Sheryl Lee Ralph Dishes on Third Emmy Nomination and Son’s Wedding Drama (Exclusive)

Sheryl Lee Ralph is honored to once again receive an Emmy nomination — and even more grateful to have been present for the nomination announcement after the weather made her son’s wedding go haywire. 

Talking with ET’s Rachel Smith on Thursday from the premiere of her new film, The Fabulous Four, the actress, 67, revealed that she found out about her third Emmy nomination for playing Barbara Howard on Abbott Elementary while announcing the nods. 

“It was absolutely thrilling, you know, the fact that for three consecutive years, my peers — after going through all of the people that would be considered for a nomination — to put my name forward on the top of the list,” she says. 

She adds, “Thank you, thank all of you, ’cause people, you know, they don’t have to do that but it’s been done.”

Ralph — who announced the list of this year’s nominees alongside her co-host, Tony Hale — had a sweet moment during Wednesday morning’s broadcast when Television Academy Chair Cris Abrego announced she once again would be recognized for her work as the elder educator at Abbott Elementary. 

“Before I do this category, I actually have something else really exciting to do — to share some news, with you, Sheryl,” Abrego said, turning to the Sister Act 2 actress. “You have been nominated for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, your third nomination.” 

Overjoyed, Ralph did a sweet celebratory dance and fist-bumped Abrego, telling him, “Honey, that never gets old.”

It appears the shock and gratefulness has not worn off yet. She tells ET that her reaction after stepping off the stage was (and still is) disbelief.

“I just kept saying, ‘Oh my god.’ [You] think about the company you’re keeping — Carol [Burnett], Meryl [Streep], and Sheryl, oh my god, oh my god, I loved it,” she says, referencing Burnett and Streep’s nods for Palm Royale and Only Murders in the Building. 

She continues, “That was just bubbles of champagne in my head.”

The Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series category is rounded out by The Bear‘s Liza Colón-Zayas, Hannah Einbinder for Hacks and Ralph’s own Abbott Elementary co-star, Janelle James, who plays Ava Coleman. 

Earlier this month, Ralph was in good company at her son’s wedding in Jamaica, too, where they were on high alert and asking for prayers as Hurricane Beryl blew through. The actress’ son, Etienne Maurice, wed ABC News journalist Stephanie Wash on July 6. 

“I was so thrilled that my son never gave up on fate. That even if he was in the midst of a hurricane, that this wedding was going to happen and right up until they said ‘I do,’ people were arriving,” she says. “[People were] changing at the venue because their flights had been delayed, but they never gave up hope.”

She adds, “He had to really tell his bride, ‘Don’t you worry, it’s gonna be OK as long as all of our parents are going to be there, we’re getting married.’ 300 folks showed up by a miracle. The gods cleared up the sky, Mother Nature said, ‘Honey, I’m giving you one day.'”

“It all worked out beautifully,” Ralph says. 

Things are all working out beautifully for the actress, especially as she premieres her new movie, which she says is all about “sisterhood” and “friendship.”

“This is the summer movie that you didn’t know you needed so much,” she says, adding that while it may center around women in their 60s and 70s, “This film is for all people. Everybody is going to find something in this movie to love because you see yourself.”

The movie also stars Bette Midler, Megan Mullally and Susan Sarandon and follows lifelong friends traveling to Florida to be bridesmaids for their college girlfriend, rekindling their friendship after decades apart. 

“In this time of chaos, we need some peace. We need some comfort, we need some laughter and this is the movie,” she says. 

The Fabulous Four premieres in theaters on July 26. 

RELATED CONTENT: