Sheryl Lee Ralph wins best supporting actress Emmy for role as Barbara Howard in ‘Abbott Elementary’
The award is the first Emmy of Ralph’s four-decade-plus career. Her character was modeled after creator and Philly native Quinta Brunson’s mom.
Sheryl Lee Ralph has taken home an Emmy for best supporting actress in a comedy thanks to her role in the Philly-set Abbott Elementary.
The award is the first Emmy of Ralph’s four-decade-plus career. She beat out nominees in the outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series category including fellow Abbott star Janelle James, Alex Borstein (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), Kate McKinnon (Saturday Night Live), and Sarah Niles (Ted Lasso) for the win.
Ralph opened her speech by singing “Endangered Species” by Dianne Reeves. “I am here to tell you that this is what believing looks like. This is what striving looks like. And don’t you ever, ever give up on you,” she said.
Ralph, also known as the first lady of Pennsylvania’s 7th Senatorial District thanks to her marriage to State Sen. Vincent Hughes, portrays teacher Barbara Howard on Abbott. The character, a veteran educator who shepherds rookies through tough situations, was modeled after creator and Philly native Quinta Brunson’s mom, who herself was a kindergarten teacher, NBC News reports.
Ralph’s Howard character quickly became a favorite among Abbott fans — especially in Philly, thanks to her apparent crush on 6ABC anchor Jim Gardner, whom she swoons over in the series’ second episode. She’s also a mentor to Brunson’s character, Janine Teagues, who views her as something of a mother figure.
Ralph, however, initially wanted to play James character, principal Ava Coleman. But Brunson talked her into the role as Howard.
“When I first read the script and was speaking to Quinta, I loved the role of the principal,” Ralph told The Inquirer in February. “To break out of what people would normally expect of me, and I said, ‘Yes, let me do that.’ And she said, ‘Absolutely not. We need a queen for Barbara Howard, and you are that queen.’”
» READ MORE: Sheryl Lee Ralph on ‘Abbott Elementary,’ her marriage to State Sen. Vincent Hughes, and the show’s Philly cred
The win comes from one of seven Emmy nominations that Abbott garnered in July. That clutch of noms was a history-making one for Brunson, who became the first Black woman to earn three nominations in the award show’s comedy category — and, at 32, the youngest Black woman ever nominated for an acting award in the comedy category.
Ralph’s win is also another achievement for Abbott, which quickly became a breakout hit following its debut in December. It became the first ABC comedy to quadruple its ratings following its premiere, and was renewed in March for a second season.
The show’s second season is set to premiere on Sept. 21 on ABC. New episodes will be available to stream the next day on Hulu, and will later appear on HBO Max.