On television, Lewis starred as Lana Hawkins in the Lifetime medical drama "Strong Medicine" from 2000 to 2006. She also had recurring roles on sitcoms "A Different World", "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air", and "Girlfriends". In 2014, Lewis began starring as Ruby Johnson in the ABC comedy series "Black-ish", for which she received two Critics' Choice Television Award nominations. She is known unofficially as "The Mother of Black Hollywood" (also the name of her memoir) given her frequent matriarchal film and television roles.