Sheryl Lee Ralph says a casting agent didn’t want her kissing Tom Cruise on screen because of her race

Sheryl Lee Ralph‘s years of stage experience — including a role in the iconic musical Dreamgirls that earned her Tony and Drama Desk nods — weren’t enough for one casting director when she made the jump from Broadway to Hollywood earlier in her career.

“When I left Broadway, going to Hollywood, I had a memorable audition with a big casting director who looked at me and said, ‘Everybody knows you’re a beautiful, talented Black girl, but what do I do with a beautiful, talented Black girl?'” the 65-year-old Abbott Elementary actress said on Friday’s episode of The View. “[He asked] ‘Do I put you in a movie with Tom Cruise? Do you kiss? Who goes to see that movie?'”

Cohost Ana Navarro pressed Ralph to reveal the name of the casting director, but the performer responded, “No, why bother? Look at me now!” before adding, “Everybody knew I was a beautiful, talented Black girl, and that I should be in a movie with Tom Cruise, and he should kiss me!”

In addition to her role in Dreamgirls, Ralph has had a storied career in theater and on screen, with performances like her Indie Spirit–nominated turn in To Sleep With Anger as well as in films like The Mighty Quinn, Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, Deterrance, and more.

Ralph recently courted rave reviews for her work on Quinta Brunson’s ABC sitcom Abbott Elementary, in which she portrays a veteran kindergarten teacher.

Sheryl Lee Ralph is an American actress, singer, author, and activist. She made her screen debut in the 1977 comedy film A Piece of the Action, before landing her breakthrough role as Deena Jones in the Broadway musical Dreamgirls, for which she received a Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical.

Sheryl Lee Ralph was born on December 30, 1956 in Waterbury, Connecticut to Jamaican Parents. She made her first film debut in a 1977 film called, “River of the Calm”. Her meteoric rise to fame was set in motion by films such as, “Distinguished Gentleman”, “The Mighty Quinn” and “Sister Act II”.

Sheryl Lee Ralph’s illustrious career has spanned decades, but, to date, the role that many herald as one of her best is her portrayal of Deena Jones in the Broadway musical Dreamgirls.

Born in the US to a Jamaican mother and an African American father, Sheryl Lee Ralph spent parts of her childhood living in Mandeville, Jamaica.