Sharon Leal
Sharon Ann Leal (born October 17, 1972) is an American-Filipina actress and singer. She is known for her roles in movies such as "Dreamgirls", "This Christmas", "Why Did I Get Married?", "Why Did I Get Married Too?" and her roles on the television shows "Legacy", "Guiding Light", and "Boston Public". Early life. Leal was born in Tucson, Arizona. Her mother, Angelita, is Filipina. Her father was an African-American military policeman who broke up with her mother before Sharon was born. Shortly after, her mother married Jesse Leal, a Master Sergeant in the United States Air Force  and a police officer at Clark Air Base, Philippines; he legally adopted Sharon. Career. Leal's career began with the role of Dahlia Crede in the CBS daytime serial "Guiding Light". Later, she joined the Broadway company of "Rent". Soon after, she was cast as Mimi for the San Francisco leg of the first national tour of "Rent". Leal also appeared on the 1999 original cast recording of the Off-Broadway musical "Bright Lights, Big City" alongside Patrick Wilson and Jesse L. Martin. She also appeared on the 2001 cast recording of "Making Tracks". From 2000 to 2004, Leal starred  in the Fox prime time TV series "Boston Public". Leal also had a role in the theatrical release "Face the Music". She also appeared in a recurring role in the short-lived NBC series "LAX", as the wife of airport co-director, Roger de Souza. She also co-starred in the film adaptation of the Broadway musical "Dreamgirls" as Michelle Morris, Effie White's replacement in the pop group The Dreams, with Beyoncé Knowles, Jennifer Hudson, Eddie Murphy and Jamie Foxx. In 2007 Leal also starred in "This Christmas" and in the Tyler Perry production "Why Did I Get Married ?". She played the character Vanessa Lodge in the series "Hellcats", until it was cancelled in 2011. Leal played the supporting role in the movie 1982. A story of a drug addicted mother and a father's fight to protect his daughter. Leal appears in seasons 2, 3, 5 and 6 of "Supergirl" as M'gann M'orzz (Megan in human form). Personal life. In October 2001, Leal married Bev Land. Their son Kai Miles Land was born in September 2001. The couple divorced in 2009. In 2009, Leal posed nude for the May issue of Allure magazine - alongside Padma Lakshmi, Lynn Collins , Chelsea Handler, and Eliza Dushku. Former "Guiding Light" co-star Yvonna Wright has said that she and Leal are close friends; the two starred together in a community production of "Dreamgirls" in their hometown.