Lesley Sharp

Lesley Sharp, born Karen Makinson on 3 April 1960, is an accomplished English actress whose career in acting has been particularly diverse and long-lasting. Her early acting career took off with Alan Clarke's 'Rita, Sue and Bob Too' in 1986, where she played Bob's wife, Michelle. Over the years she displayed her dynamic acting skills in a variety of genres from comedy-dramas to supernatural dramas, and has worked with distinguished directors like Mike Leigh and Alan Clarke. Some of her significant roles include appearances in The Rachel Papers (1989), Naked (1993), and Priest (1994). She also had a standout performance in the BAFTA-winning Clocking Off (2000–2003) and in Bob & Rose, earning a nomination for a British Academy Television Award for Best Actress in 2002. In addition, her role in The Full Monty (1997) got her a nomination for the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. In 2004, she starred in Vera Drake and later immersed in the supernatural drama series, Afterlife, where she played the clairvoyant lead role of Alison Mundy. In recent years, she has taken roles in Scott & Bailey (2011-2016), This Cop Life (2022), and The Full Monty (TV series) (2023). Throughout her distinguished career, she has shown a consistent ability to bring authenticity and depth to her roles, making her one of the stalwarts of the British acting industry. In her personal life, she had a humble beginning, being adopted at six weeks old and growing up in Merseyside. She connected to acting as a means to deal with her feelings of invisibility and has proudly crafted a flourishing career out of it.