Monty

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Lore & Background

Sharp was born as Karen Makinson in Manchester, England, to Elsie Makinson and Norman Patient, a married tram driver. The two were carrying on an extramarital affair. She was adopted at six weeks old by Roberta and William Henry John Sharp, a tax inspector. Sharp grew up in Merseyside. Sharp has stated that she started acting because, as a child, she felt 'invisible' and did not 'quite fit in'. She has said that her inspiration to act came from watching Dick Emery on television. Sharp attended the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in the class of 1982. Sharp's screen debut was in Alan Clarke's *Rita, Sue and Bob Too* (1987), playing Bob's wife, Michelle. Further film appearances included supporting roles in *The Rachel Papers* (1989), and Stephen Poliakoff's *Close My Eyes*, with Clive Owen and Alan Rickman. Sharp starred in Mike Leigh's *Naked* (1993), and the Jimmy McGovern-penned *Priest* (1994). She made appearances in *Prime Suspect 4: The Lost Child* (1995), and *The Full Monty* (1997). She had leading roles in *Common As Muck* (1997), followed by *Playing the Field* (1998–2002), a drama about a female football team which ran for five series. Sharp had supporting parts in *Great Expectations* (1999), as Mrs Joe, and in *Nature Boy* (2000), as Martha Tyler, before landing the role of Trudy Graham in Paul Abbott's BAFTA-award-winning *Clocking Off* (2000–2003). Russell T. Davies then cast her opposite Alan Davies in *Bob & Rose*, which resulted in a British Academy Television Award for Best Actress nomination in 2002. Further film roles in *From Hell*, starring Johnny Depp, and *Cheeky* (1993), which was directed by *Naked* co-star David Thewlis, preceded another television drama written by Russell T. Davies. She starred in *The Second Coming* (2003). Sharp again worked with Mike Leigh in *Vera Drake* (2004), which was followed by the television drama *Planespotting*. The same year, she played the clairvoyant lead role of Alison Mundy opposite Andrew Lincoln's sceptical Robert Bridge in ITV's supernatural drama series *Afterlife*. After a ten-year break from stagework, in October 2005 Sharp returned to the theatre as Emma in Sam Shepard's *The God of Hell* at the Donmar Warehouse. In 2008, she starred in the three-part Lucy Gannon-penned drama *The Children*. Later in 2008, she worked with Russell T. Davies for a third time when she played Sky Silvestry in the *Doctor Who* episode 'Midnight'. Davies later tipped Sharp to become the first woman to play the Doctor. In early 2009 Sharp played Petronella van Daan in the BBC's new version of *The Diary of Anne Frank*. She subsequently played Paddy Considine's wife in Channel 4's acclaimed drama series *Red Riding*. Sharp starred in a 2009 revival of *The Rise and Fall of Little Voice* at the Vaudeville Theatre with Marc Warren and Diana Vickers, which ran from October to the following January. Between 2011 and 2016, Sharp co-starred with Suranne Jones, playing Janet Scott for the five series comprising ITV1's crime drama series *Scott & Bailey*. In May 2012 she starred in the Sky1 comedy series *Starlings* as Jan Starling. In 2015, Sharp played the part of Mary, the daughter of Petunia Howe, in the three-part BBC series *Capital* based on John Lanchester's novel of the same name. She appeared in several episodes of the 2021 Netflix original *Fate: The Winx Saga* as Rosalind but was replaced in this role with Miranda Richardson after the first season. In 2021 she took the lead role in Kae Tempest's *Philoctetes* at the National Theatre. In 2022 she narrated the police documentary *This Cop Life*. Sharp married Nicholas Gleaves in 1994, and they have two children.

In Their Own Story

Sharp's screen debut was in Alan Clarke's *Rita, Sue and Bob Too* (1987), playing Bob's wife, Michelle. She later starred in Mike Leigh's *Naked* (1993) and the Jimmy McGovern-penned *Priest* (1994). She made appearances in *Prime Suspect 4: The Lost Child* (1995) and *The Full Monty* (1997), for which she was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. She had leading roles in *Common As Muck* (1997) and *Playing the Field* (1998–2002), a drama about a female football team which ran for five series. She landed the role of Trudy Graham in Paul Abbott's BAFTA-award-winning *Clocking Off* (2000–2003). Russell T. Davies cast her opposite Alan Davies in *Bob & Rose*, which resulted in a British Academy Television Award for Best Actress nomination in 2002. Between 2011 and 2016, Sharp co-starred with Suranne Jones, playing Janet Scott for the five series comprising ITV1's crime drama series *Scott & Bailey*.

Reader's Guide

Sharp's career spans film, television, and theatre. Key film roles include *Rita, Sue and Bob Too* (1987), *Naked* (1993), *Priest* (1994), *The Full Monty* (1997), *From Hell* (2001), and *Vera Drake* (2004). Notable television work includes *Prime Suspect 4: The Lost Child* (1995), *Clocking Off* (2000–2003), *Bob & Rose* (2001), *Afterlife* (2005–2006), *Scott & Bailey* (2011–2016), and *The Full Monty* (2023). She also appeared in the *Doctor Who* episode 'Midnight' (2008) as Sky Silvestry. In theatre, she returned after a ten-year break in October 2005 as Emma in Sam Shepard's *The God of Hell* at the Donmar Warehouse. In 2008, she played the lead in *Harper Regan* at Royal National Theatre, and in 2014, she played Helen in *A Taste of Honey* at Royal National Theatre. Sharp was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for *The Full Monty* (1997) and for the British Academy Television Award for Best Actress for *Bob & Rose* (2001).

Did You Know?

• Lesley Sharp was born as Karen Makinson in Manchester, England, and was adopted at six weeks old by Roberta and William Henry John Sharp.
• Sharp started acting because as a child she felt 'invisible' and did not 'quite fit in', and her inspiration came from watching Dick Emery on television.
• She was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her part in *The Full Monty* (1997).
• Russell T. Davies cast Sharp in three projects: *Bob & Rose*, *The Second Coming*, and the *Doctor Who* episode 'Midnight'.
• Sharp married Nicholas Gleaves in 1994, and they have two children.