Twenty-five years before Jennifer Hudson and Jamie Foxx starred in "Dreamgirls" on the silver screen, stage actress Sheryl Lee Ralph helped bring the story to life on Broadway. Night after night, Ralph charmed theater audiences with her portrayal of lead singer Deena Jones, and in 1982, she earned a Tony nomination for her performance.
Fast-forward three decades.
Even though Ralph has transitioned from the stage to the screen with parts in shows like "Designing Women" and, most recently, "Instant Mom," she has still held on to her beloved Tony nomination. Inviting cameras inside her home for her upcoming appearance on "Oprah: Where Are They Now?", the original Dreamgirl shows exactly what she did with that small but significant piece of paper.
Perched by Ralph's front door in a thick silver frame, the Tony nomination remains front and center in her home -- and heart. "I love this. I keep it right there by the door," she says in the video above. "There you have it. 'Sheryl Lee Ralph, for 'Dreamgirls.' Oh, it just looks good!"
"Dreamgirls" debuted on Broadway on Dec. 20, 1981 and dominated the 1982 Tony Awards, earning a total of 13 nominations, including Ralph's Best Actress nod.
"The musical was a hit, the likes of which nobody had seen -- nor did they expect it," Ralph says.
Having since become a prominent name in both theater and film, Ralph also opens up in the video below about the "rough, tough business" of Hollywood and what it now takes to be famous in a world with nearly no privacy.
"Oprah: Where Are They Now?" airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on OWN.