Sheryl Lee Ralph is putting another film with Denzel Washington on her career bucket list.
“Denzel and I did a film called The Mighty Quinn, and that was right before he became Denzel,” the Abbott Elementary star, 68, exclusively told Us Weekly on Monday, January 27, while promoting her partnership with GSK for their Thrive at 50 campaign. “And I would love to be able to circle back at this time in life to do an adult rom-com or an adult dramedy.”
After Ralph made a name for herself on Broadway, she snagged her first leading on-screen role in The Mighty Quinn. In the mystery comedy, Ralph played the wife of Washington’s character, police chief Xavier Quinn. The story follows Xavier as he attempts to help his childhood friend and murder suspect.
While Ralph and Washington previously played love interests in the film, the thriller didn’t give off rom-com vibes. If the pair could be reunited on the big screen one more time, Ralph says she would love for her and Washington to team up for “a great film that has some depth” to it.
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In addition to looking for films with substance, Ralph shared that she’s always in search of roles that “entertain” while also giving the audience “a little bit of education.”One project that recently checked both those boxes was Ricky. The drama — which recently premiered at Sundance — tells the story of a man named Ricky (played by Stephan James) who has to navigate life outside of prison after spending his teenage years incarcerated.
“I really feel that Stephan is one of the finest actors in his generation, and I’m really hoping that this is the film that moves him right to the A-list that he belongs on,” she told Us. “And I’m just excited about this film.”
As Ralph aims to educate via her various roles in TV and film, she also focuses on the importance of education and higher learning when the camera’s not rolling. The actress recently teamed up with GSK for their Thrive @50+ Campaign,a national public health initiative that encourages people over 50 to educate themselves about their health and wellness.
Denzel Washington & Sheryl Lee Ralph
“I love the idea of living my absolute best life at any age. And when they said, ‘Thrive at 50 plus,’ I was like, ‘Oh, I like that.’ Especially in a time where everybody’s so crazy about youth,” she explained. “There’s nothing wrong with youth and being young, but you get to a certain point and then you value wisdom.”
In addition to helping older people adjust to a changing lifestyle, Ralph is also encouraging others to be informed about shingles and the available vaccine. According to the CDC, shingles is a painful rash caused by the Varicella-zoster virus (VSV), the same virus that causes chickenpox.
“If you had chickenpox, that means that you already have the virus that causes shingles in your body. And I said, ‘So that’s how that happens.’ Because a lot of young people, they’re like, ‘What’s chickenpox?’ And it’s like they don’t know,” Ralph told Us. “We want to say to people, ‘Talk to your doctor. Talk to your pharmacist. Get the information about the possibility of your developing shingles and talk about vaccination.’”
With reporting by Mariel Turner
