Pam Grier
Acting • Born 1949-05-26
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
136 credits
Mars Attacks!
Movie • 1996
Louise Williams
Jackie Brown
Movie • 1997
Jackie Brown
Ghosts of Mars
Movie • 2001
Commander Helena Braddock
Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey
Movie • 1991
Ms. Wardroe
Escape from L.A.
Movie • 1996
Hershe Las Palamas
The Vindicator
Movie • 1986
Hunter
Coffy
Movie • 1973
Coffy
Foxy Brown
Movie • 1974
Foxy Brown
The Big Bird Cage
Movie • 1972
Blossom
Bones
Movie • 2001
Pearl
The Adventures of Pluto Nash
Movie • 2002
Flura Nash
In Too Deep
Movie • 1999
Det. Angela Wilson
Class of 1999
Movie • 1990
Ms. Connors
The Package
Movie • 1989
Ruth Butler
Fort Apache, the Bronx
Movie • 1981
Charlotte
Something Wicked This Way Comes
Movie • 1983
Dust Witch
On the Edge
Movie • 1986
Cara
Above the Law
Movie • 1988
Delores 'Jacks' Jackson
Back in the Day
Movie • 2005
Mrs. Cooper
Sheba, Baby
Movie • 1975
Sheba Shayne
Women in Cages
Movie • 1971
Alabama
Original Gangstas
Movie • 1996
Laurie Thompson
Black Mama, White Mama
Movie • 1973
Lee Daniels
Holy Smoke
Movie • 1999
Carol
Twilight of Love
Movie • 1977
Sandra
The Arena
Movie • 1974
Mamawi
Posse
Movie • 1993
Phoebe
Greased Lightning
Movie • 1977
Mary Jones
Scream Blacula Scream
Movie • 1973
Lisa Fortier
The Big Doll House
Movie • 1971
Grear
Wilder
Movie • 2000
Detective Della Wilder
Kings of Cult
Movie • 2015
(archive footage)
Hit Man
Movie • 1972
Gozelda
Snow Day
Movie • 2000
Tina
Just Wright
Movie • 2010
Janice Wright
The Allnighter
Movie • 1987
Sgt. McLeesh
Tough Enough
Movie • 1983
Myra
Fakin' Da Funk
Movie • 1997
Annabelle Lee
Love the Hard Way
Movie • 2003
Linda Fox
Ladies of the House
Movie • 2008
Birdie
BaadAsssss Cinema
Movie • 2002
Self
Jawbreaker
Movie • 1999
Detective Vera Cruz
Serial Killer
Movie • 1995
Capt. Maggie Davis
Feast of All Saints
Movie • 2001
Suzette Lermontant
Friday Foster
Movie • 1975
Friday Foster
The Twilight People
Movie • 1972
Ayesa, the Panther Woman
Larry Crowne
Movie • 2011
Frances
Drum
Movie • 1976
Regine
First to Die
Movie • 2003
Claire Washburn
Bucktown
Movie • 1975
Aretha
Woman Thou Art Loosed: On the 7th Day
Movie • 2012
Detective Barrick
The Man with the Iron Fists
Movie • 2012
Jane
Cool Breeze
Movie • 1972
Mona
No Tomorrow
Movie • 1999
Diane
Mafia
Movie • 2011
James Womack
Pet Sematary: Bloodlines
Movie • 2023
Majorie Washburn
Cinnamon
Movie • 2023
Mama
Stand Alone
Movie • 1985
Cathryn Bolan
Badge of the Assassin
Movie • 1985
Alexandra 'Alie' Horn
As We Know It
Movie • 2023
Beverly Jones
It Conquered Hollywood! The Story of American International Pictures
Movie • 2001
Self
Beyond the Valley of the Dolls
Movie • 1970
Fourth Woman
Hayley Wagner, Star
Movie • 1999
Sam
Strip Search
Movie • 1997
Janette
The Invited
Movie • 2010
Zelda
Sinbad: Son of a Preacher Man
Movie • 1996
Self
Cleveland Abduction
Movie • 2015
Carla
Fortress 2
Movie • 2000
Susan Mendenhall
3 A.M.
Movie • 2001
George
A Decade Under the Influence
Movie • 2003
Self
Afro Promo
Movie • 1997
Self (archive footage)
Corman's World
Movie • 2011
Self - Actress
Bad Grandmas
Movie • 2017
Coralee
Quentin Tarantino: 20 Years of Filmmaking
Movie • 2013
Self
Richard Pryor: Omit the Logic
Movie • 2013
Self (archive footage)
Paul Robeson: Speak of Me as I Am
Movie • 1998
Narrator (voice)
Machete Maidens Unleashed!
Movie • 2010
Self
Jackie Brown: How It Went Down
Movie • 2002
Self
Family Blessings
Movie • 1998
Mrs. Quincy
Badass Supermama
Movie • 1996
(archive footage)
Poms
Movie • 2019
Olive
Being Rose
Movie • 2017
Lily
A Christmas Wish
Movie • 2019
Mary
Do I Look Like a Lady? (Comedians and Singers)
Movie • 2016
Self (archive footage)
Time Warp Vol. 1: Midnight Madness
Movie • 2020
Self
Skin: A History of Nudity in the Movies
Movie • 2020
Self
Pete Rock: Soul Survivor
Movie • 1998
Pam Grier
How It Feels to Be Free
Movie • 2021
Self (archival footage)
A Mother's Right: The Elizabeth Morgan Story
Movie • 1992
Linda Holman
Celebrity Nude Revue: The Saucy 70's Volume 1
Movie • 2010
Self
Quentin Tarantino: From a Movie Buff to a Hollywood Legend
Movie • 2021
Self (archive footage)
Bad Girls Behind Bars
Movie • 2005
Alabama (archive footage)
Mystery Cuddlers
Movie • 2024
Juniper
All Saints: The Video
Movie • 1998
Herself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Beautiful Like a Poem
Movie • 2020
Self (archive footage)
Night Court
TV • 1984
Benet Collins
Martin
TV • 1992
Pam Grier
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
TV • 1990
Janice
Miami Vice
TV • 1984
The Wayans Bros.
TV • 1995
Erica
The Sinbad Show
TV • 1993
The Wild Thornberrys
TV • 1998
Mother Springbok (voice)
The View
TV • 1997
Self
E! True Hollywood Story
TV • 1996
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
TV • 1999
Assistant US Attorney Claudia Williams
Knots Landing
TV • 1979
Lieutenant Guthrie
The L Word
TV • 2004
Kit Porter
Linc's
TV • 1998
Eleanor Braithwaite Winthrop
Smallville
TV • 2001
Amanda Waller
MADtv
TV • 1995
Self - Guest Host
Roots: The Next Generations
TV • 1979
Francey
The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn
TV • 1999
Self - Guest
Justice League
TV • 2001
My'ria'h (voice)
Intimate Portrait
TV • 1993
Self
Hollywood Squares
TV • 1998
Self - Panelist
The Kelly Clarkson Show
TV • 2019
Self
Sherri
TV • 2022
Self - Guest
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
TV • 1995
Nightingale (voice)
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
TV • 2009
Self - Guest
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
TV • 1993
Self - Guest
Bless This Mess
TV • 2019
Constance
Celebrity Ghost Stories
TV • 2009
Self
Crime Story
TV • 1986
Suzanne Terry
Them
TV • 2021
Athena
The Great North
TV • 2021
Neckbone (voice)
Frank's Place
TV • 1987
Neema Sharone
The Daily Show
TV • 1996
Self - Guest
The Love Boat
TV • 1977
Cynthia Wilbur
This Is Us
TV • 2016
Grandma
The Jennifer Hudson Show
TV • 2022
Self
Pacific Station
TV • 1991
Grace Ballard
Miami Vice
TV • 1984
Valerie Gordon
The Cosby Show
TV • 1984
Samantha
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
TV • 1962
Self
Bob's Burgers
TV • 2011
Evelyn (voice)
People's Choice Awards
TV • 1975
Self