Lori Alter

Lori Alter is an actress, singer, writer, and producer best known for her role as Juanita Simmons, Chanel's mother, in Disney's beloved The Cheetah Girls franchise. Performing professionally since the age of eight, Lori earned a reputation as "the little girl with the big voice," growing up singing in her father's band before launching a career that has spanned theatre, television, film, music, writing, and producing. Lori starred as Jenny in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Aspects of Love, where her acclaimed performance earned runner-up honors alongside Carol Burnett for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical in Entertainment Today's Top 10 Productions of 1993. Following her success on stage, Lori divided her career between music and television. She signed a publishing and recording deal and, while performing at New York City's iconic Bitter End, caught the attention of legendary producer Tom Dowd. Her vocals can be heard on numerous film soundtracks, and she has appeared in several films portraying singer-performers. On television, Lori built an extensive career as both an actress and writer. She was a series regular as Renata D'Allesandro in Power Play, a performance the Los Angeles Times praised, writing, "Meanwhile, the divorced Parker has a stunningly endowed secretary, Renata (Lori Alter), whose sexy swagger you can get whiplash from watching." She also starred as Anna Sophia Antonia Garces Keller in Family Biz and portrayed Stokely Mullins in Leap Years and the delightfully comical Lisa DeWitt in She's the Mayor. As a writer and creator, Lori has sold television comedy pilots and created the web series The LoJo Show. Throughout her career, she has appeared in over 100 television and film productions, including House at the End of the Street, Avenging Angelo, Make Your Move, National Lampoon's Senior Trip, and Sing, her first feature film as a dancer. She has also performed live more than 3,000 times across North America. Lori remains incredibly proud to be part of the beloved The Cheetah Girls family, a role that has introduced her to generations of Disney fans around the world.