Sheryl Lee Ralph has accomplished the unthinkable throughout her incredible acting career. From dominating the Broadway stage to starring in some of the biggest TV shows and films over the last decade, Ralph knows no bounds when it comes to showcasing her impeccable acting skills. And at the ripe age of 65, the Jamaican-American star is still soaring across the entertainment industry with a bevy of award-winning projects. Let’s take a look back at her incredible career and why she continues to dominate the industry one amazing role after the other.
Early Life and Career
Sheryl Lee Ralph was born on December 30, 1956, in Waterbury, Connecticut but the star spent her time traveling between the U.S. and Mandeville, Jamaica visiting family.
Born to Jamaican fashion designer Ivy Ralph and Stanley Ralph, an American college professor, the performer was raised between Mandeville, Jamaica, and Long Island, New York, according to the Jamaica Gleaner. Ralph cultivated serious acting skills at a young age. She blew her entire class away at Uniondale High School in New York, where she she starred in the school’s exciting production of Oklahoma. Excellence continued to follow Ralph even after her time at Uniondale. At 19, she became the youngest woman to graduate from Rutgers University.
According to her IMBD page, Ralph missed her graduation to audition for a Skippy Peanut Butter commercial. It was the first of many that would kick-start her busy career.
In 1977, Ralph made her first onscreen debut in the crime comedy A Piece of the Action starting alongside Sidney Portier and Bill Cosby. The following year, she landed her first TV role on Baa Baa Black Sheep. Guest roles on Good Times, Wonder Woman and The Jeffersons followed shortly after.
Rise to Fame
Sheryl Lee Ralph’s life would change in 1981 when she scored a role in the Broadway musical Dreamgirls. In the Michael Bennett-produced play, Ralph shined in…
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