Inside ‘Abbott Elementary’s’ Sheryl Lee Ralph’s Problems While Filming ‘Moesha’
After more than 40 years in the business as an in-demand actor, Abbott Elementary star Sheryl Lee Ralph is finally getting her flowers. She made history as only the second Black actor in history to win the award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. Though many are new fans of Ralph’s, longtime fans will always love her as Dee Mitchell on Moesha. For six seasons, Ralph played the stepmother of the title character. But during Season 5, she slowly began phasing out of the show, and it’s for several reasons.
Sheryl Lee Ralph was not a fan of the show’s plot twist
The Mitchell family were the quintessential Black American family on primetime. For years, the family showcased a positive representation of Black family life. But in Season 5, things changed. It was revealed that Frank’s nephew Dorian was actually his son, whom he fathered outside of his first marriage to Moesha’s mother.
The show went from a comedy to a comedy/drama. It was an unwelcomed change for Ralph. “And for them to take that family and literally just ruin the family by calling the father a liar [by revealing past infidelity]… why do this? Why destroy this family?” Ralph said of the storyline, as reported by Hello Magazine.
“There were people within the group that said, ‘Oh no, we’ve got to destroy it because these people are just too goody-goody. We don’t have Black people like that.,” she added. “They had drank the Kool-Aid.
She also revealed she dealt with disrespect from the cast
Outside of the change so late in the show’s storyline, Ralph revealed in her memoir Redefining Diva: Life Lessons From the Original Dreamgirl that being on set with younger actors became difficult due to their immaturity and entitlement. She says there were many negative interactions with her teenage co-stars.
“Kids can be rude and disrespectful…they can say things that shouldn’t be said…to anyone,” she wrote. She also noted that instead of the young stars being scolded for their behavior, they were rewarded because the storylines primarily centered around them, and producers wanted to make them happy.
As the seasons progressed, there was also growing tension between Ralph and Brandy. In one excerpt, Ralph spoke about being forced to change her hairstyle from braids to a custom wig because Brandy was unhappy with another star on the show wearing braids. “Brandy wasn’t happy at all with my wearing braids,” Ralph wrote. “According to Brandy, the braids were her style.”
The Emmy-winning actor is open to a reboot
Moesha aired from 1996-2001. Despite high ratings, the show was canceled and ended on a cliffhanger. There have long been rumors of a reboot, but nothing has come to fruition. Ralph has been open about participating in the reboot if it comes to be.
