Sheryl Lee Ralph reveals a producer once fired her for not being ‘black enough’

Sheryl Lee Ralph addresses the inequalities faced by the entertainment business.

“Abbott Primary” talks to the actress People About a particularly painful memory of a TV pilot who was cast years ago.

As an actress who tried to make it to Hollywood in the 1980s, she said the landscape was too difficult to navigate.

“People’s thinking was not very involved. You [had] Managers who are still trying to tell you how to be black, “he said.

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“I was fired from a pilot because the producer told me I wasn’t black enough,” he recalls. “It simply came to our notice then. It was terrible. I can still remember the way I felt. “

The incident was not an isolated experience, as he was confronted by a casting director who questioned the effectiveness of his screen acting against someone like Tom Cruise.

“[I] There was a memorable audition with a great casting director who looked at me and said, ‘Everyone knows you are a beautiful, talented, black girl. But what do I do with a beautiful, talented, black girl? ‘”He told The View in early March.” Shall I put you in a movie with Tom Cruise? Do you kiss Who goes to see that movie? ‘

The actress is currently playing the role of kindergarten teacher Barbara Howard in “Abbott Elementary”, but she began her career as one of the main cast members of the musical on Broadway. Dg. She was nominated for a lead actress Tony nomination in 1982 for her role as Dina Jones. She will play a regular series in “Moyesha” as Brandi’s mother.

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Despite the adversity, Ralph is happy where he is now, admitting that the cast and crew on the ABC show feel like family.

“We fit together like a zipper,” Ralph said. “We’re just completely locked together, and it’s a dream come true for all of us.”

“Abbott Elementary” airs on Thursday at 8 pm ET / PT Global.