Jenifer Lewis is an entertainment legend.  Her dynamic career dates back to the seventies. She has appeared in numerous films, television shows, and conquered Broadway.

Of course Lewis is a cinematic icon for playing mama to Whitney Houston ("The Preacher’s Wife"), Angela Bassett ("What’s Love Got to Do With It?"), and the late-great 2Pac ("Poetic Justice"), just to name a few.  Now, she plays mother to Taraji P. Henson’s character in "Not Easily Broken," written by T.D. Jakes and starring Morris Chestnut, which is in theatres this Friday.  

The 51 year-old diva took a break from her fabulous life to chat about the new film, being an original Dreamgirl, "Jackie’s Back," and practically gave us a one-woman show throughout the entire interview. 

"Not Easily Broken" is a film about faith being tested. What is a time in your life when your faith has been tested?   
Child, my faith is tested everyday of my life!  Okay?  Put that in there!  When we are faced with difficult challenges I feel that we have only to believe in ourselves, sit still and listen.  When you don’t know what to do—do nothing.  Sit down and listen to what is going on inside and the answers are there. 

You play Taraji P. Henson’s mother in Not Easily Broken.  What attracted you to the role?
Mary Clark, the character, is so angry.  It was important to have a scene in the movie to see where it came from—that was important to me.  Too often we just have black women running around angry. It’s important that people see where it comes from, the patterns that are passed down from generation to generation.  Let’s face it; we are three generations from slavery.   It’s still in our molecular structure to abuse one another and to be abusive.  It’s very important that we pay attention to patterns and passages.  Don’t think that repressing the pain or the damage will do anything.  People have to go and get some kind of help.  If you see people moving away from you and telling you this is not right, you’re constantly losing friends, family members are not speaking to you—maybe it’s you!  Maybe it’s time to look in the mirror. 

You are legendary for playing so many mothers in films over the years.  Who have you enjoy playing a mother to the most?
I think Taraji.  Taraji is brilliant!  Taraji gave me a run for my money and I loved it!  I’m like, “Bring it!”  Let’s stand in this creativity and she is so capable.  I enjoyed working with her very much. 

Is it ever a burden always playing the mother figure—have you ever felt you were typecast?
Well, you know what, it happened out of nowhere.  I don’t know that I know how to answer that… let’s put it like this, playing the mother has afforded me a great career.  Better me to represent the African-American mother than some other person who wouldn’t have done it as well.  African-American mothers being the foundation of this country—you have to remember we raised everybody.  Therefore, mostly everybody loves us!  Better me than somebody else doing it stereotypically.  I am trying to really honor the African-American mother in playing these roles.  Even the one with 2Pac where I turn around and say, “Shut the f*ck up and put the cigarette out!”  You see, everybody in that film was using profanity, you have to see where it came from.  Once again, patterns and passages!  All of the movies I’ve done have not been great, but I do believe that I have been good in them.  I am not a 100 percenter, I am a 3,000 percenter.  When I give, I give my best because it’s all I know how to do. I’ve been given a gift… I sing!  I dance!  I act!  I’m funny!  I’m pretty!  I honor the gift!  That’s all I’m into, I ain’t got time for the Hollywood.  I am living on purpose, I live out loud!  I know who I am and I love what I do… and if you missed any of that quote I will beat the sh*t out of you!  Because that sh*t was brilliant and it was not only brilliant, but it was the truth!  [Laughs]

[Laughs]  You are truly a diva.  What does it mean to be a diva?
[Laughs] Well, let’s put it like this, I’ll accept that I am a diva.  I’ll accept that... I damn near created the word doing my one-woman show ["The Diva Is Dismissed"] over the years!  I’ve laughed at myself, which I hope people would leave my shows laughing at themselves and not taking themselves so seriously.  That was always the plan.  But, let me say this, if you are not a diva of service to others then, no—you don’t get to wear the word.  As long as you are a diva of service to children, to charitable organizations then you’re a diva. 

Is it true you were the original Effie White for Dreamgirls on Broadway, which was made famous by Jennifer Holliday?
Most definitely.  They hired Jennifer.  They fired Jennifer. They hired me and they hired her back for that voice.  Trust me, I didn’t care, I didn’t know because who knew the show was going to be the hit that it was.  I went out to do something else, but nobody can sing “And I Am Telling You” like Jennifer Holliday. I can sing but nobody can sing like that!  This was in the workshop production, before it was on Broadway.  They used me, the actress, to develop the part and they brought her back in for that voice. 

I can’t let you go without asking about "Jackie’s Back," which is a fan favorite.

I have to tell you, while filming we did not expect it to become such a cult classic.  [Laughs] It’s just so silly, I just love that everybody loves it.  Even when we were filming "What’s Love Got to Do With It?," we didn’t know it was going to be that powerful. 

Any chance we will ever get a "Jackie's Back" sequel?
Yes, we are working on a sequel.  They told me she was going to be on the top of a water tower threatening to jump, which I thought was brilliant.  So, we are working on a Jackie’s Back sequel and we promise that it will be eleven thousand times funnier than the first!

Any last shout outs?
I want to thank everybody for being so supportive of my career.  I try to put as much honesty in the roles as possible.  I have a great appreciation for the love.  Honey, the gay boys and the African-American community, they love me!  The truth is I actually crossed over into that white world because of "Strong Medicine."  Child, I was walking down the street in Copenhagen, Denmark and some white woman said, “Lana Hawkins!”  I said, “Who?”  That was my character’s name on "Strong Medicine."  I was recognized in Europe because of "Strong Medicine"!  I was like, “Oh, my God!”  I was just a little colored girl from Kinloch, Missouri skipping along!  People were attacking and mobbing—well, alright there were one or two, but it was a mob! [Laughs]     

You can catch more of Jenifer Lewis in "Not Easily Broken," which is in theatres this Friday.