# Keesha Sharp

Keesha Ulricka Sharp (née Fleth; born June 9, 1973) is an American actress and television director. She played Monica Charles Brooks in the UPN/The CW comedy series, Girlfriends (2002–08), for which she received a nomination for NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.
Sharp has also appeared in films include American Adobo (2002), Why Did I Get Married? (2007), and from 2010 to 2013 co-starred in the TBS sitcom, Are We There Yet?. In 2016, she played Dale Cochran, the wife of Johnnie Cochran, in the FX anthology drama series, The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story. From 2016 to 2019, Sharp starred as Trish Murtaugh in the Fox police comedy-drama series, Lethal Weapon, for which she received NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series nomination.

## Life and career

Sharp was born in Rochester, New York. After graduating cum laude from The Boston Conservatory, Sharp set her sights on the stage. She performed in the Broadway National Tour of Carousel, debuted Off-Broadway in Michael Bradford's Living in the Wind and played eight different roles in the interactive comedy Eat the Runt. Other theatre performances include Abyssinia, Aida, Thunder Knockin, Jitney, The Producers, Big Street, Suburb and Joe Turner's Come and Gone. On television, she guest starred on Welcome to New York, Third Watch, and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, before moving to Los Angeles.
In 2002, Sharp was cast on the CW comedy series Girlfriends, which she played William Dent's (Reggie Hayes) girlfriend, and later wife, Monica. Her role garnered a nomination for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. The series ended in 2008. From 2005 to 2006, she also had the recurring role on Everybody Hates Chris as Sheila Ridenhour. Sharp also had roles in films Malibu's Most Wanted, Leprechaun: Back 2 tha Hood, Never Die Alone and Why Did I Get Married?.
After Girlfriends, Sharp had guest starring roles on The Game, Cold Case, Melissa & Joey, Elementary and The Exes. From 2010 to 2013, she was a regular cast member on the TBS sitcom, Are We There Yet?. In 2015, Sharp was cast as Dale Cochran, the wife of Johnnie Cochran (played by Courtney B. Vance), in the FX anthology drama series, American Crime Story. In 2016, she was cast in a series regular role opposite Damon Wayans Sr. in the Fox series Lethal Weapon playing Trish Murtaugh (played by Darlene Love in the Lethal Weapon film series). Golden Brooks, her Girlfriends co-star, originally was cast in the role, but was replaced by Sharp during filming of pilot episode. Later that year, she was cast as Thurgood Marshall's wife in the biographical film Marshall starring Chadwick Boseman.
In 2018, Sharp secured the rights to John Williams’ 2013 biography America’s Mistress: The Life and Times of Eartha Kitt. She was slated to star as Kitt and to produce the film alongside her husband, Brad Sharp.
In 2019, Sharp was cast in the final season of the Fox musical drama series Empire.
In 2022, Sharp joined the third season of Power Book II: Ghost as a series regular.

## Personal life

Sharp married actor and singer-songwriter Brad Sharp on August 1, 1997. The couple have been together since high school and have a son named Solomon.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2001 | Pootie Tang | Monique | |
| 2001 | American Adobo | Debbie | |
| 2003 | Malibu's Most Wanted | Sister #1 | |
| 2003 | Leprechaun: Back 2 tha Hood | Chanel | Video |
| 2004 | Never Die Alone | Edna | |
| 2005 | What If in This Life | Rape Victim | Short |
| 2007 | Why Did I Get Married? | Pam | |
| 2008 | Shattered! | Angela | |
| 2014 | The 636 | Hope Rigby | Short |
| 2015 | Sayeneshin | Wife | Short |
| 2015 | Christian | Robyn | Short |
| 2016 | Killer Coach | Gina Morgan | TV movie |
| 2017 | Fixed | Daisy | |
| 2017 | Born Guilty | Leslie | |
| 2017 | You Have a Nice Flight | Kristen | |
| 2017 | Marshall | Vivian Burey | |
| 2020 | A Christmas Surprise | Demetria | TV movie |
| 2021 | Do Better | Wisdom (voice) | Short |
| 2022 | Dark My Light | Emily | |
| 2022 | Green Lantern: Beware My Power | Vixen / Mari McCabe (voice) | Direct-to-Video |
| 2022 | Titanic 666 | Captain Celeste Rhoades | |
| 2023 | Spring Breakthrough | Monica Rollins | TV movie |
| 2024 | Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths | Vixen / Mari McCabe (voice) | Direct-to-Video |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2000 | Welcome to New York | Lauren | Episode: "The Crier" |
| 2001 | Third Watch | Grace | Episode: "Walking Wounded" |
| 2001 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Charlene | Episode: "Pique" |
| 2002–2008 | Girlfriends | Monica Charles Brooks | Recurring Cast: Season 3-6, Main Cast: Season 7-8 |
| 2004 | The Tracy Morgan Show | Lindy Berry | Recurring Cast: Season 1 |
| 2004 | Still Standing | Lexi | Episode: "Still Flirting" |
| 2005–06 | Everybody Hates Chris | Sheila Ridenhour | Recurring Cast: Season 1 |
| 2009 | America's Got Talent | Herself | Episode: "Episode #4.25" |
| 2009 | The Game | Keesha James | Episode: "Hill Street Blues" |
| 2010 | Cold Case | Chantel Jones | Episode: "Bombers" |
| 2010 | Detroit 1-8-7 | Keri Rader | Episode: "Royal Bubbles/Needle Drop" |
| 2010–2013 | Are We There Yet? | Gigi | Main Cast |
| 2013 | Melissa & Joey | Maggie | Episode: "Teach Your Children" |
| 2013 | Elementary | Mistress Felicia | Episode: "Poison Pen" |
| 2013 | Instant Mom | Lynn Lawson | Episode: "Dances with She-Wolves" |
| 2014 | Bad Teacher | Denise | Recurring Cast |
| 2014 | The Exes | Dee Dee | Episode: "Catch It 'Cause You Can" |
| 2015 | The Player | Maya | Recurring Cast |
| 2016 | American Crime Story | Sylvia Dale Cochran | Recurring Cast |
| 2016–2019 | Lethal Weapon | Trish Murtaugh | Main Cast |
| 2018 | Hell's Kitchen | Herself/Restaurant Patron | Episode: "Trying to Pasta Test" |
| 2018–19 | The Good Fight | Naomi Nivola | Guest: Season 2, Recurring Cast: Season 3 |
| 2019–20 | Empire | Dr. Paula Wick | Recurring Cast: Season 6 |
| 2022 | Inside the Black Box | Herself | Episode: "Condola Rashad, Keesha Sharp and Jeff Byrd Visit the Black Box" |
| 2023 | Power Book II: Ghost | Professor Harper Bonet | Main Cast: Season 3 |

#### Directing

| Year | Title | Notes |
| 2012 | Are We There Yet? | Episode: "The Concussion Episode" |
| 2014 | Half-Off | Director and writer |
| 2018 | Lethal Weapon | Episode: "Panama" |
| 2021 | Black Lightning | Episode: "The Book of Ruin: Chapter Four: Lyding" |
| 2021 | The Last O.G. | Episodes: "Tray Finds His Purpose" and "If You Can't Buy, Rent" |
| 2021 | Our Kind of People | Episode: "Sistervention..." |
| 2022 | Charmed | Episode: "The Tallyman Cometh" |
| 2022 | All American: Homecoming | Episode: "Free Your Mind" |
| 2023 | Bel-Air | Episodes: "Excellence is Everywhere", "Baby, I'm Back", "Getting Personal" |
| 2023-24 | Found | Episodes: "Missing While Indoctrinated" and "Missing While Gabi Mosely" |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Awards | Category | Recipient | Outcome |
| 2008 | NAACP Image Awards | NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | "Girlfriends" | Nominated |
| 2017 | Black Reel Awards | Black Reel Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress, TV Movie or Limited Series | "American Crime Story" | Nominated |
| 2017 | NAACP Image Awards | NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture | "Lethal Weapon" | Nominated |
| 2018 | NAACP Image Awards | NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture | "Marshall" | Nominated |