Loretta Devine was born on August 21, 1949 in Houston, Texas and graduated from the University of Houston with a degree in speech and drama. She received her masters at Brandeis University, graduating with a degree in theater. She first gained attention in Dreamgirls, a Broadway musical. Later on she starred in minor films such as Little Nikita and Stanley and Iris. She also had a cameo appearance in the film version of Dreamgirls. In 1995, Devine was cast for a high-profile role as Gloria Peaches in Waiting to Exhale, a role which earned her a NAACP Image Award for best supporting actress. She also won the same award for her role in The Preacher's Wife. In 2000, Devine was given the role of the impassioned high school teacher Marla Hendricks on Fox's TV drama Boston Public, and won three more Image Awards for that role. Her other movie appearances include those in Urban Legend, Urban Legends: Final Cut and I Am Sam. In 2007 she was cast for a role on the ABC series Eli Stone.

Patti is played by Loretta Devine in the ABC series Eli Stone.


(Photo courtesy of ABC)