‘HB’ Exclusive: Sherri Shepherd Keeps Switching Things Up—And She Is Far From Finished

Sherri Shepherd is a chameleon in the best way. Her passion lies in making people laugh, but after more than 30 years in the industry—and an accolades list as long as some of her wigs—our good sis is doing that and more.

She switches from comedian to daytime host without missing a beat. She commands stages, moderates conversations about women’s health, mental wellness and child welfare, then transitions into the girlfriend we want beside us when the conversation turns to dating.

Her style changes just as quickly. Sherri is a fashion girl’s fashion girl, moving between short hemlines, runway pieces and relaxed looks. She can wear a floor-length designer dress one day and chill in something casual the next.

And her wigs? They act as accessories completing every transformation.

Sherri wears them religiously, treating each new cut, color and texture like another accessory. One look may bring Beyoncé energy. Another may introduce a completely different side of her personality.

Even as she switches between comedy, fashion, beauty and dating talk, Sherri has remained open about the more personal parts of her life. She has discussed her experiences with diabetes, weight loss and wellness while encouraging other women to prioritize their health.

Now, she is switching gears again.

With everything happening in her world, Sherri still made time to chat with HelloBeautiful. I caught up with her in New Orleans during one of her newer gigs – Essence Festival host.

Keep scrolling to see what we talked about, from her beauty and fashion to two new projects coming soon.

Sherri Shepherd Says Her Wigs Bring Out Different Personalities

The first topic we talked about? Hair – of course.

“I love wearing wigs, because wigs are like accessories,” Sherri explained to me when I asked her about her favorite hair look. “They’re like wearing a different earring, a different bracelet. Wigs give you different personalities.”

And thanks to her longtime hairstylist, Theo Barrett, Sherri is as versatile with her hairstyles as she is with her wardrobe.

“I got everything,” she told HB. “I got my braid wigs. I got my ‘Sit at home, Latifah. When I call you, you better be calling me back’ wig. I got that wig.”

She also made it clear that changing her hair has nothing to do with pretending to be someone else.

“I don’t wear it because I’m trying to be something I’m not,” she continued. “I wear it because I’m a Black woman, and I like things different. I like adventure. I love to try new things.”

Sherri Is Wearing Orange, Bubble Hems And Whatever She Wants

Trying new things also translates into the former talk show host’s style. So, I had to get her opinion on which summer trends she’s loving right now.

Sherri answered quickly with color.

“I love going out in orange,” she said. “Oh my gosh! I got my summer dresses, my little bubble hems. I love my beautiful legs, and I go out and I show them legs off. Yes, I don’t care.”

Sherri also has no interest in following outdated rules about what women should wear at a certain age.

“You tell me, ‘You’re not supposed to be wearing that, Auntie.’ Yes, I am, and yes, I will,” the 59-year-old said.

Her warm-weather wardrobe includes big gold jewelry, heels, boots and whatever else catches her eye.

“I love gold jewelry, big jewelry, big clunky stuff,” she added. “I love the heels, the boots. I’m really into so much. All the things.”

Spring and summer give Sherri another reason to have fun with her clothes.

Robin Roberts Helped Sherri Shepherd Fight For What She Deserved In A New Film

Our conversation later turned to everything Sherri has coming next.

“I’m very excited because Robin Roberts of ‘Good Morning America’ and I are executive producing a movie,” Sherri shared. “It’s my first starring role on TV.”

The Lifetime film, “Angel in the Rubble,” is the fourth movie in a series produced by Robin. Sherri portrays Genelle Guzman-McMillan, a New York City transit employee who was the final survivor pulled alive from the debris at Ground Zero.

The movie is scheduled to premiere in September to mark the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.

“She was buried alive for 27 hours, buried under 13 feet of concrete,” Sherri told HB. “The film is about how she found God.”

The project also pushed Sherri to advocate for herself behind the scenes. When negotiations did not reflect what she believed the role deserved, Robin stepped in.

“I want to shout out Robin Roberts because, like Taraji P. Henson said, you’ve got to ask for what you’re worth,” Sherri explained. “I asked for it, and they said no.”

“A beautiful Black woman [Robin Roberts] came in and was like, ‘What? Yes,’” she said. “So thank you, Robin.”

Sherri Is Writing The Black K-Drama Romance She Wants To See

Sherri is also moving into the literary world—and exploring a few desires while she is there.

“I have a novel coming out called ‘Life Is a K-Drama’ because everybody who knows me knows my obsession with K-dramas and K-pop,” she said.

That obsession led her to ask a question many Black women who love the genre may have considered.

“Why can’t there be a Black woman who falls in love with the rich Korean heir to an empire?” Sherri asked. “Why are you not seeing that on TV?”

Rather than wait for someone else to create it, she pitched the idea to Harlequin. The novel – co-authored with Jayci Lee – arrives in April 2027.

“It’s about Keisha, who owns a soul food restaurant in Harlem,” Sherri said with a smile. “She gets hooked up with somebody in Seoul, Korea, because they want her recipe to go viral.”

Romance and the familiar complications of a good K-drama follow.

“It’s about the love that they find and the typical K-drama trying to keep them together,” she explained.

Sherri also admitted that writing the intimate scenes required her imagination to stretch in a new direction.

“But that sex? I got to really go in my mind and write some scenes,” she joked.

In other words, certain sections are “not for daytime TV.”

Sherri has spent her career switching between stages, screens, wigs, fashion moods and conversations that matter. She has pushed back against age-based fashion rules, advocated for her health and fought to receive what her work deserves. Change is constant for Sherri, but it seems every transition moves her closer to the life and career she wants.

As she told us, “When you don’t see something, create it.”