Sheryl Lee Ralph

Sheryl Lee Ralph continues to blaze a trail in the entertainment industry. She is currently starring on CBS’s new hit show FAM and has just launched a brand-new podcast called “Diva Defined,” where she talks to other powerful women who are making moves in their various career paths. Sheryl and her guests are inspiring women and men each week alike with this incredible new project.

Ms. Ralph began her career on the Broadway stage and was nominated in 1982 for a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her role as Deena Jones in Dreamgirls. In 1984, Ralph released her only album “In the Evening,” where the title track hit #6 on the Billboard charts the same year. In 1988, she starred in the Disney movie Oliver & Company providing the voice for the character, Rita. Her first film leading role was in a film called Piece of the Action that also starred Syndey Poitier, Bill Cosby, and Barbara Hanley. She then starred as Denzel Washington’s wife in The Mighty Quinn. In 1992, she starred as Robert De Niro’s mistress in Mistress. During the 1990s she also had roles in The Flintstones, Deterrence and Unconditional Love.

Among Sheryl’s numerous television credits; she is known for playing Ginger St. James on It’s a Living, Etienne Toussaint-Bouvier on Designing Women, and later Dee Mitchell on Moesha (for which she was voted one of TV’s Favorite Moms) as well as the supervillainous Cheetah in Justice League and Justice League Unlimited. She also appeared on the Showtime series, Barbershop, as the popular, post-operative transsexual, Claire. Ralph produces an annual benefit concert, Divas Simply Singing, which raises awareness for AIDS and HIV. This year will mark the 29th year of the event. Her love for spreading AIDS and HIV education touches the lives of many, year in and year out. This year’s benefit will be held on December 1, 2019, at the Taglyan Cultural Center in Hollywood.

Ralph’s 2002 project, Baby of the Family, concerns a young child who is born with a caul over her head; enabling her to see ghosts and the future. Ralph has been featured with her children, Etienne and Ivy Coco (named for Sheryl’s mother Ivy Ralph) on shows like MTV’s My Super Sweet 16, BET’s Baldwin Hills and Clean House.In July 2004, Ralph was inducted as an honorary member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. at the 47th National Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada. In May 2008, Ralph was awarded an honorary doctorate of humane letters from Tougaloo College after giving the commencement address.

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. Sheryl then went on to become the very first African-American female to play the role of Madame Morrible in the Broadway musical, Wicked in 2017

Be sure to tune in to see her recurring on the reboot of McGyver as Mama Colton and keep an eye out for her in the new Universal Pictures film from Will Packer, called “The Photograph” where she’ll be seen alongside Issa Rae.