Sheryl Lee Ralph, an Emmy Award-winning Jamaican American actress, received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on April 16, 2025, for recognition of her noteworthy contributions to the entertainment business.
The event, which honored Ralph’s outstanding work in television, movies, and Broadway, took place at 6623 Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles, California, and marked the installation of the 2,808th star in the television category.
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In her speech, Ralph shared her thoughts about her journey with her loved ones, friends, coworkers, and admirers. “I’m standing with all of you on this boulevard, and I can still feel that determined spirit of that little girl who dared to dream big.”
She recounted a lesson she learned from her mother, Ivy Ralph, at the wedding, “Growing up, I felt my big dreams had to be whispered because that type 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. ‘Til your good is better and your better is best!'”
She said as she conveyed her appreciation, “If you see me now, I don’t look like my journey. There were days, and not so long ago, when I couldn’t even get into the room for the audition. And now, I’m literally cemented as part of the industry’s foundation.”
Throughout his career, Ralph has starred in critically praised movies, including Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit and in well-known television shows like Abbott Elementary, Moesha, and Instant Mom. She has gained even more popularity for her role as Barbara Howard in the critically acclaimed television series Abbott Elementary, which is now in its fifth season.
Ralph was chosen due to her “remarkable talent and contributions,” according to a press statement from the Hollywood Walk of Fame’s producer, Ana Martinez, which was released on the organization’s official website. The actress is “more than worthy of this prestigious recognition.”
She was showered with affection as Ralph accepted the honor. In attendance were Quinta Brunson, star and creator of Abbott Elementary, and Loretta Devine, who portrayed Lorrell Robinson in the original Broadway version of Dreamgirls. They both honored Ralph on stage.
The cast of Abbott Elementary, which included Chris Perfetti, Janelle James, Tyler James Williams, Lisa Ann Walter, and William Stanford Davis, also turned out in force to express their support.
Her family members include her husband Vincent Hughes, daughter Ivy Coco Maurice, son Etienne Maurice, and members of her sorority, Delta Sigma Theta; she has also been friends with Jenifer Lewis for a long time.
Ralph was reared between Mandeville, Jamaica, and Long Island, New York, after being born in Waterbury, Connecticut, the daughter of a Jamaican fashion designer and college lecturer.
Ralph is a well-known AIDS campaigner and a committed health advocate off-screen. To honor the several friends she lost to HIV/AIDS, she founded The DIVA Foundation, a nationwide non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, in 1990. The organization is still dedicated to enhancing health outcomes for communities worldwide via innovative, artistic programs.
Ralph was one of 10 people who received the Order of Jamaica, the country’s fifth-highest honor, in 2022 for their work as an actor and cultural representative of Jamaica.
