Cheryl Lee Ralph

I am an endangered species, but I sing no

Victim song I am a woman I am an artist And I know Where my voice Belongs

Now, you might have heard me sing that song.

It was September 12th, 2022, right after Amy Poehler and Seth Meyers said, and the winner is Cheryl Lee Ralph!

I had just won the Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy for my role as Mrs. Barbara Howard on your favorite TV show, Abbott Elementary.

Oh, yes.

And I was shocked, as the children would say, shooketh,

into disbelief.

Oh my goodness, it was my first time at the Emmys, and I won!

Yes!

And I've got to tell you, in that moment, I was so stunned into disbelief that I don't know how I got up on the stage.

There I was, just listening to that roar of applause,

and my whole career flashed right there in front of me, starting with 19-year-old Cheryl Lee in her first movie being directed by the great Sidney Poitier.

Oh yeah, you can clap that.

Followed by 10 years of no after no after no.

before the next film role came about.

But I filled in that time with TV and more no's and more rejection, until I made it big on Broadway in what has become the iconic musical of the 80s, because I say so.

Dreamgirls.

And boy, did I learn a lot of life lessons there.

And I mean, after so many moments of doubt, disbelief, there I was.