Sheryl Lee Ralph Has Been a Legend for Decades! Get to Know the History-Making 'Abbott Elementary' Star
Sheryl Lee Ralph made Emmy history with her win for her role on the beloved ABC sitcom Abbott Elementary—and the world is finally giving the longtime entertainer her much-deserved flowers.
Ralph is a Tony nominee for Broadway's Dreamgirls and a longtime fixture on stage and in film and television, with roles in productions like Wicked, in movies including Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit and series like Moesha, Ray Donovan and more.
She recognized her under-recognition in her 2022 Emmys acceptance speech.
“To anyone who has ever, ever had a dream and thought your dream wasn’t, wouldn’t couldn’t come true, I am here to tell you that this is what believing looks like. This is what striving looks like. And don’t you ever, ever give up on you,” she said. “Because if you get a Quinta Brunson in your corner, if you get a husband like mine in your corner, if you get children like mine in your corner, and if you get friends like everybody who voted for me, cheered for me, loved me … thank you, thank you!"
Get to know the star who broke the Internet with her show-stopping singing—and who deserved everyone's attention for decades before she got it.
Related: Everything to Know About Abbott Elementary Season 2
Where is Sheryl Lee Ralph now?
Sheryl Lee Ralph currently stars in Abbott Elementary. She recently appeared in the short-lived How We Roll, as well as Motherland: Fort Salem and will be in the upcoming Harlem's Kitchen pilot, The Young Wife and possibly Cooking4Luv.
What did Sheryl Lee Ralph win for?
Sheryl Lee Ralph won an Emmy for her Abbott Elementary Season 1 performance as kindergarten teacher Barbara Howard. She is only the second Black actress in history to win the outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy category after Jackée Harry for 227 in 1987.
Why did Sheryl Lee Ralph sing?
Backstage after her win, Sheryl Lee Ralph explained why she sang at the 2022 Emmys.
"I’ve been singing that song for years because I think of myself as an artist, as a woman, and especially as a woman of color, I’m an endangered species," she said, per the Los Angeles Times. "And I don’t sing any victim song. I’m a woman. I’m an artist, and I know where my voice belongs. There are so many young actors, artists, even kids that think they know what they’re going to do in life. Find your voice and put it where it belongs."
Preach!
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What did Sheryl Lee Ralph sing at the Emmys 2022?
Sheryl Lee Ralph sang the song "Endangered Species," a 1993 jazz tune by Dianne Reeves from the album Art & Survival. The lyrics Ralph belted out included "I am an endangered species / But I sing no victim’s song / I am a woman, I am an artist / And I know where my voice belongs." You can hear the full track below.
Who is Sheryl Lee Ralph's husband?
Ralph is married to Pennsylvania State Sen. Vincent Hughes. The pair tied the knot in 2005. She was previously married to Eric Maurice from 1990 to 2001.
Ralph said a mutual friend introduced her to Hughes, who, like her, was divorced with kids at the time that they met. She previously told Essence that what she loves most about Hughes is his strength.
"I have a great friend and a great partner; somebody that I absolutely trust," she said. "I believe that if something awful was to happen to me, that I could trust my husband to do the best for my family and my kids, and to be all the things I would want him to be. He’d be strong enough to carry on."
Who were Sheryl Lee Ralph's bridesmaids?
Ralph's bridesmaids for her 2005 wedding to Vincent Hughes were a star-studded bunch. Niecy Nash, Patti LaBelle, Loretta Devine, Victoria Rowell and Jenifer Lewis were among the lucky ladies in her bridal party. Ralph reportedly was an hour late to her wedding, but worth the wait: She rocked a champagne-colored gown with a seven-foot train and a $16,000 diamond and pearl tiara.
Where is Sheryl Lee Ralph from?
Sheryl Lee Ralph was born in Waterbury, Connecticut, and grew up in both Long Island, New York, and Mandeville, Jamaica. She attended Rutgers University and became the youngest woman to ever graduate from the New Jersey state school at just 19 years old.
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How old is Sheryl Lee Ralph?
Sheryl Lee Ralph is 66 years old as of this writing in September 2022. Her birthday is Dec. 30, 1955.
Does Sheryl Lee Ralph have children?
Ralph has two children. She and ex-husband Eric Maurice share daughter Ivy-Victoria Maurice, 27, and son Etienne Maurice, 30. They recorded an adorable video reacting to Ralph's 2022 Emmy win, screaming with joy in a chorus of "Yes, Mommy!"
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Who is Sheryl Lee Ralph's son?
Ralph's son Etienne Maurice is a director, actor, writer and producer. He's mostly worked on shorts and a documentary, but you may have spotted him in an episode of Scream Queens playing a production assistant.
What sorority is Sheryl Lee Ralph in?
Ralph became an honorary member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority in July 2004.