Sheryl Lee Ralph is going into the 2025 Emmy Awards feeling appreciative and confident.

The Abbott Elementary star, who is nominated for best supporting actress for her performance as Barbara Howard in the ABC mockumentary, told Us Weekly exclusively that she is focusing on being present at this year’s show.

“I’m not in competition with anybody but myself. That is it,” Ralph, 68, said while discussing her partnership with GSK on the THRIVE@50+ campaign. “I was in Ghana and someone gave me a scent. On the bottle, it said, ‘Be present.’ It was seared into my brain to be present in the moment. This year, when I look at the category that I’m in that I share with six other wonderful actresses, I see how diverse the group is. How represented women — the women of color, Black women [are]. I’m like, ‘Wow, look at what the future has brought.’ I’m just so thrilled.”

Sheryl Lee Ralph is reflecting on the kind of legacy she’d like to leave after a 40-year career in Hollywood. The Abbott Elementary star, who is an Emmy winner and Tony nominee, exclusively told Us Weekly that her influence “isn’t just about my work,” but also about the family she’s been able to build. “My […]

This year’s nomination is Ralph’s fourth consecutive nod for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her work on Abbott. Liza Colón-Zayas, Hannah Einbinder, Kathryn Hahn, Janelle James, Catherine O’Hara and Jessica Williams are also listed among this year’s nominees. Ralph won the award in 2022, becoming the first Black woman to win in 35 years. Three years and three nominations later, the actress said that the experience “never gets old.”

“It really is [phenomenal] to be nominated four years in a row,” Ralph gushed. “The first year I was nominated, I won, and I have been winning by receiving these consecutive nominations every year since. Every time I hear my name as a nominee, I am thrilled. I am grateful. Do you know how many people this does not happen to? Do you know how many people this will not happen to? It’s happening to me and I’m thankful. I appreciate the Television Academy and what they’re doing. I’m so happy to be a part of it.”

Ralph may not view her fellow Emmy nominees as competition, but she does want to shine on the red carpet. The actress told Us that she expects her daughter and stylist, Ivy Coco, to help her look and feel her best at this year’s award show. Ivy, 30, has been styling her mother for years, including at the 2024 Emmy Awards and 2025 Golden Globes.

Sheryl Lee Ralph is putting another film with Denzel Washington on her career bucket list. “Denzel and I did a film called The Mighty Quinn, and that was right before he became Denzel,” the Abbott Elementary star, 68, exclusively told Us Weekly on Monday, January 27, while promoting her partnership with GSK for their Thrive […]

“I work with my daughter; [she] is my stylist,” Ralph explained. “She’s going to be working with one or two other people on the red carpet this year. I’m like, ‘Don’t you leave your mother! You make sure your mother is shining.’ We talk about fashion, we talk about looks, we talk about things fashion-forward. I’m just so proud of her.”

The 77th Primetime Emmy Awards air on CBS and Paramount+ Sunday, September 14, at 8 p.m. ET.