Award Shows September 12, 2022
Sheryl Lee Ralph Brings Down the House with Inspiring Emmy Speech
NBC
On Monday, “Abbott Elementary” star Sheryl Lee Ralph took home the Emmy for her work as Barbara Howard on the hit ABC show.
After her name was announced for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, Sheryl took the stage and performed a powerful passage from Dianne Reeves’ “Endangered Species.”
The star-studded audience stood up and cheered for veteran performer Ralph as she sang!
She told the crowd, “To anyone who has ever, ever had a dream, and thought your dream wasn’t, wouldn’t, couldn’t come true, I am here to tell you that this is what believing looks like. This is what striving looks like. Don’t you ever, ever, give up on you because if you get a Quinta Brunson in your corner, if you have a husband like mine in your corner, if you get children like mine in your corner, and if you’ve got friends like everybody who has voted for me, cheered for me, and loved me.”
Sheryl, 65, beat out Alex Borstein, Hannah Einbinder, Janelle James, Kate McKinnon, Sarah Niles, Juno Temple and Hannah Waddingham for the honor.
It was Broadway legend Ralph’s first Emmy. She was also the first Black woman to win the award in her category since Jackée Harry won Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for “227” 35 years ago.
After her big win, "Extra" spoke with Sheryl at the Hulu after-party, where she reflected on her inspiring speech.
When asked what emotions were running through her head, she answered, "Every wonderful thing you can imagine because I stood up there and I held this [trophy] real high, saying, 'This is what it looks like to keep on moving forward.'"
