When you think about Waiting to Exhale, your mind probably goes straight to Angela Bassett. You see her in that closet, lighting matches, walking away from a burning car with a look that launched a thousand memes. It's iconic. Or maybe you think of Whitney Houston, radiant and hopeful, searching for a love that doesn't require her to be a "secret." But honestly? The person who actually anchored that entire story—the one who made it feel like a real neighborhood in Phoenix and not just a Hollywood set—was Loretta Devine in Waiting to Exhale.
She played Gloria Matthews. "Glo."
Gloria wasn't the high-powered executive or the woman with the million-dollar divorce settlement. She was a single mom running a hair salon. She was the one dealing with high blood pressure, a teenage son who was growing up too fast, and an ex-husband who dropped a massive bombshell on her mid-movie. While the other women were chasing ghosts or burning down the past, Gloria was just trying to keep her head above water. And she did it with so much warmth that you almost forgot how heavy her load was.
The Role That Changed Everything for Loretta Devine
It’s hard to imagine now, but Loretta Devine actually had to fight for this part. She once told an interviewer that she ran into Forest Whitaker (the director) on an elevator years before the film even happened. She didn't even know who he was at the time! When the audition for Waiting to Exhale finally came around in the mid-90s, she was terrified he’d remember her as that "dumb chick from the elevator."
Safe to say, he didn't.
Forest actually told her she needed to gain weight for the role. They wanted Gloria to have a specific look—the "big girl" of the group. Devine took it in stride, eating whatever she needed to to get into character. She understood that Gloria represented a huge portion of Black women who never saw themselves on screen: the successful, middle-class business owner who wasn't a size two but was still deeply desirable and worthy of love.
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The chemistry between the four leads wasn't fake, either. On the 30th anniversary of the film, Loretta and her co-stars recalled how Whitney Houston was the ultimate "sister" on set. When press outlets tried to only interview Whitney and Angela, Whitney famously shut it down. She told them, "We go as a group, or we don't go at all." That kind of real-life bond is why Loretta Devine in Waiting to Exhale feels so authentic. You aren't watching four actresses; you’re watching four friends.
Why Gloria Matthews Still Resonates 30 Years Later
Gloria’s storyline was arguably the most complex in the whole movie. Think about what she was carrying. Her ex-husband, the father of her son Tarik, comes out to her. In 1995, that was a massive, taboo-breaking plot point for a mainstream Black film.
But look at how she handled it.
She didn't scream. She didn't throw him out. She processed it with this quiet, dignified hurt that eventually turned into acceptance. It was a masterclass in nuance. Most people forget that Gloria was the one who actually found a healthy, stable love by the end of the film. While the others were still "exhaling," Gloria was already breathing easy with Marvin, played by the late, great Gregory Hines.
- The Salon Owner: Gloria’s hair salon wasn't just a job; it was the community hub.
- The Mother: Her relationship with Tarik (Donald Faison) captured that specific tension of a single Black mother trying to protect her son from a world she can't control.
- The Romantic: Her slow-burn romance with Marvin showed that "love later in life" doesn't have to be boring or desperate. It can be sexy and sweet.
Breaking the "Best Friend" Mold
For years, Black actresses were relegated to playing the "sassy best friend" or the "suffering mother." Devine took those tropes and flipped them. Gloria was both of those things, sure, but she was also a woman with a rich inner life. She struggled with her weight and her health, but she didn't let those things define her value.
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She was the first one to tell her friends the truth, even when they didn't want to hear it.
Honestly, the "Glo" energy is what a lot of us are looking for in our own friendships. She was the steady one. When Bernadine (Angela Bassett) was losing her mind, Gloria was the place she went to get her hair done and her soul right. You've probably got a "Gloria" in your life. Or maybe you are the Gloria.
The industry noticed, too. Devine won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture for this role. It wasn't just a "thank you" for being in a hit movie; it was recognition that she had created a blueprint for the "round" character—pun intended and appreciated. She proved that you don't have to be the loudest person in the room to be the most memorable.
The Lasting Legacy of the Phoenix Four
We talk a lot about "representation" these days, but in 1995, Waiting to Exhale was the blueprint. It showed Black women who were college-educated, financially independent, and—most importantly—allowed to be messy.
Loretta Devine’s performance was the glue.
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If Gloria had been played as a caricature, the movie wouldn't have worked. It would have felt like a soap opera. Because she played it with such "grounded beauty," as Essence recently put it, the movie feels like a documentary of a specific time and place. It’s a time capsule of Black joy and pain that still feels fresh when you stream it on Hulu today.
So, what should you do with all this Glo-related nostalgia?
First, go back and re-watch the movie. Don't just watch for the "burn the car" scene. Watch the scenes in Gloria’s kitchen. Watch the way she looks at Marvin when he’s helping her son. There’s a quiet power there that’s easy to miss if you’re just looking for the fireworks.
Second, recognize the "Glorias" in your own circle. The friends who keep the peace, run the business, and raise the kids without making a scene about it—they’re usually the ones holding the whole group together.
Loretta Devine didn't just play a character; she gave a voice to a whole generation of women who were tired of waiting for their turn to breathe. And honestly? She’s still the GOAT for that.
If you're looking for more of that Loretta magic, check out her later work in Grey's Anatomy (where she won an Emmy) or her recent turn in P-Valley. She’s still bringing that same "Glo" warmth to every frame.
Next Steps:
- Re-watch the film: Pay close attention to the scene where Gloria confronts her ex-husband; it’s a masterclass in understated acting.
- Listen to the soundtrack: Produced by Babyface, it's the perfect companion to the film's emotional beats, especially the tracks that underscore Gloria's journey.
- Explore her filmography: Look for The Preacher's Wife or Kingdom Come to see how she continued to evolve the "strong, soulful woman" archetype in the years following 1995.