Sharon Lawrence

Sharon Elizabeth Lawrence was born on June 29, 1961, in Charlotte, North Carolina. She spent her upbringing in both Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina, and pursued higher education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism in 1983. Her early career saw her involved in summer stock musicals, and she became an Actors Equity Member in 1984, followed by a SAG-AFTRA member in 1987. Lawrence began her acting career on Broadway, appearing in a 1987 revival of “Cabaret” and later in “Fiddler on the Roof” in 1990.

Lawrence rose to prominence with her portrayal of ADA Sylvia Costas Sipowicz in the ABC drama series “NYPD Blue” from 1993 to 1999. This role earned her multiple Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in 1995. Following her success on “NYPD Blue,” she starred in the sitcoms “Fired Up” (1997–1998) and “Ladies Man” (1999–2001). Her television credits also include recurring roles in “Desperate Housewives,” “Drop Dead Diva,” “Rizzoli & Isles,” “Shameless,” “The Ranch,” “Queen Sugar,” and “Dynasty.” Her recent work includes “Joe Pickett” (2021–2023), “The Christmas House 2: Deck Those Halls” (2021), and “Rebel” (2021).

Beyond her television career, Lawrence has an accomplished stage presence, starring as Velma Kelly in the Broadway revival of “Chicago.” She also starred in Noel Coward’s “A Song at Twilight” at the Pasadena Playhouse and as Vivien Leigh in “Orson’s Shadow,” for which she received an LA Drama Critics Circle Award. Her film work includes “Gossip” (2000) and “Solace” (2015) alongside Sir Anthony Hopkins. An advocate, Lawrence is affiliated with the Board of Directors of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, WeForShe.org, and HealTheBay.org, and previously chaired the Women In Film Foundation, where she developed partnerships with entities like Netflix and the Scholl Foundation.