Sheryl Lee Ralph
American actress and singer (born 1956)
This article is about the American actress, Sheryl Lee Ralph. For the similarly named German-American actress, see
Sheryl Lee .
Sheryl Lee Ralph OJ [ 1] (born December 30, 1956) is an American actress and singer. Known for her performances on stage and screen, she earned acclaim for her role as Deena Jones in the Broadway musical Dreamgirls (1981), for which she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical . Since 2021 she has starred as Barbara Howard on the ABC mockumentary sitcom Abbott Elementary , for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series , becoming the first Black woman in 35 years to win the award.[ 2]
She made her film debut in the 1977 comedy A Piece of the Action . In 1991, she won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female for her performance in the 1990 comedy-drama film To Sleep with Anger . Ralph's other notable roles include The Mighty Quinn (1989), Mistress (1992), The Distinguished Gentleman (1992), Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993), and The Comeback Trail (2020).
After early guest roles on television shows such as Good Times , The Jeffersons and Wonder Woman she then starred in the ABC sitcoms It's a Living (1986–1989) and New Attitude (1990), as well as the Nick at Nite sitcom Instant Mom (2013–2015). Her role as Dee Mitchell in the UPN sitcom Moesha (1996–2001) earned her five NAACP Image Award nominations.
Her other Broadway roles include Muzzy Van Hossmere in Thoroughly Modern Millie (2002) and Madame Morrible in Wicked (2016–2017). Additionally, she has produced the Broadway plays Thoughts of a Colored Man (2021) and Ohio State Murders (2022).
Early life
Ralph was born in Waterbury, Connecticut , the daughter of Stanley Ralph, a college professor, and Ivy Ralph O.D. , a Jamaican fashion designer and the creator of the kariba suit .[ 3] [ 4] She has a younger brother, actor and comedian Michael Ralph . According to a DNA analysis, she descends partly from the Tikar people of Cameroon .[ 5] She was raised between Mandeville, Jamaica , and Long Island .[ 6] [ 7] Ralph attended Uniondale High School in Uniondale, New York .
She starred in a high-school production of the musical Oklahoma! , portraying Ado Annie. Ralph graduated in 1972. Earlier that year, she was crowned Miss Black Teen-age New York. At 19, Ralph was the youngest woman to ever graduate from Rutgers University. During her time at Rutgers, Ralph was one of the earliest winners of the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarships awarded by the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival .[ 8]
That year she was named one of the top ten college women in America by Glamour magazine. Initially she hoped to study medicine, but after dealing with cadavers in a pre-med class and winning a scholarship in a competition at the American College Theater Festival, she gave up medicine for the performing arts.[ 9] Many years later, she served as the commencement speaker at Rutgers for the Class of 2023.
Career
1977–1989: Early roles and Dreamgirls
Ralph in 1997
Ralph began her career in the 1970s, starring in the 1977 American crime comedy film A Piece of the Action directed by Sidney Poitier . She also made several appearances in television shows, such as Good Times , Wonder Woman and The Jeffersons . Ralph then landed a role in the Broadway production Reggae (1980),[ 10] before portraying Deena Jones in the original Broadway musical Dreamgirls (1981).[ 11] On television, she was in the cast of the CBS daytime soap opera Search for Tomorrow while starring on Broadway in Dreamgirls. For her performance in Dreamgirls , Ralph was nominated in 1982 for a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical.[ 12]
Afterwards, she signed with Sid Bernstein 's music label, and released her only studio album In the Evening in 1984. The album's title track peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Dance Music/Club Play Singles chart and No. 64 on the UK Singles Chart that same year.[ 13] Ralph landed the leading role of Ginger St. James on the television series It's a Living . In 1988 she starred in the Disney film Oliver & Company , providing the voice of Rita, a sassy Afghan Hound . Her first leading role in a film came as Denzel Washington's wife in The Mighty Quinn , released in 1989.
1990–2020: Film roles and Moesha
In 1990, she was cast as Vicki St. James in the ABC sitcom New Attitude . The following year, Ralph won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female for her performance in the 1990 drama film To Sleep with Anger . In 1992, she starred with Robert De Niro in the title role in Mistress . That same year, she played Etienne Toussaint-Bouvier on Designing Women , and co-starred with Eddie Murphy in The Distinguished Gentleman . She also played Florence Watson, the mother of Rita Louise Watson (Lauryn Hill ) in the 1993 film Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit . Her role as Dee Mitchell on Moesha (1996–2001) earned her five nominations for the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series . During the 1990s she also had roles in The Flintstones , Deterrence , and Unconditional Love . She provided the voice of Cheetah in Justice League and Justice League Unlimited . Ralph produced Divas Simply Singing , which has become an important AIDS fundraiser. She also appeared on the Showtime series Barbershop as Claire. Ralph played a character who brought a new face to the sufferings of war in the NBC hit series ER . Ralph's 2002 project Baby of the Family concerns a young child who is born with a caul over her head, which enables her to see ghosts and the future. Ralph was also featured with son Etienne on MTV's My Super Sweet 16 and BET's Baldwin Hills , as well as an episode of Clean House that also featured her two children, Etienne and Ivy-Victoria (aka Coco), named after Ralph's mother.
Ralph in 2012
On June 16, 2009, it was announced that Ralph would join the cast of the Broadway-bound musical The First Wives Club as Elyse. She replaced Adriane Lenox , who withdrew from the show due to health concerns.[ 14] In 2011, Ralph guest-starred in Young Justice as Amanda Waller . In 2013, Ralph appeared in the NBC television show Smash as Cynthia, the mother of Jennifer Hudson 's character.[ 15] On February 9, 2013, Ralph appeared at the 2013 Columbus Middle School youth rally in Columbus, Mississippi. In August 2014, she appeared on KTLA Los Angeles Morning News as a fill-in entertainment reporter. In November 2014, Ralph appeared on Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn as the rich lady who claims her dog from Nicky, Ricky, Dicky, and Dawn. Some of her recent TV appearances include the TNT dramedy Claws , and on the Nickelodeon sitcom Instant Mom as the mother of Stephanie (Tia Mowry ). From January 10 to April 11, 2019, Ralph appeared as one of the main characters, Rose, in the television series Fam which ran for one season and was canceled in May 2019.
2021–present: Abbott Elementary
In 2021, Ralph joined the new hit sitcom Abbott Elementary , portraying veteran elementary school teacher Barbara Howard.[ 16] For her role, Ralph won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2022, becoming the second Black actress to win in the category after Jackée Harry , who won in 1987 for 227 , and the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2023. In October 2022, Ralph was presented with the Order of Jamaica by the governor-general for her contribution to the national film industry.[ 17]
In 2023, Ralph performed "Lift Every Voice and Sing ", also known as the Black national anthem, at the Super Bowl LVII pre-show.[ 18] Later in 2023, Ralph became the first celebrity and the first Black person to play Mrs. Claus in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade ’s history.[ 19]
In 2024, Ralph sang for President Joe Biden at a large fundraiser to raise money for his reelection.[ 20] Earlier, she had joined Vice President Kamala Harris for an abortion -related campaign event in Pennsylvania.[ 21]
Personal life
Ralph was married to French businessman Eric Maurice from 1990 to 2001, and they have two children, a son born in 1992 and a daughter in 1995. She has been married to Pennsylvania State Senator Vincent Hughes since July 30, 2005.[ 22]
In July 2004, Ralph was inducted as an honorary member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority at the 47th National Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada .[ 23]
In May 2008, Ralph was awarded an honorary doctorate of humane letters from Tougaloo College after giving the commencement address .[citation needed ]
In 2023, Ralph was named the commencement speaker for Rutgers University , her alma mater . It was also announced that she would receive an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts degree at the ceremony.[ 24]
Filmography
Film
Television
Documentary
Year
Title
Role
Notes
2011
Kiss and Tell: The History of Black Romance in Movie
Narrator
2016
Struggle and Triumph: The Legacy of George Washington Carver
Narrator
Short
Video games
Stage work
Discography
Albums
In the Evening (1984, The New York Music Company)
"You're So Romantic" (4:38)
"In the Evening" (3:50)
"Give Me Love" (3:34)
"Evolution" (4:02)
"Back to Being in Love" (3:01)
"Be Somebody" (3:35)
"I'm Your Kind of Girl" (3:55)
"B.A.B.Y." (3:15)
"Ready or Not" (3:46)
"I'm So Glad That We Met" (3:56)
Produced and arranged by Trevor Lawrence
“God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” (2:11)
“Holiday Cheer (We Made It)” (4:03)
“Wreck The Halls” feat. B Slade (1:09)
“Silent Night” (2:52)
“Little Drummer Boy” (6:57)
“I Love The Holidays” feat. J Minor 7 (1:09)
“Commercial Break” (0:08)
“Sleigh. (Jingle Bells)” (3:43)
“The Real Meaning” feat. B Slade (5:26)
“The Gift” (1:04)
“Hark The Herald Angels Sing” (1:10)
“O Holy Night” (3:16)
“O’ Come All Ye Faithful” feat. Ann Nesby and B Slade (5:24)
“Muva Has Spoken” feat. Ivy Ralph O.D. (1:06)
“Silent Night Vibes” feat. Hubie Wang (2:05)
Singles
Awards and nominations
References
^ "Sheryl Lee Ralph on Instagram: "Well, it is now official! I am The Honourable Sheryl Lee Ralph OJ (Order of Jamaica) Warrior Woman! 🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲 #ThisisWhatBelievingLooksLike" " . Instagram . Retrieved 2022-10-28 .
^ "Sheryl Lee Ralph Becomes First Black Woman to Win Supporting Actress in Comedy Series in 35 Years" . TheWrap . 2022-09-12. Retrieved 2022-09-13 .
^ Henry, Balford (9 October 2018). "Fashion designer Ivy Ralph dies at 90" . Jamaica Observer . Archived from the original on December 4, 2021. Retrieved 2020-07-03 .
^ Blumenthal, Ralph (24 March 1976). "Kareeba: Jamaica's 'Uniform" . The New York Times . ISSN 0362-4331 . Retrieved 2020-07-03 .
^ Actress Sheryl Lee Ralph Proud of Her Cameroon Ancestry , archived from the original on 2021-12-21, retrieved 2020-01-29
^ " "Sheryl Lee Ralph a Passionate AIDS Activist", The Caribbean Current " . Archived from the original on May 2, 2016. Retrieved October 19, 2017 .
^ "Sheryl Lee Ralph" . www.tcm.com .
^ "Previous Winners of the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship" . KennedyCenter.org . The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Retrieved April 5, 2015 .
^ Collier, Aldore, "Sheryl Lee Ralph Talks About Her New TV Series And How She Kept A String On Her Finger Until She Found The Right Man" , pp 56–58, August 27, 1990, Jet magazine, retrieved via Google Books on February 10, 2010
^ LLC, New York Media (1980-04-07). New York Magazine . New York Media, LLC.
^ League, The Broadway. "Sheryl Lee Ralph – Broadway Cast & Staff – IBDB" . Retrieved October 27, 2016 .
^ "Sheryl Lee Ralph Tony Awards Info" . www.broadwayworld.com . Retrieved 2022-10-17 .
^ Inc, Nielsen Business Media (1985-02-09). Billboard . Nielsen Business Media, Inc.
^ "Tell Us, Miss Jones: Sheryl Lee Ralph Will Be Part of First Wives Club" Archived June 19, 2009, at the Wayback Machine , playbill.com, June 16, 2009
^ "Dreamgirls Sheryl Lee Ralph to Guest Star as Jennifer Hudson's Mother in NBC's Smash Season 2!" . BroadwayWorld.com. August 14, 2012. Retrieved August 14, 2012 .[permanent dead link ]
^ Gross, Terry (2022-09-12). "From 'Dreamgirls' to 'Abbott Elementary,' Sheryl Lee Ralph forged her own path" . NPR.
^ "Emmy Award-winning actress Sheryl Lee Ralph is awarded the Order of Jamaica, the nation's fourth highest honor" . news.yahoo.com . October 17, 2022. Retrieved 2022-10-18 .
^ "Sheryl Lee Ralph, Babyface to perform at Super Bowl - 7sport Canada" . 2023-01-25. Retrieved 2023-01-26 .
^ Ray, Alyssa (November 23, 2023). "Fans Can't Get Enough of Sheryl Lee Ralph as Thanksgiving Parade's First Black Mrs. Claus" . Parade .
^ "Biden earns record-breaking cash haul at glitzy Hollywood fundraiser" . 2024-06-16. Retrieved 2024-06-30 .
^ "Schooled: 'Abbott Elementary' star joins VP Harris in Montgomery County to talk abortion" . 2024-05-09. Retrieved 2024-06-30 .
^ "Actress Sheryl Lee Ralph Marries Senator" . People . July 31, 2005. Retrieved June 14, 2020 .
^ "Sheryl Lee Ralph | Agency For Artists" . Retrieved 2020-03-07 .
^ " 'Abbott Elementary' star Sheryl Lee Ralph named Rutgers commencement speaker" . OnTheRedCarpet.com . ABC, Inc., WLS-TV Chicago. 26 April 2023. Retrieved 12 May 2023 .
^ a b c d e f g "Sheryl Lee Ralph (visual voices guide)" . Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved November 12, 2024 . A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
^ Wiseman, Andreas (March 2, 2022). " 'The Flash's Kiersey Clemons Leads Cast In The Young Wife For FilmNation & Archer Gray" . Deadline . Retrieved November 12, 2024 .
^ Grobar, Matt (October 25, 2023). "Sheryl Lee Ralph Rounds Out The Fabulous Four As Additional Cast Joins Bleecker Street Comedy" . Deadline . Retrieved November 12, 2024 .
^ a b "Artist Search for 'sheryl lee ralph' " . AllMusic . Retrieved October 27, 2016 .
^ "Discography Sheryl Lee Ralph" . Hung Medien . australian-charts.com. Retrieved July 20, 2015 .
^ "Discografie Sheryl Lee Ralph" . Hung Medien (in Dutch). Ultratop . Retrieved August 15, 2014 .
^ "Discografie Sheryl Lee Ralph" . Hung Medien (in Dutch). dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved July 20, 2015 .
^ "Sheryl Lee Ralph" . Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 20, 2015 .
^ "iTunes Music – Brontosaurus – Single by Tkay Maidza" . iTunes Store (Australia) . Apple Inc. December 6, 2013. Retrieved March 29, 2015 .
^ "iTunes Music – U-Huh – Single by Tkay Maidza" . iTunes Store (Australia) . Apple Inc. Retrieved March 29, 2015 .
^ "Tkay Maidza drops new track 'Switch Lanes', national tour dates" . Triple J (Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC))access-date=March 29, 2015.
^ a b c "iTunes Music – M.O.B. – Single by Tkay Maidza" . iTunes Store (Australia) . Apple Inc. February 23, 2015. Retrieved March 29, 2015 .
^ League of Legends (2024-10-26). Blood Sweat & Tears | Official Music Video - League of Legends . Retrieved 2024-10-28 – via YouTube.
^ Complex, Valerie (June 16, 2022). "6th Annual Black Reel Television Awards Nominations Announced" . Deadline . Retrieved June 19, 2022 .
^ Voyles, Blake (September 7, 2023). "83rd Peabody Award Winners" . Retrieved September 7, 2023 .
^ Petski, Denise (July 7, 2022). "This Is Us , Succession , Severance , Ted Lasso Lead 2022 HCA TV Nominations" . Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved July 7, 2022 .
^ Snierson, Dan (September 12, 2022). "Emmy Awards 2022: See the complete list of winners" . Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved September 16, 2022 .
^ Hailu, Selome (2022-09-12). " 'Abbott Elementary' Star Sheryl Lee Ralph Brings Crowd to Its Feet Singing at Creative Coalition's TV Humanitarian Awards" . Variety . Retrieved 2022-09-17 .
^ Major, Michael. "Sheryl Lee Ralph Honored at The Elizabeth Taylor Ball to End AIDS" . BroadwayWorld.com . Retrieved 2022-09-17 .
^ Nordyke, Kimberly (January 10, 2023). "Golden Globes: Full List of Winners" . The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved January 11, 2023 .
^ Sharf, Zack (March 4, 2023). " 'Everything Everywhere' Dominates Spirit Awards With 7 Prizes, Including Best Feature (Full Winners List)" . Variety . Retrieved March 4, 2023 .
^ Vary, Adam B.; Flam, Charna (February 25, 2023). "Angela Bassett, 'Abbott Elementary' Win Top Honors at 2023 NAACP Image Awards" . Variety . Retrieved February 26, 2023 .
^ Moreau, Jordan (July 12, 2023). "Emmys 2023: The Complete Nominations List" . Variety . Retrieved July 13, 2023 .
^ Nordyke, Kimberly (January 15, 2023). "Critics Choice Awards: Full List of Winners" . The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved January 16, 2023 .
^ Lang, Brent; Shafer, Ellise (February 26, 2023). "SAG Awards 2023: 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' Dominates, 'Abbott Elementary' and 'The White Lotus' Win Top TV Prizes" . Variety . Retrieved March 1, 2023 .
^ Petski, Denise (June 26, 2023). " 'Succession', 'Abbott Elementary' Top 2023 Dorian TV Awards Winners List" . Deadline . Retrieved June 26, 2023 .
^ Complex, Valerie (June 15, 2023). "Black Reel 7th Annual Television Awards Featuring Gender Neutral Categories Announces Nominations; 'The Best Man: Final Chapters' Leads with 18 noms" . Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved July 3, 2023 .
^ Moye, Clarence (July 11, 2023). "2023 Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards: 'Yellowjackets', 'The Boys' lead All Nominees with 14 Nominations" . Awards Daily . Retrieved July 11, 2023 .
^ Brathwaite, Lester Fabian (January 14, 2024). "Oppenheimer, Barbie, The Bear lead 2024 Critics Choice Awards: See the full winners list" . Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved January 15, 2024 .
^ "Nominations Announced for the 30th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards®" (Press release). Screen Actors Guild . January 10, 2024. Retrieved January 10, 2024 .
^ "The 51st Daytime Nominees are… - The Emmys" . 2024-06-10. Archived from the original on 2024-06-10. Retrieved 2024-06-10 .
^ "76th Emmy Awards Complete Nominations List" (PDF) . Television Academy . July 17, 2024. Retrieved July 18, 2024 .
External links
Awards for Sheryl Lee Ralph
1953–1975 1976–2000 2001–present
International National Artists People Other