Sharon Leal is an American actress, theatre artist, singer, and producer who is known for some of her notable roles such as Michelle Morris in Dreamgirls, Dianne Brock in Why Did I Get Married?, Kelli Whitfield in This Christmas, Jennifer in Little Murder, Dahlia Crede in Guiding Light, Marilyn Sudor in Boston Public, and Marita in Legacy. She spent some of the initial years of her childhood in the Philippines and then honed her skills as an artist. Sharon Leal has also been cast in several other shows and movies like Las Vegas, LAX, Linewatch, Addicted, Suits, Recovery Road, Woman Thou Art Loosed: On the 7th Day, Person of Interest, The Good Doctor, Up Close with , Reed Between the Lines, The Last Letter, Soul Men, Ghost of New Orleans, Face the Music, Freedom, Private Practice, Hellcats, Instinct, Untitled Jenny Lumet Project, Perception, Supergirl, Bella’s Story, Baisden After Dark, and many others. Moreover, she has also branched out as a singer as well as a producer and has worked on a couple of projects from the respective fields. Sharon Leal has also gained an impressive fan base on social media as she enjoys more than 150k followers on Instagram.
Sun Sign
Libra
Residence
Sharon Leal divides her time between –
- Los Angeles, California, United States
- New York, United States
Nationality
Education
Sharon Leal attended a prayer school during her childhood years in the Philippines. Then, she graduated from the Roosevelt High School of the Arts in Fresno, California, United States.
She also took vocal training lessons under the guidance of Seth Riggs, a notable vocal coach who is known for having worked with the likes of , , , , , and , after winning a vocal scholarship at the “Santa Cruz Jazz Festival” in 1993.
Manager
Sharon Leal is represented by Paradigm Talent Agency, Talent and Literary Agency, Beverly Hills, Los Angeles County, California, United States.
Genre
Soundtrack
Instruments
Vocals
Labels
Unsigned
Sharon Leal has dated –
- Henry Simmons – Sharon Leal had a fling with actor Henry Simmons who is known for having been cast in many films and shows like Are We There Yet?, Superman vs. The Elite, The Cosby Mysteries, NYPD Blue, Another World, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and Ravenswood.
- Bev Land (2001-2007) – In the year 2001, she started going out with actor, director, and writer, Bev Land. He has made a name for himself by being a part of projects such as All Over the Guy, Social Misfits, What Are the Odds, and Lycan. Both Sharon Leal and Bev Land were also cast in the comedy music film, Face the Music, in 2000. Soon after, their first child, a son named Kai Miles Land, was born on September 13, 2001, and within a month, the couple got married in October 2001. However, after being together for a couple of years, Sharon and Bev Land decided to part ways in 2007. Apart from that, Sharon often posts her pictures alongside her son on Instagram.
- Paul Becker (2010) – Sharon Leal had a short-termed romance with Canadian actor, director, choreographer, and producer, Paul Becker, in the year 2010. He is well known for having worked on a number of projects which include Descendants, Ralph Breaks the Internet, Dancing with the Stars (Season 24), The Twilight Saga, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules, Adventures in Babysitting, Deadpool 2, So You Think You Can Dance Canada, Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins, A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa, Sucker Punch, Hellcats, etc.
Distinctive Features
- Curly hair
- Pouty lips
- Deep-set eyes
- Pierced ears
Brand Endorsements
Sharon Leal has either endorsed or promoted a couple of brands through social media which include the likes of BLEU Clothing, Lomar Farms, and several others.
Best Known For
- Having been cast as Michelle Morris in the film, Dreamgirls, for which she was nominated for an Asian Excellence Award in the “Outstanding Film Supporting Actress” category
- Playing the role of Kelli Whitfield in the Christmas romantic musical comedy-drama film, This Christmas, in which she was cast in a lead role along with actors Delroy Lindo, , Loretta Devine, , , , , , Keith Robinson, and Mekhi Phifer. For this role, Sharon Leal also won an Asian Excellence Award in the “Outstanding Film Actress” category.
- Having been cast in a wide range of characters in movies such as Dianne Brock in Why Did I Get Married? and Why Did I Get Married Too?, Cleo Whitfield in Soul Men, Angela Dixon in Linewatch, Kari Ames in Woman Thou Art Loosed: On the 7th Day, Cathrine Wright in The Last Letter, and Zoe in Addicted
- Starring as Marita in the western drama series, Legacy, alongside , Jeremy Garrett, Grayson McCouch, Ron Melendez, Lea Moreno, and Sarah Rayne
- Portraying the character of Marilyn Sudor, an English teacher and music instructor, in the drama television series, Boston Public, which has earned a number of awards such as an Emmy Award, Peabody Award, and an NAACP Image Award
As a Singer
Sharon Leal has performed in many rap and R&B music videos.
First Film
Sharon Leal made her first feature film appearance by playing the role of Tracie in the comedy music film, Face the Music, in 2000. The film’s cast also included actors Tyler Christopher, Elena Lyons, Patrick Malone, Charles C. Stevenson Jr., Harry Van Gorkum, Jill Ritchie, Marshall Bell, Una Damon, and Ryan Francis.
In 2006, she made her first theatrical film appearance by portraying the character of Michelle Morris in the romantic musical drama film, Dreamgirls, which starred the likes of , , , Danny Glover, , Keith Robinson, and . The film was very well received by the audience and won a Golden Globe Award in the “Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy” category as well as 2 Oscars at the 79th Academy Awards.
First TV Show
Sharon Leal made her first TV show appearance by playing the role of Dahlia Crede in an episode of the soap opera series, Guiding Light (initially known as The Guiding Light), in January 1996. Her co-actors on the show included Russell Curry, Mark Robert Gordon, Maureen Garrett, Melissa Hayden, Amelia Marshall, Wendy Moniz-Grillo, Petronia Paley, and several others.
Personal Trainer
Sharon Leal stays fit by working out on a regular basis as she has often indulged in dance classes, sculpt classes with free weights and floor , , and hot sessions. Apart from that, she also enjoys going on hikes.
As far as her diet is concerned, Sharon Leal does not like to eat a lot before heading to her workout sessions. Usually, she just eats hardboiled . She also likes to eat ground turkey, , Ezekiel toast with , etc. Then, she prefers to eat fish and greens after she is done with her workout. Moreover, she also enjoys eating yams, hummus, and roasted chicken.
Sharon Leal Favorite Things
- Food – Homemade Pasta
Source – OvbiousMag.com
Sharon Leal Facts
- Her birth father broke up with her mother even before Sharon was born. Later, her mother began a relationship with Jesse Leal, who later adopted Sharon legally.
- When she was a child, her parents relocated from Tuscon, Arizona to the Philippines for some years. Later, the family returned and settled in Fresno, Fresno County, California, United States.
- Sharon Leal has described her personality as open, free-spirited, and rational.
- She has been friends with actress Yvonna Wright.
- One movie role that shaped her views for the better was in the film, Dreamgirls.
- Between 2014 and 2016, Sharon Leal played the recurring role of Tyler “Zuri” Ellis in the fantasy police procedural drama television series, Grimm, whose lead cast comprised of actors , , Silas Weir Mitchell, , and .
- She served as the producer for the drama TV movie, White Water, in 2015.
- Over the years, she has also been cast in a number of plays such as West Side Story, Into the Woods, Ain’t Misbehavin, Miss Saigon, Rent, Little Shop of Horrors, and Nunsense.
- Sharon Leal has always admired the work of actor, director, and producer, .
- In 2018, she was cast as Lt. Jasmine Gooden, lieutenant and friend of the character played by Bojana Novakovic, in the police procedural drama television series, Instinct.
- Follow Sharon Leal on .
Featured Image by Sharon Leal / Instagram
Facts of Sharon Leal
- Gender Male
- full nameSharon Leal
- nicknamesSharon
- birthplaceTucson, Pima County, Arizona, United States
- Date of Birth October 17, 1972
- Age 51 years 11 months
- Horoscope Libra
- Lucky Number 10
- Lucky Stone Peridot
- Lucky Color Blue
- Best Match for Marriage Gemini
- ethnicity / ethnic backgroundAfrican-American and Filipino
- nationalityAmerican
- net worth$4 million
- professionActress, Theatre Artist, Singer, Producer
- weight60 kg or 132 lbs
- height5 ft 8 in or 173 cm
- hair colorBlack
- eye colorDark Brown
- body type / buildSlim
- high schoolRoosevelt High School of the Arts
- motherAngelita
- favorite foodHomemade Pasta