Sheryl Lee Ralph Recalls FilmingAbbott Elementary's Halloween Episode in 107-Degree Heat (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Sheryl Lee Ralphis giving fans the inside scoop onAbbott Elementary’s highly anticipated Halloween special.Speaking with PEOPLE andEntertainment Weeklyat the76th annual Primetime Emmy AwardsRed Carpet Live show, the actress — who plays Barbra Howard on the hit sitcom — notes that despite the episode giving a fall vibe, the weather while filming was quite the opposite.“Let me just say, it was hot, hot, hot,” Ralph, 67, recalls, “It was 107 degrees and I was enveloped in fur.“Despite the uncomfortable working conditions, the star admits that the product of their work amounted to “such a funny episode.“Sheryl Lee Ralph attends the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards at Peacock Theater on Sept. 15 in Los Angeles, California.Amy Sussman/GettyThe PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!“We’re probably six episodes in, and I cannot tell you just how funny they are. Our writers are amazing, and our director-producer, Randall Einhorn, who is also nominated this year, everybody just does such an incredible job on the show. I’m very happy.“The Halloween special isn’t all thatAbbott Elementaryfans have to look forward to coming up, as Ralph told PEOPLE’sBreanne L. Heldmanduring a Sept. 12 panel that the show’s other upcoming highly-awaited moment, acrossover episodewith a yet-to-be-named mystery show, “is going to be killer” as well.“And I’m not going to say another word about it,” she teased.Sheryl Lee Ralph in ‘Abbott Elementary’.ABC/Gilles MingassonNever miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Ralph further notes to PEOPLE at the Emmys red carpet that she and her castmates struggle to not break character while filming the show’s hilarious scenes.“There’s sometimes moments that one of us do something, we cannot hold it in,” she says. “And we just have to let it out. And we hoped that we held it in long enough so that we don’t have to re do it but very often everybody will crack up.““I hold it in the most, though,” she quips.Season 4 ofAbbott Elementarywill premiere on Oct. 9, 2024, at 9:30 pm EST on ABC.SeePEOPLE’s full coverageof the 76th annual Primetime Emmy Awards as they’re broadcasting live on ABC from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.

Sheryl Lee Ralphis giving fans the inside scoop onAbbott Elementary’s highly anticipated Halloween special.

Speaking with PEOPLE andEntertainment Weeklyat the76th annual Primetime Emmy AwardsRed Carpet Live show, the actress — who plays Barbra Howard on the hit sitcom — notes that despite the episode giving a fall vibe, the weather while filming was quite the opposite.

“Let me just say, it was hot, hot, hot,” Ralph, 67, recalls, “It was 107 degrees and I was enveloped in fur.”

Despite the uncomfortable working conditions, the star admits that the product of their work amounted to “such a funny episode.”

Sheryl Lee Ralph attends the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards at Peacock Theater on Sept. 15 in Los Angeles, California.Amy Sussman/Getty

Amy Sussman/Getty

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!

“We’re probably six episodes in, and I cannot tell you just how funny they are. Our writers are amazing, and our director-producer, Randall Einhorn, who is also nominated this year, everybody just does such an incredible job on the show. I’m very happy.”

The Halloween special isn’t all thatAbbott Elementaryfans have to look forward to coming up, as Ralph told PEOPLE’sBreanne L. Heldmanduring a Sept. 12 panel that the show’s other upcoming highly-awaited moment, acrossover episodewith a yet-to-be-named mystery show, “is going to be killer” as well.

“And I’m not going to say another word about it,” she teased.

Sheryl Lee Ralph in ‘Abbott Elementary’.ABC/Gilles Mingasson

ABC/Gilles Mingasson

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Ralph further notes to PEOPLE at the Emmys red carpet that she and her castmates struggle to not break character while filming the show’s hilarious scenes.

“There’s sometimes moments that one of us do something, we cannot hold it in,” she says. “And we just have to let it out. And we hoped that we held it in long enough so that we don’t have to re do it but very often everybody will crack up.”

“I hold it in the most, though,” she quips.

Season 4 ofAbbott Elementarywill premiere on Oct. 9, 2024, at 9:30 pm EST on ABC.

SeePEOPLE’s full coverageof the 76th annual Primetime Emmy Awards as they’re broadcasting live on ABC from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.

source: people.com