Before Abbott Elementary goes back in session, fans can get schooled by Sheryl Lee Ralph in Weather Hunters. The star-studded PBS Kids animated series premiering September 8 centers on an eight-year-old named Lily Hunter (Tandi Fomukong), who shares an affinity for climate and science just like her dad Al (Al Roker). Along with the beloved Today host and EP, other voice talents include Lily’s mom Dot (Holly Robinson Peete), sister Corky (Kapri Ladd), and brother Benny (Lorenzo Ross).
In the show, the family moves when Al gets a new TV job in his hometown. Adventures follow as Earth science, meteorology and other STEM-related concepts are tackled in a fun and entertaining way. Ralph plays neighbor Ms. Joyce while public television icon LeVar Burton voices Al’s grandfather Wallace Reed Hunter. One of the original WWII Tuskegee weathermen who went on to become one of the first African American weather broadcasters.
Ralph is no stranger to the recording booth with credits going all the way back to 1988’s Oliver & Company. She also had roles in everything from The Wild Thornberrys and Justice League to The Proud Family and Static Shock. The prolific actress can also be heard these days in Big City Greens and the upcoming Cars: Lightning Racers.
Here the star talks about why she signed on for Weather Hunters. Ralph also teases what’s to come for Barbara Howard on Abbott and what a Moesha revival would look like in her eyes.
People these days know you for your role in Abbott Elementary. However, there is this long career you’ve had not only on screen and stage, but with your voice work as well. I don’t think many realize that.
Sheryl Lee Ralph: Most of the time it’s just because someone loves or likes your voice. You come to it. Sometimes you add a little something to it. This character I play on The Weather Hunters, she is a bit of a jolly person. So, you might add something to it. Or when I was doing Rita [from Oliver & Company] she was more like, “Hey, cat. What are you doing out here?” You bring little parts of your personality to them. Most of the time for me it’s a lot of fun.
What were your first impressions of Weather Hunters? Nowadays I think we need more shows like this for our next generation.
I love the fact this is entertaining. It is fun and educational. The way it brings STEM into the whole visual conversation through the eyes of an eight-year-old child. I love that. It’s a wonderful inter-generational piece as well. Any time you can get talking over these generations, that is a gift. It’s the same sort of gift we get from Abbott Elementary. I just love what it’s saying. That we should care about the Earth. We should care about things like the weather. It’s just a great piece of work. It looks good, too. Sometimes animation can be not so fun, but this is lovely, good-to-look at animation.
When you can have a show where me as an adult can sit in and be entertained and learn something while the kids are being entertained, that is a hard thing to pull off.
Absolutely.
Tell me your thoughts on this cast. I know you’re a big proponent of representation. Having this African-American cast and the family they are portraying, what does that mean to you?
It’s wonderful to have this cast of voices all together. So many of us have known each other over the years. You can tell from this cast of people we care about community, about education and how important it is we do the kind of work that uplifts all children. I’m just very excited about that.
How would you describe your character Ms. Joyce?
Ms. Joyce is a lovely woman who is going to foster dogs. She is an animal-lover. She loves her plants. She loves the people she shares a community with. She is just one of those good old ladies. At any age, she is going to stay active. You’ll see her riding around the series on her bicycle. She is a good little character. I’m trying to figure out how I ended up older than Al Roker, but it’s all fun.
Would you say your approach to voice acting differs from your on-camera work?
It’s not that different. I think I was born to do voiceovers. It’s something that comes very naturally to me. As an actor, seeing the scripts and getting the characters and then doing the work. Making it come to life is something I love to do, so people can love and enjoy it. For me, it’s another fun endeavor in my art as an actor, especially in voice acting.
Disney
Is there a particular voice role you are most proud of?
I’d say I love this one. You know what? I’m also so proud of Oliver & Company because that movie really started the celebrity voiceover acting trend. If you remember and think back to that, it really started something very special. Everything for me has been quite the learning experience.
What was your takeaway from working on Weather Hunters?
You don’t have to be an adult to care about the weather. Children need to care about the weather. More and more we’re finding out that the weather has a great impact on our lives and on the Earth. When you have kids becoming excited about the weather, I think that’s a wonderful thing…I want people to know that if you’ve got neighbors, and if you’re a good neighbor, get to know your neighbor. You never know what you can give to each other. I also love the whole leaning towards STEM. I love STEAM adding the arts to it. I love the fact the show talks about animals and fostering animals. I love that. The important thing about the show for me is it shows at no matter what age, you’ve got to keep it moving. You’ve got to stay active. I love seeing an eight-year-old being so inquisitive and wanting to know more about life and its many wonders.
The fact you can learn at any age.
It is so important. There is one thing they’ve learned about super-agers is they stay curious. Super agers also keep it moving. I love that.
PBS has been a big topic of conversation. What do you make of the television landscape today within this space?
First of all, I think everyone needs to know and understand how important public broadcasting is. It’s so important to have projects that come out of our communities, locally and spread out nationally. There is great importance to PBS and what it brings to all of us. How it brings the world together. I am very saddened that there are other people who seem to feel like it’s not important. Anything that brings us together is so important, especially in times like these. More than ever we’re in a time where when you hear PBS asking you to support them, it is now important to do just that. Support them because when you support PBS, you’re literally supporting yourself.
Disney/Gilles Mingasson
I love that you have this role as a kindergarten teacher on Abbott, but you’re doing projects like this and using your platform to draw awareness to causes you believe in.
I have to say God made me who I am so I could have a platform to use to help others. I find joy in it. I have gratitude for it. It’s just what I do. I’m glad I can do it because this needs to be done.
What can you tease about the new season of Abbott coming up?
I’m so excited because I’m looking forward to all of the things everybody will learn about the characters. It’s the fifth season, and you get to have those moments where you learn about folks in a different way. New characters will be added. It will be wonderful. I’m so grateful to also be nominated again for the Emmy. It will never get old to me, and I thank the voting body very much.
A lot of fans I’m seeing on social media were thinking there was not enough Barbara last season. What do you want to say to them?
You are so sweet. From your mouth, to God’s ear I hope we get to experience more Barbara this season.
Going into the fifth season, it still feels fresh as ever.
That’s the magic and the beauty of the show. When people are still eager to learn more about your character, that says a lot. It’s like you just said, when you get to the fifth season people can be like, “Oh well, we’re bored. On to the next.” What people are on to the next for us is on to the next season, which I love. There is still so much more to discover about Barbara Howard.
Nickelodeon
What are your hopes that are explored in the future when it comes to Barbara and maybe her backstory?
The time she spent in the army [laughs]. Of course, that is in my head of something I see. We’ll see what happens. In my mind, I think she is a veteran.
What is your criteria now when it comes to saying yes to projects like Weather Hunters compared to when you were first starting out?
It remains the same for me. Quality, community, education, let’s move the needle for good. I want when people see my name associated with things that they are able to say, “I can watch this because it’s Sheryl Lee Ralph.”
Is there any role you’ve wanted to play you haven’t already?
I’m so smitten with the mystery of The White Lotus. I’m smitten with The Gilded Age. I’m smitten with the whole idea of wanting to be a gangsta.. The idea of I want to be a super hero. I want to once again be the president of the United States like I was able to do in Motherland: Fort Salem, but enough people didn’t get to see it.
I remember first really watching you in Moesha. We’re going into 30 years since the show first premiered. What do you think a revival would look like?
That’s absolutely crazy. You know what? Brandy is one of those people I would love to work with again. I think there is something to be explored there. When you say 30 years, I think about what it would be like if Moesha came knocking on Dee’s door because she needs help with her own 16-year-old daughter. Wow, that would be something.
Weather Hunters premiere, September 8, PBS (Check Local Listings)
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