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 (1998โ€“2000), Kate "Kit" Porter on the Showtime drama series The L Word (2004โ€“2009), and Constance Terry in the ABC sitcom Bless This Mess (2019โ€“2020). She received praise for her work in the animated series Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child (1999).

Pam Grier

Pam Grier

Acting Born May 26, 1949 Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA

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 (1998โ€“2000), Kate "Kit" Porter on the Showtime drama series The L Word (2004โ€“2009), and Constance Terry in the ABC sitcom Bless This Mess (2019โ€“2020). She received praise for her work in the animated series Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child (1999).

Known For

Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen poster

Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen

Self - Guest
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson poster

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

Self
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit poster

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Assistant US Attorney Claudia Williams
The Daily Show poster

The Daily Show

Self - Guest
The Kelly Clarkson Show poster

The Kelly Clarkson Show

Self
Smallville poster

Smallville

Amanda Waller
Hollywood Squares poster

Hollywood Squares

Self - Panelist
The View poster

The View

Self
The Jennifer Hudson Show poster

The Jennifer Hudson Show

Self
Bob's Burgers poster

Bob's Burgers

Evelyn (voice)
Sherri poster

Sherri

Self - Guest
This Is Us poster

This Is Us

Grandma