>> Stephen: SWITCH 'EM UP. WELCOME BACK, EVERYBODY.
MY NEXT GUEST IS A TONY AWARD-NOMINATED
AND EMMY AWARD-WINNING ACTRESS YOU KNOW FROM THE ORIGINAL
BROADWAY CAST OF "DREAMGIRLS" AND TV SHOWS LIKE "MOESHA"
AND "ABBOTT ELEMENTARY." >> OH, EXCUSE ME.
ARE THERE ANY PRIVATE QUARTERS? SPEAK WE'VE GOT KIDS BY THE
TRAIN AND THE MAP ROOM. THE ONE PLACE THIS EMPTIES THE
GALAXY ROOM ALTHOUGH I CAN FEEL KIND OF CREEPY AND THERE AT
NIGHT. >> THAT'S PERFECT.
>> DON'T LISTEN TO THIS CLOWN. SHE IS NOT FROM PHILLY.
>> DOESN'T PRECLUDE ME FROM KNOWING THE LAYOUT OF THE
MUSEUM? >> PROBABLY.
WHAT'S THE MATTER? YOU DON'T WANT TO SLEEP IN HERE
WITH US? >> I DO BUT I NEED SPACE TO CALL
MY KIDS DOWN. MY KIDS AND HALF THE SCHOOL IS
TRAUMATIZED. >> Stephen: PLEASE WELCOME
TO "THE LATE SHOW," SHERYL LEE RALPH.
[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE] ♪ ♪
>> Sheryl Lee: ! THANK YOU.
OH, MY GOD, HI. THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: YOU ARE LOVELY DANCER AND YOU LOOK BEAUTIFUL.
>> Sheryl Lee: HAVE A SEAT. >> Sheryl Lee: THINK YOU.
>> Stephen: SO NICE TO MEET YOU.
I AND EVERYBODY AT THE SHOW WHO WAS AT THE EMMYs LOVED YOUR
SPEECH. HERE YOU ARE WINNING THE EMMY
FOR YOUR ROLE ON "ABBOTT ELEMENTARY."
FUN, BIG NIGHT, PARTIES, MORE FUN TO GO TO THE PARTIES NEW
HAVE AN EMMY IN YOUR HAND BUT I UNDERSTAND YOU HAVE TO GET UP
REALLY EARLY THE NEXT MORNING AND GO TO WORK ON "ABBOTT
ELEMENTARY" AGAIN. >> Sheryl Lee: WE HAD TO BE
ABOUT 5:00 AND WORK AT 7:00 AND THAT WAS LATE.
I WAS LIKE, COME ON, YOU ALL. REALLY?
MOTHER IS TIRED. BUT OH, MY GOSH, WHAT A NIGHT
THAT WAS. I WAS IN HEAVEN THE WHOLE TIME.
>> Stephen: DID YOU KNOW THAT YOU WERE GOING TO BURST INTO
SONG WHEN YOU WENT UP THERE? >> Sheryl Lee: I WAS SO IN
SHOCK. I WAS SO NERVOUS.
I WAS LITERALLY SHAKING. I COULDN'T BELIEVE THAT WHEN
AMY POEHLER SAID SHERYL LEE RALPH.
I WAS LIKE OH! OH!
AND I LOST IT. I LOST IT.
>> Stephen: IT WAS AN EARLY MORNING BUT YOU HAD A LOVELY,
JUST A MODEST BOUQUET OF FLOWERS SENT OVER BY OPRAH FOR YOU.
WHAT TO DO WITH THAT? SPEAK TO YOU ALL, I HAVE TO TELL
YOU SOMETHING. YOU SEE THAT?
IT TOOK A FLATBED TO BRING THE FLOWERS ON.
IT TOOK FOUR MEN AND A TRUCK TO GET THE FLOWERS TO MY HOUSE.
IF I DIDN'T HAVE WIDE DOORS AT MY HOUSE, THEY WOULD BE SITTING
OUT ON THE FRONT CURB. SO IT WAS JUST AN AMAZING
MOMENT. THERE WAS NO WAY TO LIFT IT.
IT MUST HAVE WEIGHED AT LEAST 100 POUNDS.
AT 100 POUNDS OF FLOWERS. IT WAS CRAZY.
THANK YOU, OPRAH. >> Stephen: I'VE GOT TO ASK
YOU SOMETHING, ASK YOU SOMETHING ABOUT THE ROLE, WC FIELDS, THE
GREAT SAID FAMOUSLY, NEVER WORK WITH ANIMALS OR CHILDREN.
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT AS SOMEONE WHO WORKS WITH CHILDREN
ON A DAILY BASIS? >> Sheryl Lee: I HAVE TO SAY
HE IS WRONG. WHEN YOU WORK WITH CHILDREN, YOU
ALWAYS GO HOME AT A DECENT HOUR. >> Stephen: OH, THAT'S RIGHT,
THAT'S RIGHT, YOU MAKE THE BREAK.
>> Sheryl Lee: THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT.
WHEN IT COMES TO ANIMALS, I LOVE ANIMALS VERY MUCH.
BUT YOU HAVE TO TRAIN ANIMALS. CHILDREN ARE SOMETIMES LIKE
LITTLE PUPPIES. IF YOU DO NOT TRAIN THEM, THEY
WILL MESS UP ON THE CARPET. >> Stephen: WANTS HER
RELATIONSHIP WITH THESE KIDS? YOU'VE GOT THE SAME KIDS OVER
AND OVER AGAIN? >> Sheryl Lee: THESE KIDS ARE
SO SWEET, SO BRIGHT, SO SMART. WHEN I ENTER MY CLASSROOM I KNOW
THAT I'M LOOKING AT THE NEXT GENERATIONS OF SHOW BUSINESS.
THEY ARE THAT SMART. THEY ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS.
BUT THEY REALLY BELIEVE I'M THEIR TEACHER.
YEAH, AND THEY ARE LIKE KIDS AND THEY WANT TO KNOW, OKAY, WHAT'S
IN CLASS TODAY? WHEN I GIVE THEM THEIR
ASSIGNMENTS TO KEEP THEM BUSY WHILE I'M DOING MY JOB, THEY
WANT TO FILL IT ALL IN AND THEN THEY ARE LIKE, MRS. HOWARD, HERE
IS MY PAPER. IT'S LIKE, I WANT TO SAY THEY
BECOME OF THIS IS MS. RALPH. I AM TRYING TO DO MY JOB, SO SH
SHH. BUT I HAVE THE BEST CLASS.
EVERYBODY SAYS YOUR CLASSES SO WELL BEHAVED.
I SAY HONEY, IT'S MY CLASS. >> Stephen: IN ADDITION TO THE
EMMY, THIS IS A GREAT PHOTOGRAPH, YOU RECEIVED THE
ORDER OF JAMAICA. >> Sheryl Lee: YES.
>> Stephen: I DIDN'T KNOW THAT YOU HAD JAMAICAN ROOTS.
>> Sheryl Lee: YES. MY MOM WAS FROM JAMAICA.
SHE LOVED HER COUNTRY, OR ISLAND.
SHE CAME HERE TO FIND HER AMERICAN DREAM.
SHE MET MY DAD, AND HERE I AM. >> Stephen: AND THERE YOU ARE.
>> Sheryl Lee: AND MY NAME CHANGES, SOME PEOPLE HAVE H.R.
AGE, HER ROYAL HIGHNESS, I AM NOW THE HONORABLE TH
SHERYL LEE RALPH O.J. ORDER OF JAMAICA, SORT OF LIKE BEING DAME
DJUDI DENCH.THANK YOU. >> Stephen: YOUR BOOK, AN
UPDATED PUBLISHED MEMOIR. DEVO 2.0.
IN THE INTRO, YOU CALL YOURSELF THE ULTIMATE DIVA.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? >> Sheryl Lee: DIVINELY
INSPIRED VICTORIOUSLY ALIVE, OR WHERE, AWESOME, AUDACIOUS, AND
IT WAS SUNDAY, WE WOULD BE ANOINTED!
YES! [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
YES! >> Stephen: IT SAYS 12 LIFE
LESSONS FROM ME TO YOU. CAN YOU SHARE ONE?
ANOINT US. >> Sheryl Lee: I ALWAYS HAVE
TO SAY TO PEOPLE COMING OF THE BEST LESSON, THE BEST
RELATIONSHIP YOU WILL EVER HAVE IN LIFE IS THE ONE THAT YOU HAVE
WITH YOURSELF. YES, IT'S THE TRUTH.
YOU GET UP IN THE MORNING, LOOK IN THE MIRROR, AND START
PRACTICING LOVING WHAT YOU SEE. BECAUSE YOU ARE WONDERFUL.
[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE] >> Stephen: I LIKE THAT.
WHO IS THE MOST DIVA DIVA YOU EVER KNEW?
>> Sheryl Lee: I'VE MET SO MANY.
I HAVE. >> Stephen: NOT IN THE MIRROR,
SOMEONE NOT IN THE MIRROR. >> Sheryl Lee: OKAY.
IF I WERE TO THINK BACK, I WENT TO CANNES FOR A FILM FESTIVAL
AND THERE WAS A PARTY FOR GREGORY PECK AND I MET GREGORY
PECK WHO WAS SO TALL AND HANDSOME, JUST WONDERFUL.
HE WAS NOT A DIVA BUT IN THE ROOM WAS NINA SIMONE, AND I
REMEMBER BEING STUNNED THAT I WAS IN THE SAME ROOM WITH THIS
AMAZING WOMAN. I WENT UP TO HER AND I SAID
"YOU'RE NINA SIMONE. "SHE TURNED AND SHE SAID "WHY
YES, I AM." I WAS LIKE OH, DIVA, YES.
SHE KNEW WHO I WAS. SHE KNEW ABOUT "DREAMGIRLS."
WE TALKED. I WILL NEVER FORGET THAT MOMENT.
I WAS IN THE COMPANY OF NOT JUST GREGORY PECK BUT NINA SIMONE
TOO. IT WAS GREAT.
>> Stephen: WE ARE ALL FANS AND WE WERE ALL PARTICULAR FANS
OF YOUR BEAUTIFUL SPEECH AT THE EMMYS.
WE ARE NOT OPRAH BUT WE WANTED TO GIVE YOU OUR OWN
CONGRATULATORY BOUQUET. CONGRATULATIONS, DIVA.
"A "ABBOTT ELEMENTARY'S"
SEASON 2 FINALE AIRS WEDNESDAY ON ABC.
SHERYL LEE RALPH, EVERYBODY. WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.