Abbott Elementary’s Sheryl Lee Ralph was a surprise Emmy Award winner in the supporting actress in a comedy category, leading an otherwise predictable lineup of winners in the supporting performance categories across comedy, drama and limited series.
Ralph, who plays teacher Barbara Howard in the freshman ABC comedy, accepted her first Emmy award during NBC's live telecast by singing lyrics from the Dianne Reeves song Endangered Species. She becomes the second Black woman in history to win in the category, 35 years after Jackée Harry won the award for her role in 227.
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“To anyone who has ever had a dream and thought your dream wasn’t, wouldn’t, couldn’t come true, I am here to tell you that this is what believing looks like,” Ralph added.
Abbott Elementary creator Quinta Brunson also won an Emmy for outstanding writing for a comedy series.
Other winners in the supporting actor and actress categories include Brett Goldstein, who repeated as supporting actor in a comedy series for his role as Roy Kent in Apple TV Plus’ Ted Lasso.
On the drama side, Succession’s Matthew Macfadyen won the best support actor award, while Ozark’s Julia Garner took home top honors for best supporting actress.
HBO’s The White Lotus swept the supporting actor and actress categories in a limited or anthology series or movie, as Murray Bartlett and Jennifer Coolidge took home statuettes, respectively.■
