexandra 'Alie' Horn
• Something Wicked This Way Comes1983 · as Dust Witch
• Tough Enough1983 · as Myra
• Fort Apache, the Bronx1981 · as Charlotte
• Greased Lightning1977 · as Mary Jones
• Twilight of Love1977 · as Sandra
• Drum1976 · as Regine
• Friday Foster1975 · as Friday Foster
• Bucktown1975 · as Aretha
• Sheba, Baby1975 · as Sheba Shayne
• Foxy Brown1974 · as Foxy Brown
• The Arena1974 · as Mamawi
• Scream Blacula Scream1973 · as Lisa Fortier
• Coffy1973 · as Coffy
• Black Mama, White Mama1973 · as Lee Daniels
• Hit Man1972 · as Gozelda
• The Big Bird Cage1972 · as Blossom
• The Twilight People1972 · as Ayesa, the Panther Woman
• Cool Breeze1972 · as Mona
• Women in Cages1971 · as Alabama
• The Big Doll House1971 · as Grear
• Beyond the Valley of the Dolls1970 · as Fourth Woman
• Diggin’ Up "Bones"— · as Self

All TV Shows (44)

• Sherri2022 · as Self - Guest
• The Jennifer Hudson Show2022 · as Self
• Them2021 · as Athena
• The Great North2021 · as Neckbone (voice)
• Time Warp: The Greatest Cult Films of All Time2020 · as Self
• The Kelly Clarkson Show2019 · as Self
• Bless This Mess2019 · as Constance
• This Is Us2016 · as Grandma
• Bob's Burgers2011 · as Evelyn (voice)
• Celebrity Ghost Stories2009 · as Self
• Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen2009 · as Self - Guest
• The L Word2004 · as Kit Porter
• Justice League2001 · as My'ria'h (voice)
• Smallville2001 · as Amanda Waller
• Strange Frequency2001
• Law & Order: Special Victims Unit1999 · as Assistant US Attorney Claudia Williams
• The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn1999 · as Self - Guest
• Hollywood Squares1998 · as Self - Panelist
• The Wild Thornberrys1998 · as Mother Springbok (voice)
• Linc's1998 · as Eleanor Braithwaite Winthrop
• The View1997 · as Self
• E! True Hollywood Story1996
• The Daily Show1996 · as Self - Guest
• MADtv1995 · as Self - Guest Host
• Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child1995 · as Nightingale (voice)
• The Wayans Bros.1995 · as Erica
• Intimate Portrait1993 · as Self
• The Sinbad Show1993
• Late Night with Conan O'Brien1993 · as Self - Guest
• Martin1992 · as Pam Grier
• Pacific Station1991 · as Grace Ballard
• The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air1990 · as Janice
• Monsters1988 · as Matilde
• Frank's Place1987 · as Neema Sharone
• Crime Story1986 · as Suzanne Terry
• The Cosby Show1984 · as Samantha
• Miami Vice1984
• Miami Vice1984 · as Valerie Gordon
• Night Court1984 · as Benet Collins
• Knots Landing1979 · as Lieutenant Guthrie
• Roots: The Next Generations1979 · as Francey
• The Love Boat1977 · as Cynthia Wilbur
• People's Choice Awards1975 · as Self
• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson1962 · as Self