Sheryl Lee Ralph (born on December 30, 1956, in Waterbury, Connecticut,) is a Tony Award-nominated Jamaican-American actress and singer.
Ralph graduated from high school at age 16. She graduated from Rutgers University at age 19. She missed her graduation to tape a Skippy Peanut Butter commercial. Many years later, she served as the commencement speaker at Rutgers for the Class of 2003.
Ralph is best known for her work in Broadway productions such as Dreamgirls (for which she was nominated for a Tony Award) and Thoroughly Modern Millie.
In television, she had co-starring roles in the 1980s sitcoms It's a Living as waitress Ginger St. James and Designing Women as Etienne Toussant Bouvier, wife of the design firm's male partner, Anthony.
In the 1990s, she co-starred in Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit as Lauryn Hill's Rita character's mother and appeared as Brandy's stepmother on the successful UPN sitcom, Moesha.
Ralph grew up in Uniondale, Long Island, New York, USA . She is a graduate of Rutgers College, Class of 1975.
