Sheryl Lee Ralph

Sheryl Lee Ralph Headshot

Singer • Actress • Activist

Birth Date: December 30, 1956

Age: 67 years old

Birth Place: Waterbury, Connecticut

Children: Etienne Maurice

Sheryl Lee Ralph is an American actress, singer, and writer who made a name for herself starring in one of the most legendary musicals in Broadway history, before enjoying a prolific and varied career in both film and TV, paving a path for aspiring African-American performers from all walks of life. Born on December 30, 1956 in Waterbury, CT, Ralph was the eldest child and only daughter of Stanley Ralph, a college professor, and Ivy Ralph, a fashion designer.

As her mother was of Afro-Jamaican descent, Ralph spent much of her childhood in Mandeville, Jamaica, before the family moved to Long Island. While attending Uniondale High School in Uniondale, NY, Ralph first got the acting bug when she starred in her high school's production of "Oklahoma!" Following her high school graduation in 1972, Ralph attended Rutgers University, where she was one of the first recipients of the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship from the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, and at age 19, became the youngest woman to ever graduate from Rutgers.

Ralph took up acting professionally after graduation, making her film debut in "A Piece of the Action" (1977), and then a year later, making her TV debut with a cameo on "Good Times" (CBS, 1974-1979). Ralph's big break came when she was cast as Deena Jones in the original Broadway production of "Dreamgirls," the hit musical loosely based on the rise and fall of Motown Records founder Berry Gordy. Critics and audiences alike were wowed by her powerhouse performance, and she was nominated the following year for a Tony for Best Actress in a Musical.

Following the success of "Dreamgirls," Ralph joined the cast of the daytime soap opera "Search for Tomorrow" (CBS, 1951-1986) for the 1983-1984 season, before playing Ginger St. James on the sitcom "It's a Living" (ABC, 1985-1989). She also began appearing more often in films, voicing Rita in the Disney animated film "Oliver & Company" (1988), playing Denzel Washington's wife in the thriller "The Mighty Quinn" (1989), and earning an Independent Spirit Award nomination for her turn in Charles Burnett's indie hit "To Sleep with Anger" (1990). Ralph appeared alongside Robert DeNiro in "Mistress" (1992), Eddie Murphy in "The Distinguished Gentleman" (1992), and Whoopie Goldberg in "Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit" (1993), while also taking a series regular role on the final season of the sitcom "Designing Women" (CBS, 1986-1993).

Her next series regular gig came when she was cast as Dee Mitchell, mother to Brandy's titular character on the hit sitcom "Moesha" (UPN, 1996-2001). The early 2000s were a slow period for Ralph, she mostly took guest roles on shows like "ER" (NBC, 1994-2009) and "Barbershop: The Series" (Showtime, 2005), and even appearing as herself on the reality series "My Super Sweet 16" (MTV, 2005-2009), and "Baldwin Hills" (BET, 2007-2009). She also took a lead role in the Broadway musical version of "The First Wives Club" when original star Adriane Lenox dropped out due to health issues.

Her next two series regular gigs came on the sitcoms "Tyler Perry's House of Payne" (TBS, 2006-2012) and "Instant Mom" (Nickelodeon/TV Land, 2013-2015). Ralph was next seen playing Rose on the sitcom "Fam" (CBS, 2019-).

Credits

The Real Red TailsStream

Narrator
Movie
2024

The Fabulous FourStream

Actor
Kitty
Movie
2024
25%

Young LoveStream

Voice
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2023
100%

Live with Kelly and MarkStream

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Talk
2023

The Young WifeStream

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Angelique
Movie
2023
90%

Sherri

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2022

The Jennifer Hudson Show

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2022

Access Daily With Mario & Kit

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2022

If We're Being Honest with Laverne CoxStream

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2022

The Pulse With Bill Anderson

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2022

How We RollStream

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Loretta
Series
2022
67%

Soul of a Nation Presents: X/onerated -- The Murder of Malcolm X and 55 Years to Justice

Self
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Abbott ElementaryStream

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Barbara Howard
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2021
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Nick Cannon

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2021

CBS Mornings

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2021

Turning the Tables with Robin RobertsStream

Self
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2021

Celebrity Wheel of FortuneStream

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Game Show
2021

Christmas in My HeartStream

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Ruthie Sampson
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2021

Zerlina

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2020

GMA3: What You Need to Know

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2020

GMA3: What You Need to Know

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2020

Fashionably YoursStream

Actor
Janet
Movie
2020

Christmas Comes TwiceStream

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Miss Nelson
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2020

The Kelly Clarkson Show

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2019

Access Daily

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2019

Access Daily

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2019

Tamron Hall

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2019

First Day Back

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2019

Today With Hoda & Jenna

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2019

Fam: Extras

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Rose
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2019

FamStream

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Rose
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2019
40%

Christmas Hotel

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Marnie
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2019

Localish

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No Sleep 'Til ChristmasStream

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Mrs. Wright
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2018

Sister Circle

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2017

Daily Blast Live

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2017

Carpool Karaoke: The SeriesStream

Self
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2017

ClawsStream

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Matilde
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2017
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Daily Pop

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2017

Live with Kelly and Ryan

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2017

Just Getting StartedStream

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Roberta
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2017
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Christmas at Holly LodgeStream

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Nadine
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2017

News One Now: 2016 Election Night Watch Party

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2016

MacGyverStream

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Celebrity PageStream

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2016

One MississippiStream

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Felicia Hollingsworth
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2015
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The Late Show With Stephen ColbertStream

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2015

Rupaul's Drag Race: RuVealed

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Celebrity Family FeudStream

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The Late Late Show With James Corden

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2015

Variety Studio: Actors on Actors

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Women of Power

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Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & DawnStream

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Ms. Dumont
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2014

Hollywood Today Live

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2014

One Love

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2014

Late Night With Seth MeyersStream

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2014

Instant MomStream

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Maggie
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2013

The Social

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2013

The Real

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2013

The Real

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2013

The Real

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2013

Ray DonovanStream

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Claudette
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2013
72%

Home & Family

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2012

Parental Discretion With Stefanie Wilder-Taylor

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2012

SmashStream

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2012
68%

Christmas in Compton

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Abuta
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2012

Ladies of the Church

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2012

2 Broke GirlsStream

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Genet
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2011

Dish NationStream

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2011

Dr. Steve

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2011

Kiss and Tell: The History of Black Romance in Movie

Co-Producer
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2011

The Talk

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2010

Access Hollywood Live

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2010

Hollywood Uncensored

Guest
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2010

Blessed & Cursed

Actor
Lady Wright
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2010

Blessed & Cursed

Executive Producer
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2010

The Doctors

Guest
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2008

The Wendy Williams Show

Guest
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2008

The Laura Flanders Show

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2008

The Better Show

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2007

Tyler Perry's House of PayneStream

Guest Star
Felicia
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2006

etalk

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2006

Hannah MontanaStream

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Clarice Johnson
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2006

Criminal Minds: EvolutionStream

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2005

Kink in My Hair

Actor
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2004

InnerVIEWS With Ernie Manouse

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2004

Urban Style

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Las VegasStream

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2003

Whoopi

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2003
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Jimmy Kimmel Live!Stream

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2003

The Proud FamilyStream

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Diana
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2001

The Jennie Project

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Dr. Pamela Prentiss
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2001

The District

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2000

Lost in the Pershing Point Hotel

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Nurse
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2000

The ParkersStream

Director
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1999

The ParkersStream

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1999

The Daily Show With Jon StewartStream

Guest
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1999

Films of Norman Jewison

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1999

Unconditional Love

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Linda Cray
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1999

Deterrence

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Gayle Redford
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1999

Hook'd Up

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Chantal
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1999

The Wild ThornberrysStream

Guest Voice
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1998

The View

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1997

Sabrina the Teenage WitchStream

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Zsa Zsa Goowhiggie
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1996

Access Hollywood

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1996

MoeshaStream

Actor
Dee Mitchell
Series
1996

MoeshaStream

Guest Star
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1996

Bogus

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Ruth Clark
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1996

White Man's Burden

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Roberta
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1995
24%

ERStream

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Gloria Gallant
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1994

Witch Hunt

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Hypolyta Kropotkin
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1994

George

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Maggie Foster
Series
1993

Sister Act 2: Back in the HabitStream

Actor
Florence Watson
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1993
18%

Caballero Distinguido

Actor
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1992

Mistress

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Beverly
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1992

The Distinguished Gentleman

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Miss Loretta
Movie
1992

New Attitude

Actor
Vicki St. James
Show
1990

To Sleep With Anger

Actor
Linda
Movie
1990

The Mighty QuinnStream

Actor
Lola Quinn
Movie
1989
88%

A Espalda de la Ley

Actor
Movie
1989

Oliver & CompanyStream

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Rita
Movie
1988
53%

Designing WomenStream

Guest Star
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1986

Code Name: Foxfire

Actor
Maggie Bryan
Movie
1985

Slay It Again Sam

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Maggie Bryan
Movie
1985

V: The SeriesStream

Guest Star
Series
1984
67%

HunterStream

Guest Star
Josie Clifford
Series
1984

The Neighborhood

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Doris Campbell
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1982

It's a LivingStream

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Ginger St. James
Series
1980

Wonder WomanStream

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1976

Good Morning America

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1975

The JeffersonsStream

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Jeanie
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1975

Good TimesStream

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Vanessa Blake
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1974

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny CarsonStream

Guest
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1962

News aboutSheryl Lee Ralph

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Henry Thaddeus Stewart and James Harvey with Sheryl Lee Ralph (inset)
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‘The Real Red Tails’: ‘Abbott Elementary’ Star Sheryl Lee Ralph on Giving a Voice to Nat Geo Doc

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Sheryl Lee Ralph

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Sheryl Lee Ralph performs 'Lift Every Voice and Sing' prior to Super Bowl LVII

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Sheryl Lee Ralph at the Super Bowl

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Johnny Depp

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(L-R) Simu Liu, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Taraji P. Henson, and Winston Duke

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Sheryl Lee Ralph at the 74th Primetime Emmys
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Sheryl Lee Ralph wins Emmy
Emmys

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