Black PR Wire Power Profiler on Sheryl Lee Ralph
Sheryl Lee Ralph is truly the original "Dreamgirl." As an actress, singer, writer, director and producer, she has an amazing résumé of accomplishments.
Ms. Ralph was born in Manchester, Jamaica and raised in New York. In the late seventies, she had guest appearances on hit shows, including Good Times, Wonder Woman and The Jeffersons. On Broadway, she played the role of Deena Jones in the Michael Bennett musical Dreamgirls. Her performance earned her a Tony Award Nomination and a Drama Desk Award Nomination for Best Actress.
In the eighties and nineties, she starred in regular television roles, including It's a Living, her own series New Attitude, the George Foreman series George and Designing Women. She played opposite teen singer Brandy as Dee Mitchell, the stepmother on Moesha, and continues to do guest appearances in numerous television roles.
In the eighties and nineties, she starred in regular television roles, including It's a Living, her own series New Attitude, the George Foreman series George and Designing Women. She played opposite teen singer Brandy as Dee Mitchell, the stepmother on Moesha, and continues to do guest appearances in numerous television roles.
Ms. Ralph has costarred with the A-list of Hollywood talent. She appeared with Denzel Washington in The Mighty Quinn, Robert De Niro in Mistress, and Eddie Murphy in The Distinguished Gentleman. Her performance with Danny Glover in To Sleep With Anger won her the 1991 Independent Spirit Award for best supporting actress.
She was also in the HBO original film Witch Hunt with Dennis Hopper and Penelope Ann Miller, Bogus with Whoopi Goldberg and Gerard Depardieu, Deterrence with Timothy Hutton and Kevin Polack, and Personals with Malik Yoba. She has also done voice acting for animated television shows, including Recess, Justice League and The Proud Family, and the Disney film Oliver & Company.
In 1991, Ms. Ralph created Divas Simply Singing, an annual AIDS benefit program. This event features song and entertainment from some of the most talented female entertainers in film, stage, television and recording. She is a singing diva in her own right, scoring a top-ten selling dance hit in the mid-eighties with her infectious anthem In the Evening, which continues to be remixed by DJs around the world.
In 1998, Ms. Ralph wrote and directed the award-winning film short Secrets, whose all-star cast included Oscar nominee Alfre Woodard, Tina Lifford, Victoria Rowell, La Tanya Richardson, Robin Givens and Ralph herself.
Secrets screened to enthusiastic audiences at the Toronto International Film Festival. The film was also a finalist in the HBO Film Short Competition in the Acapulco Black Film Festival, the Hollywood Film Festival, the Pan African Film Festival, Urban World Film Festival and the audience favorite at the Outfest Film Festival.
In 1999, Ms. Ralph created the Jamerican Film & Music Festival. The festival is an ideal event to market products, showcase artistic achievement, foster relationships and discuss the future of the entertainment industry through panels, workshops, exhibitions and conversation in an intimate, lush, tropical environment.
Ms. Ralph is married to Vincent Hughes, and she has two children, Etienne and Ivy-Victoria. After the success of Secrets, she plans to follow-up her writing and directing talents with Red Rum & Coke, a romantic thriller set in Jamaica.