Lisa Ann Walter & Her ‘Abbott Elementary’ Co-Star Sheryl Lee Ralph Are BFF Goals
January 03, 2023
Lisa Ann Walter and Sheryl Lee Ralph play fellow teachers on the ABC hit show “Abbott Elementary,” but in real life, the two are best buddies!
“She’s my baby,” Lisa told JHud of her co-star on Tuesday’s episode of “The Jennifer Hudson Show.”
“Sheryl and I are a menace at the mall,” she revealed. “She is incredible. She’ll just tell me, ‘This is what you may get me for Christmas,’” she said, doing a perfect impression of her friend.
“She’ll call me up on the phone and she’ll say, ‘Girlfriend, where are we going this weekend?... There’s a party? Oh, I’ll go.’”
Sheryl also helps Lisa rethink the negative thoughts about her body she’s had throughout her life. “Everything she says is emphatic and important, and you want to listen,” she said of Sheryl.
When Sheryl won the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, Lisa couldn’t have been happier for her friend. “I was sobbing and standing on a chair at the Emmys. ‘Yes, Sheryl, yes!’”
Lisa, Sheryl and their “Abbott” family recently competed against the “Hacks” cast on “Family Feud.” “You would think that it’s all fun, but I’m incredibly competitive,” Lisa said.
“I get crazy. I need to win.”
Lisa reflected on some other friendships during her sit-down with Jennifer. She said she met her best friend, actress Elaine Hendrix, on the set of “The Parent Trap,” which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. She also shares some fond memories of co-star Lindsay Lohan.
“Lindsay was the most incredible professional,” she said. “She’s my son’s age, they were friends… She had all the manners you would love in a professional.”
“It’s lovely to see her resurgence,” she added.
Sheryl Lee Ralph Says She's Glad She Didn’t See Her Emmys Hairstyle Before It Was Complete
View Story“If I’m known for nothing else in this career but doing that [movie], it would have been enough, but now I have ‘Abbott’ also, and it is the most fulfilling feeling.”
She recalls having varying degrees of success throughout her career — the success of “The Parent Trap” on one end, and, “There were years where I was just a working mom trying to put food on the table,” she said. “And now this incredible show that’s blown up.”
She particularly loves when teachers come up to her to say how much they appreciate the show depicting the struggles educators go through on a daily basis.
“To be able to honor them and give teachers the respect that they respect in our community, there’s nothing better.”
The Jennifer Hudson Show” airs weekdays. Here’s when to watch in your area.
