Actress, singer, author, and activist Sheryl Lee Ralph was born in 1955 in Waterbury, Connecticut to Ivy Ralph, a Jamaican fashion designer, and Stanley Ralph, an American college professor. Sheryl Lee Ralph was born on December 30, 1956, in Waterbury, Connecticut but the star spent her time traveling between the U.S. and Mandeville, Jamaica visiting family. She received an honorary doctorate of humane letters from Tougaloo College in 2008. Like many Black students, Ralph entered college as a pre-medicine. This year has been a remarkable one for Sheryl Lee Ralph. (PHOTO GALLERY), The 1-800-TRUCKWRECK SUPPORT BLACK BUSINESS MONTHLY CAMPAIGN contest. Likewise, her birthplace is Waterbury, Connecticut, USA. At the ripe age of 65, the actress doesnt seem to be letting her foot off the gas anytime soon. Sheryl Lee Ralph Honored With The Order Of Jamaica Award Sheryl Lee Ralph's Daughter On Her Mother's Super Bowl Outfit Many years later, she served as the commencement speaker at Rutgers for the Class of 2003. Sheryl Lee Ralphs life would change in 1981 when she scored a role in the Broadway musical Dreamgirls. newsone.com, INTERVIEW: Pastor Deitrick Haddon Responds To Christian Outrage Aimed At Beyonc And 'Satanic' GRAMMYs, Age AintWhat?! During her time at Rutgers, she won the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship from the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival and was also named one of the Top 10 College Women in the US by Glamour magazine. It was the first of many that would kick-start her busy career. The accolades just keep coming for Sheryl Lee Ralph. Well, it is now official! The show was such a success, that it ran for six seasons on UPN. At 19, she became the youngest woman to graduate from Rutgers University. At the ripe age of 65, the actress doesnt seem to be letting her foot off the gas anytime soon. I thought it was a feeling of elation when I won the Emmy, but to be conferred with the Order of Jamaica, my mother having been conferred Order of Distinction. I am looking forward to producing some wonderful material, whether its on stage or on the screen, I want to bring forward some of those stories that have not been told before, she said. Her star-studded performance in the show earned her critical acclaim and a Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical. Born on December 30, 1956, Sheryl Lee Ralph is a native of Connecticut. It was with a sense of pride that actress and cultural ambassador, Sheryl Lee Ralph, accepted the Order of Jamaica (OJ), during the Ceremony of Investiture and Presentation of National Honours and Awards at King's House on October 17. Sheryl Lee Ralph's Most Inspirational Quotes - E! Online - CA Up until very recently, Sheryl Lee Ralph believed this would be the last year putting on her star-studded DIVAS Simply Singing! DNA analysis has shown that she is descended from the Tikar people of Cameroon. AT the 28th annual Critics Choice Awards held Sunday night at the Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel in California, Jamaican actress Sheryl Lee Ralph was named Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her role in ABC's Abbott Elementary.