Sheryl Lee Ralph is getting the recognition she deserves!
The Broadway Dreamgirl, who began her acting career in 1977 with a role in the film A Piece of the Action, was honored with the 2808th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame during a ceremony in Los Angeles on Wednesday, April 16th.
Officials from the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce presented Ralph with the star in recognition of her work on TV favorites like It’s A Living, Instant Mom, Moesha, and Abbott Elementary.
Addressing the crowd, Ralph, 68, thanked everyone for attending and dedicated the star to those who paved the way.
“I want generations to see what’s possible, that their dreams are valid. That their voice is powerful and their potential limitless,” Ralph said.
She continued: “Growing up, I felt my big dreams had to be whispered, because that kind of ambition could be mistaken for arrogance. But my immigrant mother would look me in the eye and say what we always say in Jamaica, ‘Good, better, best, never let it rest till your good is better and your better best.”
“Oh, the dreams I dared to dream. But you see me now? I don’t look like my journey. There were days — and not so long ago — I couldn’t get into the room for the audition. And now I am literally cemented as part of the industry’s foundation.”
The Emmy winner also took time to honor all the Black actresses who came before her.
“This star isn’t just mine, it belongs to every performer who made space for me, when there seemed to be no space. Ruby Dee, Rosalind Cash, Cicely Tyson, Virginia Capers, and many more women whose brilliance lit the path for me during my darkest professional moments,” she said.
“This star is for the work still to come, for the legacy I leave, walking in their footsteps and Mr. Poitier’s too. Making the path wider for young artists to follow.”
Abbott Elementary creator and co-star Quinta Brunson described Ralph’s smile as brighter than the Hollywood sign.
“To be around her is to be around Hollywood history, grace, and legend,” Brunson told the crowd at the ceremony. “She is a master class in what it means to be an eternal and consistent diva. She commands the room and gives you a show. She is who you came to see, and she is our star.”
Elsewhere, Ralph’s longtime Loretta Devine recalled how the Emmy winner had a dazzling stage presence when they co-starred in Dreamgirls on Broadway in the early ’80s.
“I’m amazed at her ability to get things done. That’s Sheryl Lee Ralph. She was strong then and she still is strong,” she said.
Steve Nissen, President and CEO of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, said:
“There’s only one, Sheryl Lee Ralph. You have joined the pantheon of greatness. We’re thrilled to name today, Sheryl Lee Ralph Day in Hollywood!”
