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Paying her dues. When Sheryl Lee Ralph<\/strong><\/a> won her first Primetime Emmy Award in September 2022, the Abbott Elementary<\/em> <\/a>star was overcome with emotion after spending more than 40 years working in Hollywood.<\/p>\n As she took the stage to accept her trophy for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, the Connecticut native belted out a few lines<\/a> of Dianne Reeves\u2019 \u201cEndangered Species,\u201d earning a standing ovation before delivering a poetic speech.<\/p>\n \u201cTo anyone who has ever, ever had a dream and thought your dream wasn\u2019t, wouldn\u2019t, couldn\u2019t come true, I am here to tell you that this is what believing looks like,\u201d Ralph told the audience. \u201cThis is what striving looks like, and don\u2019t you ever, ever give up on you. Because if you get a Quinta Brunson<\/strong><\/a> [showrunner of Abbott Elementary<\/em>] in your corner, if you get a husband like mine [Vincent Hughes<\/strong>]<\/a> in your corner, if you get children like mine in your corner, and if you\u2019ve got friends like everybody who voted for me, cheered for me, loved me \u2014 thank you, thank you, thank you!\u201d<\/p>\n Prior to her Emmy win,<\/a> Ralph got her first big break when Sidney Poitier cast her as a teen delinquent in 1977\u2019s A Piece of the Action<\/em>. Ralph hit Broadway a few years later, earning a Tony nomination for her role in the original cast of Dreamgirls<\/em>. Later, she became a sitcom regular with a role on Moesha<\/em> for six seasons 1996 to 2001. However, it was winning an Emmy at age 65 that changed everything for the Sister Act 2<\/em> star.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s so interesting because, first of all, yesterday\u2019s price is not today\u2019s price. Aha! That changes immediately,\u201d Ralph told The Hollywood Reporter<\/em><\/a> in December 2022. \u201cThere are doors that have probably been closed that on September 13th [the day after the Emmys] flew open, and people want you to know that the door was open. People have been very, very direct in saying things like,\u2019This is the best time in your whole career; ask for what you want and don\u2019t be shy about it.\u2019 To hear people say to you, \u2018It might have been good for you before, but it\u2019s about to get a whole lot better,\u2019 it\u2019s been absolutely amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n As she continued to pick up hardware for her mantle, the Connecticut native made sure to keep her acceptance speeches inspirational. \u201cTo all of you watching here, come close to the screen and listen,\u201d she said while accepting a trophy at the Critics\u2019 Choice Awards<\/a> in January 2023. \u201cPeople don\u2019t have to like you. People don\u2019t have to love you. They don\u2019t even have to respect you. But when you look in the mirror, you better love what you see. You better love what you see!\u201d<\/p>\n Scroll down to take a look at Ralph through the years:<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n