Born:
April 03, 1960
in
Liverpool
Best Known For:
Scott & Bailey
Early-life:
Lesley was born in Manchester on April 3, 1960, but raised in Liverpool by her adoptive Scottish parents. She got to know her birth mother in later years, and pieced together her biological father's background while appearing on Who Do You Think You Are? One of her earliest memories involves the many summers she spent in Edinburgh - where it rained. Lesley claims to have watched a lot of TV as a child, but when she announced her intention of becoming an actress, her father wasn't pleased. She spent a year as a civil servant before landing a place at drama school.
Career:
Sharp has rarely been out of work since the mid-1980s, but chooses her projects carefully, preferring to select top quality productions rather than jobs for the money. Her first movie was 1986's Rita, Sue and Bob Too. Roles in Road, The Rachel Papers and Close My Eyes followed. Frank Stubbs Promotes was a TV hit in 1993, the same year she worked on Naked, with Mike Leigh, with whom she re-teamed for Vera Drake. Her work in Playing the Field, Clocking Off and Bob and Rose made her one of the small screen's most sought-after actresses. Sharp has also worked extensively in the theatre, but is perhaps best known for playing DC Janet Scott in Scott & Bailey.
Quote:
"I don't believe in ghosts or anything like that, and I'm not religious, but I hate the idea that all this ends."
Trivia:
Her husband Nicholas Gleaves plays the role of DS Andy Roper in Scott and Bailey.