Cast & creator
Pam Grier
Best known for Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
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).
Also known as: Pam Greer , Pamela Grier, Pamela Suzette Grier, Mama G, Pamala Grier
99
film credits
45
television credits
143
1962–2026 · acting roles
6.1
average across scored titles
Signature credits
Known for
Across film & television
Filmography (144)
Showing 144 of 144 credits
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
Self - Guest
2009
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Self
1962
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Assistant US Attorney Claudia Williams
1999
The Daily Show
Self - Guest
1996
The Kelly Clarkson Show
Self
2019
The View
Self
1997
Hollywood Squares
Self - Panelist
1998
Smallville
Amanda Waller
2001
The Jennifer Hudson Show
Self
2022
Bob's Burgers
Evelyn (voice)
2011
Sherri
Self - Guest
2022
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Self - Guest
1993
This Is Us
Grandma
2016
The Love Boat
Cynthia Wilbur
1977
Knots Landing
Lieutenant Guthrie
1979
Miami Vice
1984Miami Vice
Valerie Gordon
1984
Night Court
Benet Collins
1984
The Cosby Show
Samantha
1984
Intimate Portrait
Self
1993
The Wild Thornberrys
Mother Springbok (voice)
1998
The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn
Self - Guest
1999
The Great North
Neckbone (voice)
2021
Martin
Pam Grier
1992
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Janice
1990
The L Word
Kit Porter
2004
Celebrity Ghost Stories
Self
2009
The Wayans Bros.
Erica
1995
Monsters
Matilde
1988
People's Choice Awards
Self
1975
Them
Athena
2021
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
Nightingale (voice)
1995
Justice League
My'ria'h (voice)
2001
Crime Story
Suzanne Terry
1986
Roots: The Next Generations
Francey
1979
Mars Attacks!
Louise Williams
1996
Jackie Brown
Jackie Brown
1997
Bless This Mess
Constance
2019
Escape from L.A.
Hershe Las Palamas
1996
Larry Crowne
Frances
2011
Ghosts of Mars
Commander Helena Braddock
2001
The Man with the Iron Fists
Jane
2012
Strange Frequency
2001
Pet Sematary: Bloodlines
Majorie Washburn
2023
Jawbreaker
Detective Vera Cruz
1999
Above the Law
Delores 'Jacks' Jackson
1988The Sinbad Show
1993
Frank's Place
Neema Sharone
1987
Time Warp: The Greatest Cult Films of All Time
Self
2020
Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey
Ms. Wardroe
1991
Pacific Station
Grace Ballard
1991
E! True Hollywood Story
1996
The Arena
Mamawi
1974
Beyond the Valley of the Dolls
Fourth Woman
1970
Something Wicked This Way Comes
Dust Witch
1983
The Adventures of Pluto Nash
Flura Nash
2002
Just Wright
Janice Wright
2010
The Package
Ruth Butler
1989
Class of 1999
Ms. Connors
1990
Poms
Olive
2019
MADtv
Self
1995MADtv
self
1995Linc's
Eleanor Braithwaite Winthrop
1998
Skin: A History of Nudity in the Movies
Self
2020
Cleveland Abduction
Carla
2015
Fort Apache, the Bronx
Charlotte
1981
Coffy
Coffy
1973
Foxy Brown
Foxy Brown
1974
Fortress 2
Susan Mendenhall
2000
In Too Deep
Det. Angela Wilson
1999
The Big Doll House
Grear
1971
Holy Smoke
Carol
1999
Breakdown: 1975
Self (archive footage)
2025
Snow Day
Tina
2000
Corman's World
Self - Actress
2011
Feast of All Saints
Suzette Lermontant
2001
Posse
Phoebe
1993
Bones
Pearl
2001
The Big Bird Cage
Blossom
1972
A Decade Under the Influence
Self
2003
Back in the Day
Mrs. Cooper
2005
Black Mama, White Mama
Lee Daniels
1973
Bad Grandmas
Coralee
2017
Drum
Regine
1976
Greased Lightning
Mary Jones
1977
Mafia
James Womack
2011
Love the Hard Way
Linda Fox
2003
Women in Cages
Alabama
1971
The Way Things Seem to Be
Self
2026
A Christmas Wish
Mary
2019
Tough Enough
Myra
1983Quentin Tarantino: From a Movie Buff to a Hollywood Legend
Self (archive footage)
2021
As We Know It
Beverly Jones
2023
Friday Foster
Friday Foster
1975
Jackie Brown: How It Went Down
Self
2002
Beautiful Like a Poem
Self (archive footage)
2020
Mystery Cuddlers
Juniper
2024
Richard Pryor: Omit the Logic
Self (archive footage)
2013
The Allnighter
Sargeant McLeish
1987
Ladies of the House
Birdie
2008
The Twilight People
Ayesa, the Panther Woman
1972
No Tomorrow
Diane
1999
Cool Breeze
Mona
1972
Time Warp Vol. 1: Midnight Madness
Self
2020
Quentin Tarantino: 20 Years of Filmmaking
Self
2013
Sheba, Baby
Sheba Shayne
1975
First to Die
Claire Washburn
2003
Bad Girls Behind Bars
Alabama (archive footage)
2005
Original Gangstas
Laurie Thompson
1996
The Vindicator
Hunter
1986
Badge of the Assassin
Alexandra 'Alie' Horn
1985
Machete Maidens Unleashed!
Self
2010
Pete Rock: Soul Survivor
Pam Grier
1998
Do I Look Like a Lady? (Comedians and Singers)
Self (archive footage)
2016
3 A.M.
George
2001
Scream Blacula Scream
Lisa Fortier
1973
It Conquered Hollywood! The Story of American International Pictures
Self
2001
Chicago Joe and the Showgirl
Thanks
1990
BaadAsssss Cinema
Self
2002
Twilight of Love
Sandra
1977
Hayley Wagner, Star
Sam
1999
Fakin' Da Funk
Annabelle Lee
1997
All Saints: The Video
Herself (archive footage) (uncredited)
1998
Sinbad: Son of a Preacher Man
Self
1996
Stand Alone
Cathryn Bolan
1985
Cinnamon
Mama
2023
Woman Thou Art Loosed: On the 7th Day
Detective Barrick
2012
Celebrity Nude Revue: The Saucy 70's Volume 1
Self
2010
On the Edge
Cora
1986
Badass Supermama
(archive footage)
1996
Being Rose
Lily
2017
How It Feels to Be Free
Self (archival footage)
2021
A Mother's Right: The Elizabeth Morgan Story
Linda Holman
1992
Hit Man
Gozelda
1972
Wilder
Detective Della Wilder
2000
Bucktown
Aretha
1975
The Invited
Zelda
2010
Serial Killer
Capt. Maggie Davis
1995
Family Blessings
Mrs. Quincy
1998
Kings of Cult
(archive footage)
2015
Diggin’ Up "Bones"
Self
Afro Promo
Self (archive footage)
1997
Paul Robeson: Speak of Me as I Am
Narrator (voice)
1998
Strip Search
Janette
1997