In 1992, Lewis was cast as one of the back-up singers to Whoopi Goldberg in film "Sister Act". The following year, Lewis played the mother of Tupac Shakur's character in the film "Poetic Justice", and as Zelma Bullock, Tina Turner’s mother, in the biopic "What's Love Got to Do With It" starring Angela Bassett. Lewis has stated she never auditioned to play Tina Turner, but would have been thrilled to play the iconic Tina Turner . Lewis is only one year older than Bassett. For her performance, she received her first NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture nomination. In 1994, she followed with other comedic supporting roles, including Mrs. Coleman the Unemployment Office lady in "Renaissance Man" and as Whoopi Goldberg's sister in "Corrina, Corrina". In 1995, she was cast in maternal roles to Kadeem Hardison in "Panther" and to Larenz Tate in "Dead Presidents".