Paying your dues. When sheryl lee ralph won her first Primetime Emmy Award in September 2022, the Abbott Elementary The star was overjoyed after spending more than 40 years working in Hollywood.
When she took the stage to accept her trophy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, the Connecticut native sang a few lines from Dianne Reeves’ “Endangered Species,” earning a standing ovation before delivering a poetic speech.
“To anyone who has ever had a dream and thought their dream wouldn’t come true, it wouldn’t come true, I’m here to tell you that this is what believing looks like,” Ralph told the audience. “This is what effort looks like, and never, ever give up. because if you get a fifth brunson [showrunner of Abbott Elementary] in your corner, if you get a husband like mine [Vincent Hughes] in your corner, if you have kids like mine in your corner, and if you have friends like everyone who voted for me, cheered me on, loved me, thank you thank you thank you!”
Before winning an Emmy, Ralph got her first big break when Sidney Poitier cast her as a teen delinquent in 1977. A piece of the action. Ralph came to Broadway a few years later, earning a Tony nomination for his role in the original cast of dream girls. Later, she became a comedy regular with a role in Moesha for six seasons from 1996 to 2001. However, it was winning an Emmy at age 65 that changed everything for the sister act 2 star.
“It’s very interesting because, first of all, yesterday’s price is not today’s price. AHA! That changes immediately,” Ralph said. the hollywood reporter in December 2022. “There are doors that have probably been closed that on September 13 [the day after the Emmys] it opened and people want you to know that the door was open. People have been very, very direct in saying things like: ‘This is the best moment of your entire career; ask for what you want and don’t be shy. Hearing people say to you, ‘You may have done well before, but it’s about to get a lot better’, it’s been absolutely amazing.”
As she continued to pick up hardware for her mantle, the Connecticut native made sure to keep her acceptance speeches inspiring. “For everyone watching here, come up to the screen and listen,” she said as she accepted a trophy at the Critics’ Choice Awards in January 2023. “People don’t have to like you. People don’t have to love you. They don’t even have to respect you. But when you look in the mirror, you better love what you see. You better love what you see!”
Scroll down for a look at Ralph through the years:
