Sharon Leal
Sharon Leal | |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1996–present |
Sharon Leal (born October 17, 1972) is an American actress.
Personal life
Leal was born in Tucson, Arizona to a Filipino mother, Angelita, and an African American father.[1] Her adoptive father, Jesse Leal, was a Master Sergeant in the United States Air Force and a police officer at Clark Air Base, Philippines; he married Leal's mother in 1972 and legally adopted Leal.[2] Leal's mother, a housewife, later re-married to Elmer Manankil, the father of Leal's younger sister, Kristina.
With Bev Land, her husband, Leal has a son, Kai Miles (born 2001). Leal is currently involved in divorce proceedings with Land, which she discussed briefly in an interview with Essence.
The former Guiding Light costar, Yvonna Wright, has said that she and Leal are close friends; the two starred together in a community production of Dreamgirls in their hometown.[3]
Career
Leal's career began with the role of Dahlia Crede in the CBS daytime serial Guiding Light from 1996 to 1999. In 1998, she joined the Broadway company of Rent. Soon after, she was cast as Mimi for the San Francisco leg of the first national tour of Rent, staying with the company until it closed in September 1999. Leal also appeared on the 1999 original cast recording of the Off-Broadway musical "Bright Lights, Big City" alongside Patrick Wilson and Jesse L. Martin. She also appeared on the 2001 cast recording of Making Tracks.
From 2000 to 2004, Leal starred in the Fox prime time TV series Boston Public. Leal also had a role in the theatrical release Face the Music. She also appeared in a recurring role in the short-lived NBC series LAX, as the wife of airport co-director, Roger de Souza.
She also co-starred in the film adaptation of the Broadway musical Dreamgirls as Michelle Morris, Effie White's replacement in the pop group The Dreams. The film was released on December 25, 2006. In 2007 Leal also starred in This Christmas and in the Tyler Perry production Why Did I Get Married?.
Leal directed TV shows including, Sister, Sister, The Game, One on One, Girlfriends, Half & Half, The Parent 'Hood, and Private Practice.
Filmography
Films
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Face the Music | Tracie | 1st Film Role |
| 2006 | Dreamgirls | Michelle Morris | Feature Film |
| 2007 | Motives 2 | Nina | |
| Why Did I Get Married? | Dianne | Feature Film | |
| This Christmas | Kelli Whitfield | Feature Film | |
| 2008 | Soul Men | Cleo | |
| Linewatch | Angela Dixon | ||
| 2009 | Limelight | Nina | Completed |
| 2010 | Little Murder | Jennifer | post-production |
| Why Did I Get Married Too? | Dianne Brock | ||
| Redemption | Jada | pre-production |
Television
| Year | TV Series | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | The Guiding Light | Dahlia Crede | 218 Episodes |
| 1998 | Legacy | Marita | Regular Role: 18 Episodes |
| 2000-2004 | Boston Public | Marilyn Sudor | Regular Supporting Role: 67 Episodes |
| 2004-2005 | Las Vegas | Nikki and Nina | Separate Roles: 2 episodes |
| LAX | Monique DeSouza | Recurring role: 3 episodes | |
| 2010 | Hellcats | Vanessa Lodge | Series regular |
Awards/nominations
- Asian Excellence Awards
- 2008, Outstanding Film Actress This Christmas (winner)
- 2007, Outstanding Film Supporting Actress Dreamgirls (nominated)
- Screen Actors Guild Awards
- 2007, Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture Dreamgirls (nominated)
References
- ^ Robison, Ken (1994-06-12). "THE CALL OF BROADWAY FRESNO ACTORS TREADING BIGGER BOARDS". The Fresno Bee. Retrieved 2007-12-10.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Sharon Leal Biography - Yahoo! Movies
- ^ "Culture Club". Soap Opera Weekly. 2007-02-27. p. 22.
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External links
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