SHARON LEAL

Sharon Ann Leal (born October 17, 1972, in Tucson, Arizona) is an American actress and singer of Filipino and African-American descent. A military brat, she moved with her family to the Philippines until age six before settling in Fresno, California, where she attended Roosevelt High School of the Arts. She won a vocal scholarship at the 1993 Santa Cruz Jazz Festival, which led her to study with Seth Riggs (Michael Jackson's voice coach). She made her television debut on the CBS soap opera Guiding Light (1996–1999) as Dahlia Crede, and later joined the Broadway company of Rent, going on to play Mimi in the first national tour.