Aloma Wright is an American actress, widely known for her roles as Laverne Roberts on the NBC/ABC comedy series Scrubs (2001–2009), Maxine Landis on the NBC daytime drama series Days of Our Lives (2008–2015), Mildred Clemons on the ABC drama series Private Practice (2011–2013), Gretchen Bodinski on the USA Network drama series Suits (2015–2019), and Viola in Tyler Perry's Young Dylan.
Aloma Wright | |
|---|---|
| Born | New York, U.S |
| Other names | Aloma Lesley Wright |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1995–2024 |
Early life
editWright was born in New York and raised in California. She attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City.[1]
Career
editWright began her acting career on stage, before appearing in films like Stuart Saves His Family, Devil in the Flesh, and Shadow Hours, and television shows such as Suddenly Susan, Dangerous Minds, Frasier, Friends, Malcolm in the Middle, Ally McBeal, Girlfriends, and Judging Amy. She also had a recurring role in the Fox series Power Rangers in Space in 1998. She was in the Steve Harvey show as Lovita’s aunt. She also had a recurring role as Ms. Shirley on the series The Soul Man.
In 2001, Wright was cast as Laverne Roberts in the NBC comedy series, Scrubs. After six seasons, her character was killed off in "My Long Goodbye". She returned in season seven playing a new character, Nurse Shirley. Initial reports stated that her character would be the alcoholic, irreligious sister of Laverne, but these turned out to be inaccurate. She later returned to play Nurse Roberts in the season 8 finale, "My Finale", as JD is looking back on all the people in his life. In 2000s, Wright also guest starred on NYPD Blue, Cold Case, NCIS, and Mad Men. She also had supporting parts in films such as Bring It On, The Brothers, Mr. Deeds and Johnson Family Vacation.
In 2008, Wright began appearing as nurse Maxine Landis in the NBC daytime soap opera, Days of Our Lives.[2] From 2012 to 2013, Wright also had the recurring role as Mildred Clemons in the Shonda Rhimes' series, Private Practice, and in 2015 appeared in an episode of Scandal. In 2015, she joined the cast of USA Network legal series Suits for season five as Harvey Specter’s new secretary, Gretchen Bodinski.[3][4] She appeared on the show in a recurring basis until the series finale aired in 2019. In 2020, she was cast as Viola, the title character's grandmother in the Nickelodeon sitcom Young Dylan created by Tyler Perry.[5]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Stuart Saves His Family | Autograph Seeker | |
| 1998 | Dearly Devoted | Secretary | |
| About Sarah | Claudia Avery | TV movie | |
| I Married a Monster | Desk Clerk | TV movie | |
| 1999 | Trippin' | Louise Reed | |
| 2000 | Sonic Impact | Travel Agent | |
| Shadow Hours | Nurse Johnson | ||
| Bring It On | Pauletta | ||
| 2001 | Kingdom Come | Veda | |
| Motocrossed | Barbara Rollins | TV movie | |
| The Brothers | Helen Palmer | ||
| When Billie Beat Bobby | Convalescent Home Nurse | TV movie | |
| Patient Diversity: Beyond the Vital Signs | Mrs. Humpherys | Video Short | |
| 2002 | Mr. Deeds | Coretta Keeling | |
| Try Seventeen | Alicia | ||
| 2003 | Deliver Us from Eva | Reverend Washington | |
| 2004 | Johnson Family Vacation | Glorietta Johnson | |
| 2005 | Thank You for Smoking | Gizelle (voice) | |
| The Gospel | Ernestine | ||
| Ralph & Stanley | Receptionist | Short | |
| Family Reunion | Bernadine Porter | ||
| 2006 | Grad Night | Principal Wheeler | |
| 2007 | Love... & Other 4 Letter Words | Nana | |
| Lord Help Us | Melvina Thomas | Video | |
| Universal Remote | Judge Vintage | ||
| Ben 10: Race Against Time | Mrs. Dalton | TV movie | |
| Hell on Earth | Grandma | TV movie | |
| 2008 | After School | Ma Dear | |
| 2009 | Redemption | Harriet | Short |
| Janky Promoters | Ms. Ann | ||
| Hurricane in the Rose Garden | Miriam Egba | Video | |
| Touched | Miss Esther | ||
| 2010 | My American Nurse 2 | Madam Mississippi | |
| My Girlfriend's Back | Cynthia | ||
| 2011 | Okoto the Messenger | Mrs. Joy Nkuku | |
| 2012 | Dinner Date | Elle | Short |
| Sistaah Friend | Super Shero of Wisdom | Video Short | |
| 2013 | The Devon Taylor Show | Betty | TV movie |
| 2014 | More to Love | Aunt Fran | |
| Clarissa's Gift | Mrs. Bessie Wells | Short | |
| 2016 | Diva Diaries | Auntie Nana | |
| 2019 | Baking Christmas | Patty | TV movie |
| 2020 | The Christmas Edition | Edna | TV movie |
| 2021 | 7 Sharp | Gammy | Short |
| Our Christmas Journey | Robin | TV movie |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Night Stand with Dick Dietrick | Blanche | Episode: "Mama's Boys" |
| 1996 | Suddenly Susan | Rachel | Episode: "Suddenly Susan Unplugged" |
| Dangerous Minds | James's Grandmother | Episode: "Family Ties" & "Jumped" | |
| 1998 | Mike Hammer, Private Eye | Nanny Morgan | Episode: "A New Leaf: Part 2" |
| Power Rangers in Space | Adelle Ferguson | Recurring cast | |
| 1999 | The Steve Harvey Show | Tulabett | Episode: "Working Homegirl" |
| Frasier | Maria | Episode: "To Tell the Truth" | |
| Friends | The Saleswoman | Episode: "The One with the Cop" | |
| Silk Stalkings | Clerk | Episode: "Dance Fever" | |
| Ally McBeal | Judge Aloma Harris | Episode: "Blue Christmas" | |
| The Drew Carey Show | Security Officer | Episode: "Good Vibrations" | |
| 2000 | Malcolm in the Middle | Nurse | Episode: "Home Alone 4" |
| Cover Me | Receptionist | Episode: "Our Mr. Brooks" | |
| The Invisible Man | Nurse Cathy | Episode: "It Hurts When You Do This" | |
| Ally McBeal | Judge Aloma Harris | Episode: "Sex, Lies and Second Thoughts" | |
| Girlfriends | Laurie's Mother | Episode: "The Remains of the Date" | |
| Providence | Orderly | Episode: "Rescue Me" | |
| The Trouble with Normal | Church Secretary | Episode: "Clairanoia" | |
| 2000-01 | Judging Amy | Judge Roberta Pattison | Episode: "Spoil the Child" & "Adoption Day" |
| The Parkers | Shirley West | Episode: "Unforgiven" & "Family Ties and Lies" | |
| 2001 | Mysterious Ways | Peggy's Mom | Episode: "Wonderful" |
| 18 Wheels of Justice | Miss Lopez | Episode: "Dream Girls" | |
| 2001-09 | Scrubs | Nurse Laverne Roberts/Shirley | Recurring cast: Season 1–7, guest: Season 8 |
| 2002 | The Guardian | Grandma Annie | Episode: "Solidarity" |
| The Drew Carey Show | Mrs. Taylor | Episode: "Never Been to Spain" | |
| Even Stevens | Mother Wexler | Episode: "Dirty Work" | |
| The Practice | Corrections Officer | Episode: "Convictions" | |
| 2004 | NYPD Blue | Florence George | Episode: "Chatty Chatty Bang Bang" |
| Crossing Jordan | Desk Nurse | Episode: "You're Not Alone" | |
| The Bernie Mac Show | - | Episode: "Mac Overdrive" | |
| Cold Case | Della Lincoln | Episode: "The Badlands" | |
| Kevin Hill | Nana Bea | Episode: "Full Metal Jessie" | |
| 2005 | Committed | Constance James | Episode: "The Mother Episode" |
| 2006 | NCIS | Nurse Ethel Washington | Episode: "Hiatus (Part #1)" |
| 2007 | The Bill Engvall Show | Dotty | Episode: "Have You Seen My Muffins, Man?" |
| 2007-15 | Days of Our Lives | Maxine Landis | Regular Cast |
| 2008 | Mad Men | Viola | Episode: "The Inheritance" |
| 2009 | Tyler Perry's House of Payne | Eunice | Episode: "Old Lady Paynes" |
| 2010 | Zeke and Luther | Nurse | Episode: "Zeke Jumps the Shark" |
| 2011 | Harry's Law | Nancy Jones | Episode: "Last Dance" |
| 9ine | Nana Goodall | Recurring cast | |
| The Celibate Nympho Chronicles | Mabaleen | Episode: "No Masturbating" & "Bustah Nut" | |
| Parenthood | Natalie | Episode: "Nora" | |
| 2012-13 | Private Practice | Mildred Clemons | Recurring cast: Season 5-6 |
| 2013 | The Rev | Sister Johnson | Recurring cast |
| 2014 | Growing Up Fisher | Tricia | Episode: "Desk/Job" |
| The Middle | Cashier | Episode: "The Optimist" | |
| 2015 | Scandal | Tina Wilson | Episode: "The Lawn Chair" |
| Ward of the State | Evelyn | Episode: "Pilot" | |
| 2015-16 | The Soul Man | Shirley | Guest: Season 4, Recurring cast: Season 5 |
| 2015-19 | Suits | Gretchen Bodinski | Recurring cast: Season 5-9 |
| 2016 | Masters of Sex | County Clerk | Episode: "The Eyes of God" |
| 2017 | The Carmichael Show | Aunt Clarice | Episode: "Lesbian Wedding" |
| 2017-18 | The Guest Book | Emma | Recurring cast: Season 1, guest: Season 2 |
| 2018 | Champions | Sister Timothy | Episode: "Matt Bomer Poster" |
| Lucifer | Party Bus Driver | Episode: "All Hands on Decker" | |
| Claws | Ms. Wallace | Episode: "Double Dutch" | |
| 2019 | Forky Asks a Question | Officer Rib Tickles (voice) | Episode: "What Is a Pet?" |
| 2020 | Raven's Home | Ms. Pearl | Episode: "What About Your Friends?" |
| 2020–present | Tyler Perry's Young Dylan | Viola | Main Cast |
References
edit- ^ "Aloma Wright Playing Maxine Landis on Days of Our Lives - Soaps.com". Archived from the original on 6 July 2015. Retrieved 5 July 2015.
- ^ "Aloma Wright on second chances, DAYS, and her new Christmas film". November 23, 2014.
- ^ Dowling, Amber (June 30, 2015). "Suits Casts Scrubs Alum as Donna's Replacement". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
- ^ Gelman, Vlada (June 30, 2015). "Suits Season 5 Cast — Aloma Wright as Louis Litt's New Secretary". TVLine. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
- ^ Denise Petski (January 23, 2020). "Tyler Perry's Young Dylan Nickelodeon Series Sets Cast". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
External links
edit- Aloma Wright at IMDb