If you’re not watching Abbott Elementary, you might want to fix that ASAP. Not only is it one of the best and most wholesome new comedies on TV, every episode is worth it for Sheryl Lee Ralph‘s regally hilarious line readings alone. And clearly the Television Academy agrees: Ralph won an Emmy for Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as the imdomitable veteran kindergarten teacher Mrs. Howard. Ralph is also the first Black woman since Jackée Harry in 1987 to win this Emmy.
Ralph herself is an entertainment industry veteran, having being nominated for a Tony Award in 1982 for originating the role of Deena Jones in the original Broadway production of Dreamgirls, and appearing on TV as far back as the late ’70s on shows like Good Times and The Jeffersons. After recovering from her initial shock, she marked the occasion with a moving speech that opened with a verse from Dianne Reeves’ “Endangered Species”
Sheryl Lee Ralph Emmy Acceptance Video (2024)
