Sheryl Lee Ralph OJ is an American actress and singer. Known for her performances on stage and screen, she earned acclaim for her role as Deena Jones in the Broadway musical Dreamgirls, for which she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. Since 2021 she has starred as Barbara Howard on the ABC mockumentary sitcom Abbott Elementary, for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, becoming the first Black woman in 35 years to win the award.
She made her film screen debut in the 1977 comedy film A Piece of the Action. In 1991, she won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female for her performance in the 1990 comedy-drama film To Sleep with Anger. Ralph's other notable roles include The Mighty Quinn, Mistress, The Distinguished Gentleman, Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, and The Comeback Trail.
After early guest roles on television shows such as Good Times, The Jeffersons and Wonder Woman she then starred in the ABC sitcoms It's a Living and New Attitude, as well as the Nick at Nite sitcom Instant Mom. Her role as Dee Mitchell in the UPN sitcom Moesha earned her five NAACP Image Award nominations.