Sheryl Lee Ralph just confirmed what the world has long suspected, that Rihanna in real life is even more amazing than when she appeared on screen.
The couple had a chance to talk before their performance at the Super Bowl this weekend and during the 12th annual NFL Honors Thursday, Abbott Elementary School the star talked to Everybody about that surreal experience and how she’s set to perform “Lift Every Voice and Sing” on Sunday. “First of all, Rihanna is much taller than I imagined. She really is a beautiful amazon. I was like, ‘Oh my God, look at her.’ Yes, this is Savage Fenty. I totally get it,” she revealed. “She’s like a warrior spirit, you know? It was like, ‘No, why are you messing with her? No, you will never win. No, she always wins.’ I love it. It was great to meet her.”
The newspaper then asked Ralph if Rihanna had any advice for her on preparing for the big show, to which she replied, “You know what? [Rihanna] speak to me? She said, ‘I’ll send you all the makeup you need. Make sure you’re the face of Fab Fenty on Sunday.’ I said, ‘For you? Sure.’” She added, “I’ll take down Fenty.” In addition to making sure she’s fully present for Fenty Beauty, the actor has also prepared a lot for practice. “You know, they say it takes a thousand times to perfect something. So I’m up to about 799 [times],” she said. “I’m going to keep listening to my song and get ready to sing it and make it happen on Sunday. I’m so excited.”
But while practice makes perfect, it doesn’t necessarily eliminate the anxiety of performing on such a large national stage. Ralph confessed, “Oh my God, I was so nervous yesterday. I could barely move.” She continued, “It’s like classic nerves. I was like, ‘Oh my God, I’m going to get sick.’ And I really was. I said, ‘Oh no. I am very worried.’ I made myself sick.” So to stabilize herself, she worked with, “My son with all his yoga exercises. He was like, ‘Box breathing, mom. Deep breath. Keep it for four. expiratory. Breathe in four. Hold it. Expiratory.’ I said, ‘Okay, we’ll just take a breather and calm down and eat some snacks.’” And luckily, the breathing trick he taught her “absolutely” helped. and Ralph say she’s “feeling much better” about her upcoming gig.
