Sheryl Lee Ralph

Sheryl Lee Ralph is an American actress and singer who has worked across Broadway, film and television. Born in Waterbury, Connecticut, and raised partly in Jamaica and on Long Island, she made her screen debut in the crime comedy A Piece of the Action (1977) and took guest roles on shows including Good Times, The Jeffersons and Wonder Woman. She played Deena Jones in the Broadway musical Dreamgirls in 1981 and was nominated for a Tony Award. Her films include Oliver & Company (1988), The Mighty Quinn (1989), Mistress (1992), The Distinguished Gentleman (1992) and Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993), and she won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female for To Sleep with Anger (1990). She starred in the sitcoms It's a Living and Moesha and later appeared in Thoroughly Modern Millie and Wicked on Broadway. Since 2021 she has played Barbara Howard on Abbott Elementary, winning a Primetime Emmy in 2022.