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Biography
Few actors possess the depth and passion for a long-running drama, the range and timing to land their own comedy series, the verve to star in high-profile theatre productions, and the vision to produce their own films.
But few actors are Sharon Lawrence.
After just seven years in Hollywood, Ms. Lawrence has accomplished what many actors only dream about. Starring in the new Chris Thompson Executive-Produced and created CBS comedy, Ladies Man, she plays opposite Alfred Molina as his spouse, Donna Stiles, a complex wife, mom step mom and daughter-in-law. As a member of one of the most seasoned casts on primetime television, Sharon gives a performance in Ladies Man that requires many disciplines acquired during a career that has spanned every genre from musical comedy to serious drama.
She garnered a Screen Actor's Guild Award and three Emmy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Sylvia Costas Sipowicz on the multiple Emmy Award-winning drama series, NYPD Blue on ABC. Sharon first starred in the series in 1993 as a compassionate and headstrong District Attorney who falls in love with, and marries, Detective Andy Sipowicz (Dennis Franz).
Her comedic guest turn as a high-strung, chain-smoking headhunter on the NBC hit comedy Caroline in the City in the 1995-96 season was so well received that it generated an all-network bidding war, which resulted in an overall NBC deal for Sharon. This resulted in her starring role in the NBC sitcom Fired Up and made her one of the few actresses in 1997 to be featured on two prime-time series - one drama, and one comedy - on competing networks.
Sharon also starred with Diane Keaton, Sam Shepard and Diane Lane in the feature film, The Only Thrill, a heartfelt drama about a love affair that spans three decades.
In 1997, Ms. Lawrence produced her first television film for NBC, Five Desperate Hours, in which she also starred opposite Giancarlo Esposito. The telefilm, based on actual events, featured Sharon as a woman who ultimately saves the life of the man holding her hostage. Her additional credits include the television films, A Face on the Milk Carton opposite Jill Clayburgh (CBS), Degree of Guilt with David James Elliot (NBC), A Friend's Betrayal with Brian Austin Green (NBC), The Uninvited with Beau Bridges (CBS), and Blue Moon with Richard Kiley and Kim Hunter, which aired on CBS in spring of 1999. In November 1999, Sharon was seen in the Hallmark Entertainment-produced Aftershock: Earthquake in New York for CBS co-starring Tom Skerritt, Cicely Tyson and Lisa Nicole Carson.
Born and raised in Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina, Sharon began her career as a singer and dancer. After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, she moved to New York City to pursue a career in musical theater. She appeared on stage in the record-breaking revivals of Zorba with Anthony Quinn, Cabaret with Joel Grey and Fiddler on the Roof with Chaim Topol.
An early indication of Sharon's slapstick abilities - later seen in a famous episode of Fired Up where she first tangoed and then wrestled with an electric floor polisher - came during the run of Cabaret. During one matinee, Sharon literally danced off the lip of the stage into the audience, exited up the aisle, ran around the theatre, and danced back onstage from the wings without missing a beat!
Sharon recently returned to the stage to star with Tony Award-winning actress Cherry Jones at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles in Tongue of a Bird by Ellen McLaughlin, which moved to New York and enjoyed a limited sold-out run at the Joseph Papp Public Theater in April 1999. Other theater credits include Fire in the Rain (Mark Taper Forum), The Seagull and The Homecoming (L.A. Theatre Critics Award, Best Actress), Both at the Matrix Theater Company.
Ms. Lawrence devotes much of her time to non-profit work including performing at many charity benefits including the always-anticipated "Night at Sardi's" fundraiser for the Alzheimer's Association, speaking to groups as a member of "Women in Film," working with Big Sisters and serving on the board of directors for the Special Olympics. This past summer, Sharon was one of the hosts of the Special Olympics' World Games in her hometown of Raleigh, North Carolina.
An enthusiastic driver of racecars and always-entertaining guest on talkshows ranging from Rosie O'Donnell to Politically Incorrect, Sharon leads a full life of adventure and excitement. Witness her two African safaris, an ABC special, Touched by a Dolphin for which she had to learn to scuba dive, and the demonstration of her rock-climbing skills in Aftershock: Earthquake in New York. She makes time to keep in shape with daily yoga classes, stationary bicycle aerobics (spinning) and Pilate's instruction.
Sharon embraces life with the gusto of a young girl who grew up in the south, won the title of Raleigh's Junior Miss as a teen and yearned to broaden her horizons. Forever curious, easily moved and frequently surprised by life's pleasant turns, Sharon Lawrence has the kind of passion that will sustain her career for years to come.
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