| Sharon Leal | |
|---|---|
Leal in May 2011 |
|
| Born | October 17, 1979 Tucson, Arizona, United States |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1996–present |
| Website | |
| sharonleal.me | |
Sharon Leal (born October 17, 1979)[1] is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her roles in movies such as Dreamgirls, Why Did I Get Married?, Why Did I Get Married Too? and her roles on the television shows Legacy, The Guiding Light, Boston Public, and Hellcats.
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Leal was born in Tucson, Arizona to a Filipino mother and an African American father.[2] 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.[3] Leal's mother, a housewife, later re-married to Elmer Manankil, the father of Leal's younger sister, Kristina.
With Bev Land, her ex-husband, Leal has a son, Kai Miles (born 2001). Leal is currently divorced with Land, which she discussed briefly in an interview with Essence.
Former Guiding Light co-star Yvonna Wright has said that she and Leal are close friends; the two starred together in a community production of Dreamgirls in their hometown.[4]
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, with Beyoncé Knowles, Jennifer Hudson, Eddie Murphy and Jamie Foxx. In 2007 Leal also starred in This Christmas and in the Tyler Perry production Why Did I Get Married?. She played the characer Vanessa Lodge in the series Hellcats, until it was cancelled in 2011.
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Face the Music | Tracie | |
| 2006 | Dreamgirls | Michelle Morris | Nominated—Asian Excellence Award for Outstanding Film Supporting Actress Nominated—Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Acting Ensemble Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture |
| 2007 | Motives 2 | Nina | |
| Why Did I Get Married? | Dianne | ||
| This Christmas | Kelli Whitfield | Nominated—Asian Excellence Award for Outstanding Film Actress | |
| 2008 | Soul Men | Cleo | |
| Linewatch | Angela Dixon | ||
| 2009 | Limelight | Nina | |
| 2010 | Why Did I Get Married Too? | Dianne Brock | |
| 2011 | Little Murder | Jennifer |
| Year | TV Series | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998–1999 | Legacy | Marita | Regular Role: 18 Episodes |
| 1996–1999 | Guiding Light | Dahlia Crede | Regular Role: 218 Episodes |
| 2000–2004 | Boston Public | Marylin Sudor | Regular Supporting Role: 67 Episodes |
| 2005 | Las Vegas | Nina | Episode: "Sperm Whales and Spearmint Rhinos" |
| 2004–2005 | LAX | Monique DeSouza | Recurring Role: 3 episodes |
| 2007 | CSI: Miami | Lauren Sloan | Episode: "Internal Affairs" |
| 2009 | Private Practice | Dr. Sonya Nichols | Recurring Role: 5 episodes |
| 2010-2011 | Hellcats | Vanessa Lodge | Regular Role: 21 episodes |
| 2010 | Suits | Lisa Parker | Episode: "Dirty Little Secrets" |