Sheryl Lee Ralph told the world about her own early audition experience for “Saturday Night Live” (SNL) back in the 1980s. She remembered being excited but nervous at that fateful decision point. A Tony Award-nominated actress for her work in Dreamgirls, Ralph was just as animated to flaunt her skills. That excitement was mixed with the disappointment that this was an emerging time for the SNL cast to begin diversifying.
Ralph’s audition experience was marked by uncertainty. The prompt she was given was wide open — and so she essentially had to go by her gut. Only 15 minutes before going into the audition room, she furiously jotted one down on a piece of paper. Looking back on that experience, she said that her audition was “terrible.”
“I go in there, and I’m ready to show this side of my talent— and there was none. There was none!” – Sheryl Lee Ralph
Even with her concerns about the audition, Ralph was excited to be part of the show’s ever-changing diversity landscape. She mentioned her excitement upon learning that SNL would be adding “gender and color” to its roster, stating, “They are going to add a Black girl! And I am so excited to get this audition.”
In an ironic turn of events, Ralph wasn’t the only one having a hard day. Just ask fellow actor John Goodman, who bombed his SNL audition in that same period. Goodman describes that experience as “the worst thing” he’s ever done. He remembers the pressure of pulling his content together just hours, if not minutes, before stepping onto the stage.
“It’s the worst thing I’ve ever done in front of people in my life. I wrote something about 15 minutes before I went over there and… oh, God, it was awful.” – John Goodman
Ralph is best known for her award-winning performance on the hit TV show, “Abbott Elementary.” A trailblazer, she continues to inspire generations of performers with her remarkable achievements. Her journey serves as an inspiration and example of perseverance into a heavily male-dominated and ever-changing industry.
Notably, Ralph recently participated in Entertainment Weekly’s Awardist Comedy Actors Roundtable alongside esteemed actors like Uzo Aduba, Liza Colón-Zayas, David Alan Grier, Nathan Lane, and Michael Urie. This event serves to illustrate the increasing awareness of the often overlooked, but incredibly talented, comedians from all walks of life.
