Sheryl Lee Ralph Net Worth and How She Made Her Money

Sheryl Lee Ralph is an American actress and singer with a net worth of $5 million. According to various credible sources, she gained most of her wealth from her multifaceted, over 40-decade-long career in Hollywood.

With her longevity in the industry, Sheryl has established a most amazing catalog as a film director, voice and screen actor, writer, singer, community activist, and philanthropist, all while being a wife and mother. If there was anyone we could define as having done it all, it would be Sheryl Lee Ralph. The veteran screen beauty shines with as much ease on television and cinema as on Broadway stages. Here is a rundown of how Sheryl’s million-dollar fortune came to be.

Sheryl Lee Ralph’s Net Worth is Valued in Millions

Sheryl Lee Ralph is a very successful actress by all measures. Her net worth has been reported to be in the million-fold by numerous credible sources – to be precise, $5 million -and is only bound to increase. The source of her net worth is mainly her career as an actress (both voice and screen actor) film director, singer, and writer. But we will look into all of these in subsequent paragraphs.

She was born on December 30, 1956, to a Jamaican fashion designer mother and an American college professor. Born into a full family of artists with her brother being a comedian and actor, the prolific thespian made her very first television appearance in 1977 in the Comedy movie, A Piece of Action.

The actress has reflected severally upon how her acting journey began, and each time, she never fails to mention how Robert De Niro shaped and guided her right from her very first screen appearance. However, as self-assured as she looks, Sheryl’s journey into acting came after an unsavory semester of dissecting animals at pre-med school and she began to rethink her choices.

Fortunately for her, Sheryl was lucky to land an Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship from the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival after winning a competition. She immediately quit her science classes and resumed at Rutgers University as one of the newly admitted theater students. Sheryl also made history as the youngest woman to ever graduate from Rutgers University at 19.

Since Sheryl Lee Ralph’s love for acting has pretty much been inborn, it isn’t surprising that she has gone on to make millions from that same career. The actress has also taken home some very prestigious awards and has also appeared in several television and theater classics.

Sheryl Ralph Has Earned So Much From Her Career as an Actress

Dreamgirl Sheryl Ralph is a well-known veteran of Broadway, television, and movies, making her a triple threat. After a sterling performance in A Piece of Action, (1977), Ralph was well on her way to superstardom. Last year, she completed four back-to-back films: Just Getting Started, Christmas at Holly Lodge for Hallmark, Step Sisters, a Netflix movie created by Lena Waithe, and No Sleep ‘Til Christmas, a Freeform production. So the actress is certainly booked and busy.

But has she managed to remain relevant in over 46 years and most importantly, how much has she made from these projects? Well, a simple check reveals that Sheryl Lee Ralph has over 150 acting credits. That’s how she has stayed relevant—by working non-stop. She is best remembered for having portrayed US President Kelly Wade in the Freeform series, Motherland: Fort Salem.

Ralph also played a role in the last season of the show, Ray Donovan, as Mickey’s love Claudette. Sheryll Lee Ralph is also no stranger to television, with roles including those in It’s a Living, Designing Women, The District, and Moesha. The actress spent three years playing the lead, opposite Tia Mowry and Michael Boatman in the popular Nickelodeon comedy Instant Mom.

She squeezed into episodes of Smash, Two Broke Girls, and a Criminal Minds Storyline for CBS in between all of that. She also appeared as a recurring character in episodes of Claws, showing on TNT as well as on CBS’s MacGyver as Mama Colton. In another CBS comedy called FAM, Sheryl co-starred with Nina Dobrev, Tone Bell, Odessa Adlon, and Brian Stokes Mitchell as one of the stars.

Sheryl has collaborated on films with a number of notable and award-winning men, including Denzel Washington and Robert De Niro in The Mighty Quinn, Danny Glover in To Sleep with Anger, and Eddie Murphy and Denzel Washington in The Distinguished Gentlemen.

For her work in To Sleep with Anger, Sheryl Ralph notably won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Actress. While no particular figure has been given as Sheryl’s income from these projects, there is no doubt that she has some impressive, heavyweight, box-office smash hits in her filmography, all added up to the tune of billions of dollars.

Sheryl Lee Ralph’s Highest-Grossing Movies

Sheryl Lee Ralph is well-known for her work as an actor, with major credits in nine films and a $478,157,646 global box office total. She currently ranks 8610th on the Worldwide box office Top Actor list. Some of Sheryl’s most popular roles are in The Flintstones as Mrs. Pyrite, Florence Watson in Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, Margarite in Just Getting Started, Roberta in White Man’s Burden, and finally in The Mighty Quinn as Lola Quinn.

The above represents some of Sheryl’s most well-known acting performances. As a supporting actress, she has grossed over $1.40 million, $2.6 million, and $3.8 million at the domestic, international, and worldwide box offices respectively. As a lead actress, Sheryl’s movies have crossed much lower but still lie mostly within the $1 million range. There’s no credible source with information on her salaries for each job at the moment.

Sheryl Lee Ralph is Also a Singer

As she was growing as an actress, Sheryl Lee Ralph also developed her talents in singing. In fact, it could be said that her singing career was what put her in the limelight. In 1980, she played a character on Broadway in the musical, Reggae. More iconically, Ralph owned the role of Deena Jones in the critically acclaimed Broadway musical Dreamgirls, receiving nominations for Best Actress at the Tony and Drama Desk Awards for her performance which heavily included singing. She performed alongside actresses Jennifer Holliday and Loretta Devine.

As the spunky chanteuse Muzzy Van Hossmere in the Tony Award-winning musical Thoroughly Modern Millie, the Abbott Elementary actress made a return to Broadway for a 12-month duration. Sheryl reconnected with Jennifer Holliday, Loretta Devine, and the rest of the Dreamgirls for a reunion concert honoring the band’s 35th anniversary.

She made yet another Broadway comeback in 2020, this time in the musical, Wicked as Madame Morrible, earning the title of the first Black American actress to play the iconic Broadway role. Interestingly, Sheryl Ralph did not only delve into music through Broadway.

The actress also made some independent music of her own. Ralph joined Sid Bernstein’s music business in 1984. The title track from her studio album In the Evening, which she released, reached its highest position of No. 5 on the Billboard Dance Music/Club Play Singles chart.

She also released a Christmas album titled Sleigh, in 2022. According to Ralph, the 15-track album was a reimagining of all the classic Christmas carols, but with more upbeat RnB, Jazz, and Hip-hop influences. Information on how much her musical endeavors have fetched her is generally unavailable.

A Career as a Voice Actor Also Contributes to Sheryl Ralph’s Net Worth

In terms of a career, Sheryl Ralph has cast her net even wider, making the decision to become a voice actor. In 1988, Ralph voiced Rita, a sarcastic Afghan hound, in the Disney film Oliver & Company, in which she also appeared. In addition to that, a new digital discussion series called Diva Defined was launched on Facebook by the actress. Sheryl Ralph also launched another podcast titled Divas Simply Quarantined, aimed at spotlighting strong women making waves in their varied career fields.

Her Career as a Film Producer Has Been Highly Successful

As a producer, the actress has two upcoming projects expected to be released any moment from now. She has also lent her movie-producing skills to shows like her Sheryl Lee Ralph in the 30th Annual DIVAS Simply Singing! Concert & Telethon television special in 2020, where she was the executive producer. Sheryl also produced the short film, First Day Back in 2019 and the television series, H.E.I.R. in 2017.

Prior to these, in 2015, she executively produced The Last Laugh, and the year before that, a movie called Hideous in 2014. Sheryl Lee Ralph has also tucked three more films under her belt, including the short story Secrets, Blessed and Cursed, and Reel Black Love, in 1998, 2010, and 2011 respectively.

Secrets was shown at the Hollywood Film Festival, the Urban World Film Festival, the Toronto International Film Festival, and the Acapulco Film Festival.

Sherly Ralph is also a Highly Sought-after Film Director

In her career as a movie director, Sheryl Lee Ralph proved herself once more as one of the film industry’s greats. She directed one episode of the BET Her Presents: The Waiting Room television series in 2020.

Sheryl Lee was also the directing brain behind her 2019 Diva Defined television series. During the production of the 2016 musical ‘Wicked’, Sheryl directed a personal documentary titled “Call Me Madame: Backstage at ‘Wicked’ with Sheryl Lee Ralph”. She did this to document her journey throughout her portrayal of the iconic role of Madame Morrible.

Sheryl also directed the 1999 film, The Parkers, a project that featured Yvette Wilson, Countess Vaughn, Mo’Nique, Ken Lawson, and Jenna von Oÿ. Short films Race Card and Secrets (which she also produced) also fall into Sheryl Lee Ralph’s directing filmography as well.

As a Screenwriter, Sheryl Lee Ralph Gained Some Laudable Achievements

Sheryl has never been one to take it easy despite her continued success in her multiple endeavors. The Jamerican Film and Music Festival was founded by Sheryl Lee Ralph as a forum for artists, especially screenwriters, to display their talents. The gorgeous actress wrote the screenplay for her 2016 Call Me Madame: Backstage at Wicked with Sheryl Lee Ralph documentary.

Sheryl Ralph also wrote scripts for her 2000 short film, Race Card. Sheryl’s critically acclaimed short film Secrets, which also starred Robin Givens and Alfre Woodard and gained her success as both a writer and director, was a finalist in the HBO Film Short Competition, Showtime’s Filmmaker Award Series, and the BET Filmmaker Award Competition. The Outfest Film Festival chose the movie as their top crowd pick as well.

She is Very Active in Community Service

Sheryl is a fervent community activist and advocate outside of her regular career. She has been involved in various philanthropic activities throughout her career, including:

The DIVA Foundation

In 1990, Ralph founded The DIVA Foundation, which stands for “Divinely Inspired Victoriously Anointed.” The foundation aims to raise awareness and funds for HIV/AIDS prevention and support services. Ralph started the organization after losing many of her friends to the disease and feeling a personal responsibility to make a difference.

The DIVA Foundation also hosts an annual event called DIVAS Simply Singing, which is a musical extravaganza featuring renowned singers and performers, and which has raised millions of dollars for HIV/AIDS-related causes.

National Black Theatre Festival

Ralph is a board member and supporter of the National Black Theatre Festival, which is held every two years in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The festival showcases the works of African American playwrights, actors, and directors and provides opportunities for emerging artists to gain exposure and experience.

Water for Life

Ralph is a spokesperson for the Water for Life project, which is a joint initiative between the United Nations and the Rotary Club. The project aims to provide clean drinking water to people in developing countries who lack access to this basic necessity. Ralph has traveled to countries such as Haiti and Nigeria to raise awareness about the importance of clean water and sanitation.

Artists for a New South Africa

Ralph is a founding member of Artists for a New South Africa, an organization that supports human rights, democracy, and equality in South Africa. The organization was instrumental in raising awareness about the apartheid regime in South Africa and played a role in the eventual release of Nelson Mandela from prison.

Overall, Sheryl Lee Ralph has been a vocal advocate for a range of social and political causes and has used her platform to raise awareness and funds for issues close to her heart. The actress has received countless awards both for her work onscreen and off it. She became an honorary member of the ​Delta Sigma Theta Sorority in July 2004. In 2020, Ralph was also recognized for her contribution to Los Angeles culture and arts.

As an actress, the highlight of Sheryl’s career was in 2022 when she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her work in Abbott Elementary. This made her the second Black actress to win in the category after Jackee Harry had won it 35 years prior, in 1987. Ralph also became the recipient of the Order of Jamaica honor in October 2022, for her contribution to the global recognition of Jamaica.

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Romeo Ndlovu
Romeo Ndlovu
Romeo's secret talent is taking the ordinary and making it extraordinary content. At work, he is thinking about how best to provide the most unique, original content that provides utmost satisfaction to the user. Away from work, he is a football addict who loves to catch up on his favorite pastimes

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