Soul Men

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Actor

Sharon Leal

Bio

A strikingly beautiful and multi-talented performer, SHARON LEAL (Cleo Whitfield) is truly taking Hollywood by storm. Named one of 2007’s “Breakout Starsâ€� by Entertainment Weekly, she soared into the stratosphere as the star of two highly successful ensemble films late last year. Sharon starred opposite Tyler Perry and Janet Jackson in the #1 box office hit, “Why Did I Get Married?â€� and shortly thereafter, in the holiday feature “This Christmas,â€� alongside Regina King and Mekhi Phifer. Leal received international attention in the Golden Globe Award-winning blockbuster film, “Dreamgirls,â€� starring opposite Beyonce Knowles and Jamie Foxx. She portrayed Michelle Morris, the singer that replaced Effie White (played by Academy Award winner Jennifer Hudson) in the female trio, The Dreams. In this project, she showcased her remarkable vocal skills and was heard on the popular “Dreamgirlsâ€� movie soundtrack. Born in Tucson, Arizona and raised in Fresno, California, Leal began singing at an early age and eventually discovered her passion for acting while attending performing arts high school. Her professional career began on stage in regional productions of “Ain’t Misbehavin’,â€� “Into the Woodsâ€� and “Little Shop of Horrors.â€� Soon thereafter, she moved to New York and landed major roles on Broadway in “Miss Saigonâ€� and “Rent.â€� She starred in the original musical “Bright Lights Big Cityâ€� at the New York Theater Workshop, and was also featured on the production’s soundtrack. While in New York, she staged cabarets and continued to hone her skills when she workshopped an original production at the Manhattan Theatre Club, “Stormy Weather,â€� in which she starred as the legendary Lena Horne. From the New York stage, Leal easily made the transition into television and film. Her TV work includes four seasons as a series regular on David E. Kelley’s hit Fox series, “Boston Public.â€� Guest-starring roles include episodes of “Las Vegas,â€� “LAXâ€� and “CSI: Miami.â€� Film roles include the independent features “Face the Musicâ€� and “Motives 2,â€� and the short film, “What Are the Odds,â€� for which she won the Best Supporting Actress Award at the New York Independent Film Festival. This year, Leal is the leading lady in the highly anticipated feature film, “Linewatch,â€� starring opposite Academy Award winner Cuba Gooding, Jr. Leal resides in Los Angeles with her husband Bev and young son, Kai. She continues to pursue her singing career as a recording artist and is working on her debut CD.

Appearing as:

Cleo Whitfield