‘Claws’ Season 2 Spoilers: ‘Instant Mom’ Star Sheryl Lee Ralph To Recur

Sheryl Lee Ralph has landed a recurring role in Season 2 of TNT’s “Claws.”

According to Deadline, Ralph will play the role of Matilde Ruval, the mother of Desna’s (Niecy Nash) love interest and Haitian drug lord Dr. Gregory Ruval (Jimmy Jean-Louis). Though Matilde appears to be a typical benevolent and caring mother to her son, there’s more going on with her than meets the eye.

Ralph is best known for her breakthrough role as Deena Jones in the 1981 Broadway musical “Dreamgirls,” for which she received a Tony Award nomination for best actress in a musical. The 61-year-old actress most recently co-starred on TV Land’s “Instant Mom,” and appeared on Amazon Video’s “One Mississippi” and CBS’ “MacGyver” and “Criminal Minds.” On the film side, Ralph was part of the cast of “Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit,” “Deterrence” and “Unconditional Love.”

Ralph joins previously announced series newcomer Franka Potente, who is also set to recur in Season 2 as Zlata Ostrovsky. Zlata is the newly reformed, former black sheep daughter of the powerful Russian mob family who does business in Florida. She’s the sister of Riva (Andrea Sooch), who took over 100 percent of all Uncle Daddy’s (Dean Norris) businesses at the end of Season 1.

Last December, TVLine revealed that the show was also casting the role of Zlata’s estranged daughter named Olga. Described as a “slightly overweight” and “barely reformed party girl,” Olga awkwardly reconciles with her absentee mom Zlata in Season 2 and takes full advantage of her mom’s maternal guilt.

Olga’s name was first mentioned in the Season 1 finale during a phone call between Riva and Uncle Daddy. When Uncle Daddy asked Riva why she wanted Roller (Jack Kesy) dead, the Russian mob boss told Uncle Daddy to ask Roller about Olga. Roller then revealed to Uncle Daddy that Olga was a “dirty little Russian” he previously hooked up with. “[I] met her at their club. They told me she was 25, [but] she was 17,” Roller said, before revealing that he and Olga had a baby.

“Claws” Season 2 will premiere this summer on TNT.