‘I don’t play games with people’: Sheryl Lee Ralph discusses the importance of being true to yourself to ‘survive’ the industry

In an industry full of controversy — specifically the #MeToo movement — it’s undoubtedly important to stay true to yourself and remain a strong-minded individual. And if you ask Abbott Elementary star Sheryl Lee Ralph if being in the cinematic realm has changed her at all, it’s clear that she’ll quickly shoot down such a silly question. Then again, when you’ve perfected your craft as well as Ralph, then it hardly comes as a surprise that she carries such a strong opinion on the industry as a whole.

While chatting with fellow comedy actresses during a THR Roundtable, Ralph got extremely candid when discussing the importance of staying true to yourself as a way to “survive” the industry. As always, Ralph was completely unapologetic in remaining true to herself after all these years, all while reflecting on her peers that have allowed the industry to change them for the worse. Ralph said:

“If you don’t hold on to yourself or have a firm foundation of who you are in this industry, it will eat you up and one day you might look in the mirror and not know who the hell you’re looking at. And I have seen that happen over and over. I’ve seen nice people come into this industry and turn into some people and I’m like, ‘Whoa! Who are you and what happened?’ But then I’ve also realized, fame frees people up to be exactly who they are. So for me, as a grown-ass woman, it’s about knowing who I am.”

Without skipping a beat, Ralph followed up on those remarks by insisting that she doesn’t “play games with people” and she doesn’t play games with herself. At the end of the day, Ralph confidently states that she knows exactly who she is as a person, and that people will simply have to “take it or leave it.” Simple as that.

And with young stars such as Jenna Ortega and Elle Fanning sitting beside her, Ralph’s words are certainly a stark reminder that remaining true to yourself is arguably the most important thing you can ever do. It’s definitely a fascinating change from seeing Ralph’s well-known comedic side, although any version of her is absolutely magical.