Biography
Playing dedicated young teacher Marilyn Sudor on the David E. Kelley Fox drama "Boston Public" introduced beautiful African-American actress Sharon Leal to a wide audience, but she was already familiar to many thanks to her two-and-a-half-year (1996-98) stint on the CBS soap "Guiding Light", a regular role on the 1998-99 UPN drama "Legacy" and extensive stage work. Born in Tucson, Arizona and raised in Fresno, California, Leal began her acting …
Career Milestones
| Appeared in stage productions of "West Side Story" and "Dreamgirls" | ||
| Appeared on Broadway in the musical "Miss Saigon" | ||
| Began working in community theater productions at age 13 | ||
| Raised in Fresno, California | ||
1996 | Was a regular on the CBS daytime drama "Guiding Light" | |
1998 | Played Mimi in the Broadway production of "Rent" | |
1999 | Reprised role of Mimi in the San Francisco production of "Rent" | |
2000 | Cast in the controversial FOX drama "Boston Public" as teacher Marilyn Sudor | |
2001 | Co-starred in the indie feature "Face the Music"; screened at Cannes | |
2002 | Recorded an R&B album with Universal Records | |
2004 | Appeared in a recurring role in the short-lived NBC series "LAX" | |
2006 | Featured in the film adaptation of the Broadway musical "Dreamgirls" as Michelle Morris, Effie White's replacement | |
2007 | Co-starred in "Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married?" | |
2008 | Co-starred in the musical feature "Soul Men" with Samuel L. Jackson and Bernie Mac | |
2010 | Re-teamed with Perry for the sequel "Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married Too?" | |