Who could forget Sheryl Lee Ralph’s Emmy acceptance speech last year, where she sang a rousing celebration of her womanhood and artistry, followed by these words: “To anyone who has ever had a dream and thought your dream wasn’t, wouldn’t, couldn’t, come true, I am here to tell you this is what believing looks like, this is what striving looks like, and don’t you ever, ever give up on you.”
This week, on the podcast, we hear more of that good stuff from Ralph. Not only does she chat about Abbott Elementary Season 3, but we learn more about her path to positivity and her secrets to lifelong happiness and joy. She discusses what’s most precious to her and recalls some childhood and career memories.
In the Quinta Brunson-created ABC mockumentary Abbott Elementary, Ralph plays Barbara Howard, a reserved and dignified teacher who somehow magically always has her class under perfect control. During the podcast, Sheryl chats about how she’s enjoyed the slow reveal of who Barbara is and the soft underbelly of her character, through interactions with her husband in Season 1, and the tension between her and her daughter in Season 2.
Over her 40-year career, Ralph has starred in numerous hits of the stage and screen, including her role in the original Broadway production of Dreamgirls, for which she was Tony-nominated.
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