Sharon Leal

Sharon Ann Leal (born October 17, 1972)  is an  American actress and singer. She is known for her roles in movies such as  Dreamgirls,  Why Did I Get Married?,  Why Did I Get Married Too? and her roles on the television shows  Legacy,  Guiding Light,  Boston Public, and  Hellcats.

Personal life
Leal was born in Tucson, Arizona. Her mother, Angelita, is Filipino. 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. 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.

In October 2001 she married Bev Land. Their son Kai Miles Land was born in September 2001.

As of March 2012, Leal is dating Canadian actor Paul Becker.

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.