Luenell

She has had recurring television roles as Rhonda in Showtime comedy-drama series Californication (2009–2014) and as Miss Loretta on HBO Max dark comedy series Hacks (2021–2025).

• Name — Luenell • Birth Name — Luenell Campbell • Born — 12 March 1959 • Birthplace — Tollette, Arkansas, U.S. • Occupation — Comedian, actress • Children — 1 • Years Active — 1993–present

In the early 1990s, Luenell appeared regularly on Soul Beat TV on the Oakland, California cable station KSBT, along with prominent Bay Area African-American journalist Chauncey Bailey, an interviewer and talk show host on the program. Luenell was one of the hired actors in the 2006 hit mockumentary comedy film Borat, playing the role of a prostitute.

Luenell lived in Castro Valley, California, through most of her teen years. On June 18, 2001, Luenell married her husband, whom she refers to as Mr. Rarely. She also has a daughter, Da'Nelle. Although Luenell and Mr. Rarely eventually divorced, they remained close. She revealed that he had undergone treatment for prostate cancer and was living with COPD. On June 23, 2024, Luenell announced on Instagram that he had died following a prolonged illness: “No more breathing machines, no more needles, no more suffering… Even though we were no longer legally married, we remained in each other’s hearts until the very end.”

• Illustration — Luenell in December 2010

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1993 — Hip Hop Slam TV — Herself/host — Episode: "9 & 16 Oct 1993" • 1996 — Nash Bridges — Street Car Reporter — Episode: "Vanishing Act" • 2004 — The Tracy Morgan Show — Woman In Hat — Episode: "Church" • 2005 — ComicView — Herself — Episode: "Episode #14.2" • 2006 — Laffapalooza — Herself — Episode: "Laffapalooza Volume 7" • 2007 — Comics Unleashed — Herself — Episode: "23 February 2007" • Comedy Central Roast — Herself — Episode: ″Comedy Central Roast of Flavor Flav″ • 2008 — I Love the New Millennium — Herself — Recurring Guest • Reality Bites Back — Herself — Episode: "Shock of Love" • 1st Amendment Stand Up — Herself — Episode: "Angelo Lozada/Luenell/Rod Man/Will-E Robo" • Reality Bites Back — Herself — Episode: ″Episode 2″ • Head Case — Twinkle Finkelstein — Episode: "Come Together" • Chocolate News — Candleabra's Mother/Monica Jefferson — Episode: "Episode #1.5" & "#1.9" • 2009 — Black to the Future — Herself — Episode: "Hour 4: The 00s" • 2009–2014 — Californication — Rhonda — Recurring cast: season 3, guest: season 7 • 2010 — Undateable — Herself — Episode: "Hour 1-5" • The Boondocks — Nellie Ruckus (voice) — Episode: "The Color Ruckus" • 2010–2011 — Latino 101 — Herself — Main Guest • 2011 — Way Black When: Primetime — Herself — Episode: "Episode #1.4" • Laugh Out Loud Comedy Festival — Herself — Episode: "Luenell 'Hey Luenell'" • Funny or Die Presents — Herself — Episode: "Episode #2.6" • In the Flow with Affion Crockett — Herself — Episode: "Glee Auditions" • Breaking In — Lunch Truck Lady — Episode: "Tis Better to Have Loved and Flossed" • It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia — Catfish — Episode: "The ANTI-Social Network" • The Middle — Security Woman — Episode: "Hecks on a Plane" • 2012 — Dishing Tea with Big Meach — Herself — Episode: "From Tollette, AK to Hotel Transylvania, SHE Is Going Places" • StandUp in Stilettos — Herself — Episode: "StandUp in Stilettos, Best of - Melissa Villasenor, Luenell and Nadine Rajabi" • DTLA — Racine — Episode: "Episode #1.5" • 2013 — Who Gets the Last Laugh? — Herself — Episode: "Finesse Mitchell/Luenell Campbell/Alan Thicke" • 2013-16 — Apollo Night LA — Herself/Celebrity Host — TV series • 2014 — Camille Solari's Glaminlalaland — Herself — Episode: "One Year Anniversary at The Comedy Store Hosted by Camille Solari & Adam Barnhardt with Tom Rhodes" • Comedy Underground with Dave Attell — Herself — Episode: "Episode #1.6" • Black Dynamite — Moms Mabley (voice) — Episode: "‘Sweet Bill's Badass Singalong Song’ or ‘Bill Cosby Ain't Himself’" • 2015 — The Real Housewives of Atlanta — Herself — Episode: "Fix It Therapy" • Real Husbands of Hollywood — Herself — Episode: "When Kevin Met Salli" • Raising Whitley — Herself — Episode: "Beauty Shop Returns" • Lucas Bros. Moving Co. — DMV Lady (voice) — Episode: "Lucas Burgers" & "Escape from Momma" • Breaking In — Lunch Truck Lady — Episode: "Tis Better to Have Loved and Flossed" • Axe Cop — Waitress — Episode: "Axe Cop Saves God" • Black Jesus — Laverne — Episode: "Tasty Tudi's" • 2016 — Botched — Herself — Episode: "Pinched Perfect" • Shahs of Sunset — Herself — Episode: "Six Persians Walk Into a Bar" • Unsung Hollywood — Herself — Episode: "Rudy Ray Moore" & "Guy and Joe Torry" • Bunnicula — Ted's Wife — Episode: "Alligator Tears" • 2017 — Unsung — Herself — Episode: "Lenny Williams" • Lopez — Miss Wendy — Recurring cast • 2018 — Black Card Revoked — Herself — Episode: "K. Michelle, Andra Fuller, Luenell" • Braxton Family Values — Herself — Recurring cast: season 6 • Comedians and Cocktails — Herself — Episode: "Grown People Talk" • Abelism — Neighbor — Episode: "Roomful of Assholes" • 2019 — Black Jesus — Laverne — Episode: "Hair Tudi" • 2020 — Iyanla: Fix My Life — Herself — Episode: "The Masks We Wear" • The Last O.G. — Aunt Elaine — Episode: "Family Feud" • Game On: A Comedy Crossover Event — Peaches — Episode: "Family Reunion: Remember the Family's Feud?" • Power Book II: Ghost — Ms. Richards — Episode: "Family First" • 2021 — Dark Humor — Herself — Recurring Guest • Joseline's Cabaret — Herself/co-host — Episode: "Joseline's Cabaret Atlanta: The Reunion Part 1 & 2" • Let's Talk Hair — Herself — Episode: "The Big Chop" • Dad Stop Embarrassing Me! — Sheila — Episode: "BlackPeopleDontGoToTherapy" • Ten Year Old Tom — Lunch Lady (voice) — Recurring cast • 2021–2025 — Hacks — Miss Loretta — Recurring cast • 2022 — Phat Tuesdays: The Era Of Hip Hop Comedy — Herself — Main Guest • Celebrity Wheel of Fortune — Herself/Celebrity Contestant — Episode: "Paul Scheer, Luenell and Mary Lynn Rajskub" • 2023 — Jimmy Kimmel Live! — Herself/Guest — Episode: October 4 • 2024 — John Mulaney Presents: Everybody's in LA — Herself — Episode: "Earthquakes"