Welcome to the club.
Jackée Harry – who won the 1987 Emmy for Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her role in “227” – celebrated Sheryl Lee Ralph’s win in the same category at the 2022 Emmys.
“Winning my Emmy was a highlight of my career, but it was also a lonely experience,” Harry, 66, tweeted shortly after Ralph’s win on Monday night.
“For 35 years, I’ve been the only black woman to win Outstanding Supporting Actresses (sic) in a Comedy Series. But that all changes tonight… and the circle is complete! #Emmies”
The “Sister, Sister” actress noted that NBC, the network behind “227,” had originally wanted Ralph to play Sandra. However, Harry “got the part and won an Emmy for it.”
She continued in a separate tweet: “Now Sheryl joins me as the 2nd black woman in this category and rightly so! I’m so excited about her #Emmy win!”
Harry called the “Moesha” star, 65, “one of the nicest people in Hollywood” and said her “Abbott Elementary” no-nonsense character, Barbara Howard, “is another fantastic character that we’ve been lucky enough to have to see life breathe in.”
Ralph went up against her “Abbott Elementary” co-star Janelle James, as well as Juno Temple, Sarah Niles and Hannah Waddingham, who were all nominated for their roles in “Ted Lasso”.
In addition, “Hacks” star Hannah Einbinder, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” actress Alex Borstein and “Saturday Night Live’s” Kate McKinnon were all eligible for the award.
Ralph delighted the Emmy audience when she took the stage and began to sing vigorously during her acceptance speech: “I’m an endangered species, but I’m not singing a victim song. I am a woman, I am an artist. And I know where my voice belongs.”
“To everyone who has ever had a dream and thought your dream couldn’t come true. I’m here to tell you what faith looks like,” she concluded.
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Michael Keaton, who won Best Leading Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series for his role in Hulu’s “Dopesick,” also surprised audiences during his own speech, which was partially censored.
“We’ve all been through tough times over the years. There have been some doubters. I’ve had some doubts. You know what? We are cool. But I also had those people for all those years, when it was hard, who were real believers. I love you,” he said as the audio was cut off during the last sentence.