Sheryl Lee Ralph discusses her new role as a weed-growing granny

PHILADELPHIA — Thursday morning, fresh off her third consecutive best supporting actress Emmy nomination, Sheryl Lee Ralph chatted it up with "CBS Mornings" anchors. She talked about "Fabulous Four," the new film in which she plays Kitty, a grandmother and botanist who, in Ralph's words, "grows a lot of weed."

"Fabulous Four" opens in theaters on July 26, and also stars Susan Sarandon and Megan Mullally as lifelong friends who join Kitty on a trip to Key West to be bridesmaids for their friend's (Bette Midler) surprise wedding. The comedy celebrates women's decadeslong friendships and love, in an older, but equally mischievous, "Girls Trip" vibe.

Best part of filming the movie?

"The Bette Midler of it all," Ralph told the morning news anchors. "When you think of the consummate professional, this woman knows and owns who she is. I was learning something from her every day."

Midler, let's remember, wants to play the mother of Lisa Ann Walter's character on "Abbott Elementary" — no word from Ralph on whether that was discussed on the film set.

The movie wasn't easy to get through Ralph said, as it was filmed during the writers' strike.

"It was very difficult," Ralph said. "We were working with scripts that needed some working and reworking and we had to be very careful about what we were doing."

Ralph's son, Etienne, married ABC News journalist Stephanie Wash in Jamaica during the July 4 weekend, a few days after Hurricane Beryl hit the coast.

"I adore my daughter-in-law. I cherish her," Ralph said. "I appreciate her."

Ralph is working with Walter, her "Abbott" co-star, to produce a comedy special that being filmed this week at Center City's Helium Comedy Club. Ralph is co-producing and co-directing the project.

"We fell in love as work wives one day because we had so much in common," Walters told The Inquirer about Ralph. "We were single moms raising our kids in Los Angeles. All the ways we connected were so pure and we loved hanging out."

Sounds like a "Fabulous Four" kind of friendship to me.

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