Loretta Devine Says a Boyfriend in HerDreamgirlsDays 'Got My Mother High by Accident' When They Met (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Loretta Devine at the Women’s Image Network Awards at Saban Theatre on Feb. 21, 2024 in L.A.Photo:Unique Nicole/Getty

Unique Nicole/Getty

The holidays often serve as a popular time to introduce a significant other to one’s family, which can come with some awkwardness. The Lewin family inHolidazedexpects exactly that when matriarch Linda Lewin (Loretta Devine) brings her new, much younger boyfriend (Ser’Darius Blain) home for the holidays after splitting from her husband (Dennis Haysbert).

“It was a thrill to do this part and have a young boyfriend and a gorgeous husband,” Devine, 75, tells PEOPLE. “It was like something I dreamed up on my own.”

Devine met her off-screen husband Glenn Marshall in her 50s, “so it was a whole different feeling” when she introduced him to her mom for the first time.

But, Devine remembers introducing another boyfriend to her mother when she starred inDreamgirlson Broadway in the ‘80s.

Loretta Devine (left) with ‘Dreamgirls’ costars Sheryl Lee Ralph (left) and Deborah Burrell circa 1981.Robin Platzer/IMAGES/Getty

Robin Platzer/IMAGES/Getty

Things went a lot better when Devine’s mom, who has since died, met Marshall for the first time.

“She really loved him,” the actress says. “It was a wonderful thing to have someone to share my life with. I think that’s what she was most happy about.”

Devine tries to bring that happiness to her family on Christmas.

“It’s such a special day,” she says. “You get your list together and try to make sure you can get things that people really like. I have three older sisters and I have to get to all of their houses and spend an equal amount of time with each one. So the holiday can be stressful, but it’s also about love and being happy to be with your family.”

Glenn Marshall and Loretta Devine at the 54th NAACP Image Awards nominees' luncheon at the Fairmont Century Plaza on Feb. 4, 2023 in Los Angeles.David Livingston/WireImage

David Livingston/WireImage

When it comes to holiday shopping, Devine says she used to start chipping away at her list the day after Thanksgiving. “But now you got Amazon, you can go to Walmart. Everything is so much easier if you do it that way,” she says. “But the truth is, with my family, they would prefer cash. I work a lot and I save up so I can do that during the holiday because they really appreciate it.”

Devine knows of another gift that won’t cost her a thing. “Half the stuff I’ve done is on Tubi so I can go watch it again. I’m like, ‘Oh my God,The PJsandThe Carmichael Show,’” she says. “They can go on and see it for free on Tubi. I think that’s a great gift. I always say, ‘If you want to see me, go there.’”

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The Emmy winner feels “so blessed” for the career she’s had so far — and she has no desire to slow down.

Devine acknowledges that actresses often receive less opportunities in Hollywood as they get older. “It’s just with the way the industry works,” she says. “It’s ageism. It’s all about what the young people come up with.”

But she remains optimistic. “Everybody has to have a grandmother!” Devine remarks.

Loretta Devine in ‘Holidazed’.Hallmark+

Hallmark+

“I’m sort of like a loner,” Devine admits. “I should spend more time with other people. But I’m really crafty. I love to knit and crochet, I make gowns and I make jewelry. It relaxes me and it actually makes me sing. I can hear myself humming. My husband says, ‘There you go. You’re humming again.’"

Devine wore some of the outfits she crocheted on set ofHolidazedwhen they filmed in 2022. “I wore an outfit I made to the airport and I’ll never do that again,” she says. “Every little old lady stopped me and asked me how to make a granny square.”

Still, Devine loves sharing her gift with the world and bringing people together at the holidays. “I feel so blessed to still be able to work and to get parts and stuff,” the Texas native says. “It’s a happy time.”

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New episodes ofHolidazedpremiere Thursdays on Hallmark+.

source: people.com