Sheryl Lee Ralph facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sheryl Lee Ralph OJ
Ralph in 2012
Born	(1956-12-30) December 30, 1956 (age 68) Waterbury, Connecticut, U.S.
Other names	Sheryl Lee Ralph-Hughes
Education	Rutgers University, New Brunswick (BFA)
Occupation	Actress singer
Years active	1977–present
Known for	Dreamgirls (Broadway; 1981) It's a Living Moesha Motherland: Fort Salem Abbott Elementary
Spouse(s)	Eric Maurice ​ ​ (m. 1990; div. 2001)​ Vincent Hughes ​ (m. 2005)​
Children	2

Sheryl Lee Ralph OJ (born December 30, 1956) is an American actress and singer. She is famous for her work on stage and in movies.

She became well-known for playing Deena Jones in the Broadway musical Dreamgirls in 1981. For this role, she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical.

Since 2021, she has starred as Barbara Howard in the ABC TV show Abbott Elementary. She won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for this role in 2022. She was the first Black woman in 35 years to win this award.

Sheryl Lee Ralph first appeared in a movie in 1977, in the comedy A Piece of the Action. In 1991, she won an Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female for her role in the film To Sleep with Anger. Other important movies she was in include The Mighty Quinn (1989) and Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993).

On television, she had early guest roles in shows like Good Times and Wonder Woman. She also starred in the sitcoms It's a Living (1986–1989) and Moesha (1996–2001). Her role in Moesha earned her five NAACP Image Award nominations.

She has also performed in other Broadway shows, such as Thoroughly Modern Millie (2002) and Wicked (2016–2017). She has also helped produce Broadway plays like Thoughts of a Colored Man (2021).

Early Life and Education

Sheryl Lee Ralph was born in Waterbury, Connecticut. Her father, Stanley Ralph, was a college professor. Her mother, Ivy Ralph O.D., was a Jamaican fashion designer. Ivy Ralph created the kariba suit. Sheryl has a younger brother, Michael Ralph, who is an actor and comedian.

DNA tests show that she is partly from the Tikar people of Cameroon. She grew up in both Mandeville, Jamaica, and Long Island. She went to Uniondale High School in Uniondale, New York. In high school, she played Ado Annie in the musical Oklahoma!.

Sheryl graduated from high school in 1972. Earlier that year, she was crowned Miss Black Teen-age New York. At 19, she was the youngest person to graduate from Rutgers University. While at Rutgers, she won an Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship. Glamour magazine also named her one of the top ten college women in America. She first wanted to study medicine. However, after winning an acting scholarship, she decided to pursue performing arts. She later gave the graduation speech at Rutgers in 2003 and again in 2023.

Career Highlights

Starting Her Acting Journey (1977–1989)

Ralph in 1997

Sheryl Lee Ralph began her career in the 1970s. She starred in the 1977 crime comedy film A Piece of the Action, directed by Sidney Poitier. She also appeared in TV shows like Good Times and Wonder Woman.

In 1980, she joined the Broadway show Reggae. Then, in 1981, she played Deena Jones in the original Broadway musical Dreamgirls. While performing in Dreamgirls, she also acted in the CBS soap opera Search for Tomorrow. In 1982, she was nominated for a Tony Award for her role in Dreamgirls.

After her success, she released her only studio album, In the Evening, in 1984. The main song from the album, "In the Evening," reached No. 5 on the Billboard Dance Music chart. She then got the main role of Ginger St. James in the TV series It's a Living. In 1988, she voiced Rita, a sassy Afghan Hound, in the Disney film Oliver & Company. Her first main movie role was in The Mighty Quinn (1989), where she played Denzel Washington's wife.

Film and TV Roles (1990–2020)

In 1990, Sheryl Lee Ralph joined the ABC sitcom New Attitude. The next year, she won an Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female for the drama film To Sleep with Anger. In 1992, she starred with Robert De Niro in Mistress. That same year, she appeared on Designing Women and co-starred with Eddie Murphy in The Distinguished Gentleman. She also played Florence Watson in the 1993 film Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit.

Her role as Dee Mitchell in 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 and voiced Cheetah in Justice League. Sheryl Lee Ralph also created "Divas Simply Singing," an important event that raises money for AIDS research. She also appeared in the Showtime series Barbershop.

Ralph in 2012

In 2009, she joined the cast of the musical The First Wives Club. In 2011, she voiced Amanda Waller in Young Justice. In 2013, she appeared in the NBC show Smash as Cynthia, the mother of Jennifer Hudson's character. She also appeared in Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn in 2014. Some of her recent TV roles include Claws and Instant Mom. From 2019, she was a main character in the TV series Fam.

Abbott Elementary and Recent Achievements (2021–Present)

In 2021, Sheryl Lee Ralph joined the popular sitcom Abbott Elementary. She plays Barbara Howard, an experienced elementary school teacher. For this role, she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2022. She also won the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2023.

In October 2022, she received the Order of Jamaica from the governor-general for her contributions to film. In 2023, Ralph sang "Lift Every Voice and Sing" (the Black national anthem) at the Super Bowl LVII pre-show. Later that year, she became the first celebrity and first Black person to play Mrs. Claus in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

In 2024, she sang for President Joe Biden at a fundraiser. She also joined Vice President Kamala Harris for a campaign event. In December 2024, she was named "Person of the Year" by Jamaicans.com and "The Advocate's 2024 Advocate of the Year" for her work helping different communities.

Personal Life

Sheryl Lee Ralph was married to Eric Maurice from 1990 to 2001. They have two children, a son born in 1991 and a daughter born in 1994. She married Pennsylvania State Senator Vincent Hughes on July 30, 2005.

In 2004, she became an honorary member of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority. In 2008, Tougaloo College gave her an honorary doctorate degree. In 2023, her alma mater, Rutgers University, also gave her an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts degree.

Filmography

Film

Television

Documentary

Video games

Stage Work

Music Albums and Singles

Albums

• In the Evening (1984, The New York Music Company)
• Sleigh. (2022)

Singles

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Sheryl Lee Ralph para niños