Sharon Leal
Sharon Ann Leal (born October 17, 1972) is an American-Filipina actress and singer. She is known for her roles in movies such as Dreamgirls, This Christmas, Why Did I Get Married?, Why Did I Get Married Too? and her roles on the television shows Legacy, Guiding Light, and Boston Public.
Sharon Leal | |
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![]() Leal in 2011 | |
Born | Tucson, Arizona, U.S. | October 17, 1972
Occupation | Actress, singer |
Years active | 1997–present |
Spouse(s) | Bev Land
(m. 2001; div. 2009) |
Children | 1 |
Early life
Leal was born in Tucson, Arizona. Her mother, Angelita, is Filipina. Her father was an African-American military policeman who broke up with her mother before Sharon was born.[1][2] Shortly after, her mother married Jesse Leal, a Master Sergeant in the United States Air Force and a police officer at Clark Air Base, Philippines; he legally adopted Sharon.[3][4]
Career
Leal's career began with the role of Dahlia Crede in the CBS daytime serial Guiding Light. Later, 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. 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 character Vanessa Lodge in the series Hellcats, until it was cancelled in 2011. Leal played the supporting role in the movie 1982. A story of a drug addicted mother and a father's fight to protect his daughter.
Leal appears in seasons 2, 3, 5 and 6 of Supergirl as M'gann M'orzz (Megan in human form).
Personal life
In October 2001, Leal married Bev Land. Their son Kai Miles Land was born in September 2001.[3][5] The couple divorced in 2009.[6]
In 2009, Leal posed nude for the May issue of Allure magazine - alongside Padma Lakshmi, Lynn Collins, Chelsea Handler, and Eliza Dushku.[7]
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.[8]
Filmography
Films
Year | Name | 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 Brock | ||
This Christmas | Kelli Whitfield | Winner—Asian Excellence Award for Outstanding Film Actress | |
2008 | Soul Men | Cleo Whitfield | |
Linewatch | Angela Dixon | ||
2009 | Limelight | Nina | |
2010 | Why Did I Get Married Too? | Dianne Brock | |
2011 | Little Murder | Jennifer | |
2012 | Woman Thou Art Loosed: On the 7th Day | Kari Ames | |
2013 | The Last Letter | Cathrine Wright | |
2013 | 1982 | Shenae Brown | |
2014 | Freedom | Vanessa | |
2014 | Addicted | Zoe | |
2016 | No Regrets | Sofia | |
2017 | Shot | Phoebe | |
2020 | Blindfire | Nika Wilkins | |
2021 | A Holiday Chance | Naomi Chance |
Television
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 | Marilyn 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 |
2011 | Suits | Lisa Parker | Recurring: 3 episodes |
2012 | Person of Interest | Dr. Madeleine Enright | Episode: "Critical" |
2014 | Perception | Inspector Liza Brahms | Episode: "Obsession" |
2014–2016 | Grimm | Tyler "Zuri" Ellis | Recurring: 5 episodes |
2016 | Recovery Road | Charlotte Graham | Main role |
2016 | Dead of Summer | Renee Tyler | Recurring: 2 episodes |
2016–2021 | Supergirl | M'gann M'orzz/Miss Martian | Recurring role |
2018–2019 | The Good Doctor | Breeze Browne | Recurring role |
2018–2019 | Instinct | Lt. Jasmine Gooden | Main role |
References
- Robison, Ken (1994-06-12). "THE CALL OF BROADWAY FRESNO ACTORS TREADING BIGGER BOARDS". The Fresno Bee. Retrieved 2007-12-10.
- "Sharon Leal as M'gann M'orzz on 'Supergirl': 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know". Heavy.
- "Extra Credit — Kids & Family Life, Boston Public : People.com". people.com. 2014. Retrieved October 2, 2014.
- "Sharon Leal Biography — Yahoo! Movies". Retrieved 9 July 2017.
- "News". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2013-06-30. 10.30.01 - The November 6th issue of Soap Opera Digest reports that Sharon Leal and fiancé Bev Land welcomed their first child, Kai Miles Land, into the world on September 13th.
- "Actress Sharon Leal". November 28, 2018.
- The Naked Truth: Five Celebrities Bare It All Allure. Archived on April 15, 2009.
- "Culture Club". Soap Opera Weekly. 2007-02-27. p. 22.
External links
- Sharon Leal at IMDb