EXCLUSIVE! Abbott Elementary’s Sheryl Lee Ralph on Success, Inspiration and Living Your Best Life: “Make the Decision to Thrive”
You probably know her as the no-nonsense yet endlessly lovable Barbara Howard on the award-winning comedy Abbott Elementary. But long before she became your favorite TV teacher, Sheryl Lee Ralph was already making history on the stage and screen. From originating the role of Deena Jones in the Broadway classic Dreamgirls—a performance that earned her a Tony nomination—to captivating audiences in TV shows like Moesha and films like The Best Man, Ralph has solidified her place as one of entertainment’s most enduring stars.
With four Emmy nominations to her name, including her unforgettable win at the 2022 Emmy Awards for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, Ralph is once again heading to the Emmys. This year marks her second nomination for Abbot Elementary, following a standout season.
In an exclusive conversation with Reader’s Digest, she opens up about her hopes for the night, the honor of receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in April and the lessons learned from a remarkable four-decade career spanning theater, television and film. Read on for a glimpse into Sheryl Lee Ralph’s incredible journey and how, at 67, she continues to push boundaries and inspire others.
This video interview took place on Sept. 2, 2025, and has been edited for length and clarity.
Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more celebrity interviews, fun facts, humor, cleaning, travel and tech all week long.
Reader’s Digest: You’re partnering with GSK for its Thrive@50+ campaign* to empower others to embrace their age and be proactive about their health. What does thriving after 50 mean to you personally?
Sheryl Lee Ralph: It’s not enough to survive. You’ve lived this long, so come on, make the decision to thrive in your life. Prioritize yourself, put yourself and your good health first, because I say it all the time—our health is our greatest wealth, and too many of us do not pay attention to it until it’s gone.
I watched my grandmother suffer through shingles, and it was not pretty. It is truly a painful, blistering rash, and you need to talk to your doctor. If you are over 50, you probably have the virus already. If you’ve had chickenpox inside your body, that causes shingles. Talk to your doctor. Talk to your pharmacist. Talk about prevention and talk about your risk for developing shingles. One in three people are going to develop shingles in their lifetime.
We’re coming into the award season. Does anybody have time for that rash? No, we don’t have time. Take care of yourself. Prioritize yourself. That’s why this is important.
Reader’s Digest: I want to talk about how you made history at the 74th Emmy Awards, when you won Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for Abbott Elementary. Do you ever go back and listen to your speech?
Sheryl Lee Ralph: People make me listen to the things that I’ve said. They show it to me on their phones. They show it to me in their social media, and I’m just fascinated about the wide range of people who are absolutely listening to me. They’re very young, and they’re older. It’s very unusual to be able to cross over so many generations like that and be relevant for them. I mean, there’s an 8-year-old that’s looking and saying, “Abbott Elementary.” There’s the woman in the elevator who turns around and says, “Listen to this.” And they’re showing me—me speaking. It’s crazy, but it makes me feel really good.
Reader’s Digest: The speech was beautiful. It was inspiring, so I am not surprised that people are still listening to it today. Now you’ve been nominated again for an Emmy. How did this recognition feel compared to the ones that came before?
Sheryl Lee Ralph: This is the fourth [nomination]. The first time I got nominated, I won. So for me, just being nominated, just being there, is winning. When I look at the group of women that I’m with, I’m like, Wow, look at the future. Look at all of us with our differences here in this category. I’m thrilled, but honestly, the only person I’m in competition with would be myself. My mother always said, “Is fi yuh cyaa be un fi yuh.” [It’s a Jamaican Patois proverb] meaning, “If it’s yours, you’re going to get it. If it’s hers, she’s going to get it, and there’s nothing in this world that will ever stop anybody from not getting what is theirs.” When God says, “OK,” it’ll be your turn to get it again.
Reader’s Digest: Abbott Elementary has become such a cultural phenomenon. Season 5 is coming out in October. What do you think it is about the show that continues to resonate so deeply with audiences?
Sheryl Lee Ralph: Everybody’s had a teacher, and you always remember two teachers: the good one and the bad one. With our show, we’re shining a light on all teachers, even though very often they want to stereotype teachers in shows, making them look dumb or not giving them the flowers that they deserve. In our show, we’re giving educators the flowers that they deserve for taking care of the world’s children. For some of them, [this is for] over eight hours every day, and some of y’all got some bad children. But these teachers are up to the task, and we love what they’re doing.
We share their pain with the world—the teacher who’s not making $50,000 a year but spends her money to make sure that her class has what it needs, [and] the teacher who is going through their own personal struggle but trying to overcome because they’ve got to come to the classroom every day. We get to show all of that, and people see themselves within these stories, school after school, classroom after classroom. We hear from teachers, and they’re all saying, “Thank you. Thank you very much.” We had one group of teachers say how we helped them get a raise.
Reader’s Digest: It’s nice to have a show that focuses on every aspect of teachers’ experiences in a humorous way and engages audiences so beautifully. So thank you for bringing your character, Barbara, to the screen.
Sheryl Lee Ralph: Thank you. I love Barbara. I always connect Barbara Howard to the first role I did on screen, which was Barbara Hanley in the film that I did with Sidney Poitier, A Piece of the Action. [The character] Barbara Hanley was such a troubled student, but she needed somebody to see her. And for me, I always put the two together that Barbara Howard is a great teacher, because as a young woman, a student, Barbara Hanley needed a Barbara Howard.
Reader’s Digest: You received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame this past April. What was that moment like for you, especially as someone who has given so much to your craft for decades?
Sheryl Lee Ralph: The fact that somebody thought enough of me to bring my name forward for this star, the fact that some group of people decided they’re going to pay for it, because it ain’t cheap, and that it was really going to happen, I have to thank Disney and ABC. I have to thank Warner Bros. I have to thank my team. I have to thank everybody who had anything to do with my getting to this moment.
In my speech, I had to thank the haters too. I had to thank the people who could have helped me and didn’t help me, because if they did, I probably wouldn’t have tried as hard. I might not be who I’m still becoming because of them. So the good and the bad—the good teacher, the bad teacher, the people that love on you, the people that don’t love on you—they all play their part. They’ve certainly played their part in my story. When they put my name down in that cement, the man said something else. He said, “The only thing that’s wrong is you should have a medal in this star for every part of the industry. It shouldn’t just be for TV.” But guess what? I’m taking it.
Reader’s Digest: As you prepare to walk the red carpet for the 77th Emmys, what are you most looking forward to on that special night?
Sheryl Lee Ralph: I’m looking forward to once again being in the company of my peers, being in the company of anybody and everybody who had anything to do with pushing my name forward, with bringing me to the list to be a part of seven women who represent the best that the industry has to offer to be in their company. After all these years, this is quite the blessing, because I’ve got a name. And my name is Sheryl Lee Ralph, and I am one of the best supporting human beings in the cast of the world.
Rapid response with Sheryl Lee Ralph
Want more fun tidbits about Sheryl Lee Ralph? Check out her answers below.
Reader’s Digest: Cats or dogs?
Sheryl Lee Ralph: Dogs, definitely dogs. I mean, cats are wonderful animals. We love feline creatures, but we love those dogs. Come on—big ones, small ones. I’ve had them all. I have them all.
Reader’s Digest: Aisle seat or window?
Sheryl Lee Ralph: Oh, honey, it depends. If it is a very long trip, put me by the window. If it’s five hours or less, put me on the aisle.
Reader’s Digest: Mornings or nights?
Sheryl Lee Ralph: I love nights. I love having put in good work during the day. I appreciate my sleep.
Reader’s Digest: Would you travel to the past or the future?
Sheryl Lee Ralph: I’m going to the future. I have seen my past.
Reader’s Digest: What is your favorite breakfast food?
Sheryl Lee Ralph: I love eggs. I call myself a bit of a vegetarian, but every now and then I’ve got to have some crispy bacon.
Reader’s Digest: If you weren’t an actress, what would you be doing?
Sheryl Lee Ralph: Oh, my goodness, I could have been in the pulpit. I could have been a social worker. I could have been a teacher. I probably thought about being a poet, a writer, so many things, but definitely a mother.
Reader’s Digest: What advice would you give to your younger self?
Sheryl Lee Ralph: Girl, be patient. Have patience. Trust me, it is all going to work out for you. The only people you really need to listen to and pay attention to are your parents, and use your sense of discernment. You will know those good mentors when they come along. But be patient, you little impatient person.
*Editor’s note: Reader’s Digest does not endorse any specific products or services.
Why trust us
At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. For this interview with Sheryl Lee Ralph, Reader’s Digest Associate Editor Mariah Thomas tapped her experiences as a celebrity interviewer, entertainment writer and editor of more than five years. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
The post EXCLUSIVE! <i>Abbott Elementary</i>’s Sheryl Lee Ralph on Success, Inspiration and Living Your Best Life: “Make the Decision to Thrive” appeared first on Reader's Digest.
from Reader's Digest https://ift.tt/BO73dc4
Comments
Post a Comment