Sheryl Lee Ralph was born on December 30, 1956, in Waterbury, Connecticut, and is an accomplished American actress and singer.

She is best known for originating the role of Deena Jones in the Broadway musical "Dreamgirls" in 1981, for which she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. Her career began in the late 1970s, and she made her film debut in the 1977 comedy "A Piece of the Action."

Sheryl Lee Ralph has appeared in numerous films, including "The Mighty Quinn" (1989), "Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit" (1993), and "The Comeback Trail" (2020). She also starred in television shows such as "It's a Living" (1986-1989), "New Attitude" (1990), and "Instant Mom" (2013-2015).

Since 2021, she has been starring 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 in 2022, becoming the first Black woman in 35 years to win the award.

In 1990, she founded the DIVA Foundation, a nonprofit organization that raises funds for HIV causes, especially those focused on the lives of women, children, and marginalized groups within the Black community.