Sheryl Lee Ralph

Sheryl Lee Ralph (born December 30, 1956) is an American actress, singer, author[1] and activist. She made her screen debut in the 1977 comedy film A Piece of the Action, before landing her breakthrough role as Deena Jones in the Broadway musical Dreamgirls (1981), for which she received Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical.
Ralph has appeared in a number of movies during her career. In 1991, she received Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female for her role in the drama film To Sleep with Anger. Her other film credits include The Mighty Quinn (1989), The Distinguished Gentleman (1992), Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993), and Deterrence (1999). On television, Ralph starred from 1986 to 1989 in the syndicated sitcom It's a Living, and later had the leading roles in the short-lived ABC sitcom New Attitude (1990), and CBS medical drama Street Gear (1995). From 1996 to 2001, she starred as Dee Mitchell in the UPN sitcom Moesha, and from 2013 to 2015 as Maggie Turner in the Nick at Nite sitcom Instant Mom.
Sheryl Lee Ralph released her first book Redefining Diva: Life Lessons from the Original Dreamgirl[1] (2012) by Simon & Schuster. In 2016 she played Madame Morrible in Wicked on Broadway.[2]
== Early life ==
Ralph was born in Waterbury, Connecticut, the daughter of Ivy, a fashion designer, and Stanley Ralph, a college professor.[3] Her father was African-American and her mother Afro-Jamaican. She has a younger brother actor and comedian Ralph. According to a DNA analysis, she descends partly from the Tikar people of Cameroon.[4] She was raised between Mandeville, Jamaica, and Long Island.[5][6] Ralph attended Uniondale High School in Uniondale, New York. She starred in a high-school production of the musical Oklahoma!, portraying Ado Annie. Sheryl 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.[7] Also 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.[8] Many years later, she served as the commencement speaker at Rutgers for the Class of 2003.
== Career ==
Ralph began her career on the stage, and was nominated in 1982 for a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her role as Deena Jones in Dreamgirls.[9]In 1984, Ralph released her only album In the Evening, in which the title track peaked at #6 on the Billboard Dance Music/Club Play Singles chart that same year. In 1988 she starred in the Disney movie Oliver & Company, providing the voice of Rita. Her first leading role in a film came as Denzel Washington's wife in The Mighty Quinn, released in 1989. In 1992 she starred with Robert De Niro in the title role in Mistress. That same year, she co-starred with Eddie Murphy in The Distinguished Gentleman. During the 1990s she also had roles in The Flintstones, Deterrence, and Unconditional Love.
On television, she was in the cast of the CBS daytime soap opera Search for Tomorrow while starring on Broadway in Dreamgirls. She is known for playing Ginger St. James on It's a Living,[10] Etienne Toussaint-Bouvier on Designing Women, and Dee Mitchell on Moesha. She provided the voice of Cheetah in Justice League and Justice League Unlimited. She also played Florence Watson, the mother of Rita Louise Watson (Lauryn Hill) in the 1993 film Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit. Ralph produced Divas Simply Singing, which has become an important AIDS fundraiser. She also appeared on the Showtime series Barbershop as Claire. Sheryl 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.
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.[11] In 2011, Ralph guest-starred in the Young Justice episode "Terrors" as Amanda Waller. In 2013, Ralph appeared in the NBC television show Smash as Cynthia, the mother of Jennifer Hudson's character.[12] 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, and Dawn as the rich lady who claims her dog from Nicky, Ricky, Dicky, and Dawn. She recently starred in the Claws series as one of the leading actress. She has also recently played the Grandmother in the sitcom Instant Mom on Nickelodeon.
== Personal life ==
Ralph is married to Pennsylvania State Senator Vincent Hughes.[citation needed] In June 2000, In July 2004, Ralph was inducted as an honorary member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority at the 47th National Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada.[citation needed] In May 2008, Ralph was awarded an honorary doctorate of humane letters from Tougaloo College after giving the commencement address.[citation needed]
== Filmography ==
=== Film ===
Year	Title 	Role 	Notes
1977	A Piece of the Action 	Barbara Hanley 	
1988	Oliver & Company 	Rita 	Voice
1989	The Mighty Quinn 	Lola Quinn 	
1989	Skin Deep 	Receptionist 	
1990	To Sleep with Anger 	Linda 	Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female
1992	Mistress 	Beverly 	
1992	The Distinguished Gentleman 	Miss Loretta 	
1993	Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit 	Florence Watson 	
1994	The Flintstones 	Mrs. Pyrite 	
1995	White Man's Burden 	Roberta 	
1995	Lover's Knot 	Charlotte 	
1996	Bogus 	Ruth Clark 	
1997	Jamaica Beat 	Sylvia Jones 	
1998	The Easter Story Keepers 	Risa 	
1999	Personals 	Chantal 	
1999	Unconditional Love 	Linda Cray 	
1999	Deterrence 	Gayle Redford 	Nominated — Black Reel Award for Best Supporting Actress
2000	Lost in the Pershing Point Hotel	Nurse 	
2002	Baby of the Family 	Mamie 	
2007	Frankie D 	Mama 	
2010	The Cost of Heaven 	Paulette 	
2010	Blessed and Cursed 	Lady Wright 	
2012	Christmas in Compton 	Abuta 	
2012	He Knows My Heart 	First Lady Jameson	Short film
2017	Christmas at Holly Lodge 	Nadine 	
2017	Revival! 	 	
2017	Just Getting Started 	Roberta 	
2018	Step Sisters 	Yvonne Bishop 	
=== Television ===
Year 	Title 	Role 	Notes
1978 	Good Times 	Vanessa Blake 	Episode: "J.J and the Plumber's Helper"
1979 	Wonder Woman 	Bobbie 	Episode: "The Starships Are Coming"
1982 	The Neighborhood 	Doris Campbell 	TV movie
1983–84 	Search for Tomorrow 	Laura McCarthy 	Main role
1984 	V: The Series 	Glenna 	Episode: "The Overload"
1985 	Code Name: Foxfire 	Maggie Bryan 	3 episodes
Canceled after a few episodes)
1985–86 	Hunter 	Josie Clifford 	Episode: "The Return of Typhoon Thompson"
1986 	Pros and Cons 	Roberta 	TV movie
1986–89 	It's a Living 	Ginger St. James 	Main role
1987 	Sister Margaret and the Saturday Night Ladies	Corelle 	TV movie
1987 	L.A. Law 	Renee Quintana 	Episode: "Beef Jerky"
1990 	Falcon Crest 	Mooshy Tucker 	Two episodes
1990 	New Attitude 	Vicki St. James 	8 episodes
1991 	The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw 	Miss Rosalee 	TV movie
1992–93 	Designing Women 	Etienne Toussaint Bouvier 	6 episodes
1993 	George 	Maggie Foster 	9 episodes
1994 	Witch Hunt 	Hypolyta Kropotkin 	TV movies
1994 	Soul Train 	Guest host 	
1995 	Street Gear 	Sarah Davis 	13 episodes
1996–2001	Moesha 	Dee Mitchell 	Main role
1998 	The Wild Thornberrys 	Lioness #2 	Voice
Episode: "Flood Warning"
1998 	The Easter Story Keepers 	Risa 	Voice
1999 	Sabrina, the Teenage Witch 	Zsa Zsa Goowhiggie 	Episode: "What Price Harvey?"
1999 	The Parkers 	Dee Mitchell 	Episode: "Daddy's Girl"
2000 	Recess 	Mrs. Lasalle 	Voice
Episode: "Me Know No"
2000–01 	The District 	Lt. Dee Banks 	4 episodes
2001 	The Jennie Project 	Dr. Pamela Prentiss 	TV movie
2001 	Justice League 	Cheetah/Barbara Ann Minerva 	Voice
Episode: "Justice for All"
2002 	The Proud Family 	Aunt Dee/Diana 	Two episodes
2002–03 	Static Shock 	Trina Jessup 	Two episodes
2003 	Whoopi 	Florence 	Episode: "She Ain't Heavy, She's My Partner"
2003 	Las Vegas 	Janet Ellis 	Episode: "Luck Be a Lady"
2004 	Justice League Unlimited 	Cheetah/Barbara Ann Minerva/Teacher	Episode: "Kids' Stuff"
2004 	Da Kink in My Hair 	Novelette 	TV movie
2005 	BarberShop: The Series 	Claire 	4 episodes
2006 	7th Heaven 	Nurse 	Episode: "And Baby Makes Three"
2006 	ER 	Gloria Gallant 	2 episodes
2007 	Exes and Ohs 	Reverand Ruby 	Episode: "There Must Be Rules..."
2008 	Flavor of Love 3 	Herself 	Three episodes
2008 	My Super Sweet 16 	Herself 	Episode: "Etienne"
2008 	Hannah Montana 	Clarice Johnson 	Episode: "We're All on This Date Together"
2009 	Baldwin Hills 	Etienne's Mom 	Season 3
2010 	Zevo-3 	Grams 	Episode: "Control"
2011 	Young Justice 	Amanda Waller 	Voice
Episode: "Terrors"
2011 	Tyler Perry's House of Payne 	Felicia Starr 	Recurring role
2013 	Smash 	Cynthia Moore 	Episode: "The Song"
2013–14 	Ray Donovan 	Claudette 	6 episodes
2014 	2 Broke Girls 	Genét Bromberg 	Episode: "And the Not Broke Parents"
2014 	One Love 	Carolyn Winters 	8 episodes
2014 	RuPaul's Drag Race 	Shade the Rusical 	Episode 4
2014 	See Dad Run 	Vanessa 	2 episodes
2014 	Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn 	Ms. Dumont 	Episode: "The Sad Tail of Gary-Chip-Tiny-Elvis-Squishy-Paws"
2013–15 	Instant Mom 	Maggie Turner 	Main role
2016 	Criminal Minds 	Hayden Montgomery 	Episodes: "Inner Beauty" and "The Storm"
2017 	MacGyver 	Mama Colton 	Episode: "Hook"
2017 	One Mississippi 	Felicia Hollingsworth 	5 episodes
2018 	Claws 	Matilde Ruval 	Recurring role