Lesley Sharp

She was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her part in the film The Full Monty (1997), and for the British Academy Television Award for Best Actress in 2002 for her role in Bob & Rose (2001).

• Name — Lesley Sharp • Birth Name — Karen Makinson • Birthplace — Manchester, England • Occupation — Actress • Years Active — 1983–present • Children — 2

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.

Film • Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1987 — Rita, Sue and Bob Too — Michelle • The Love Child — Bernadette • 1989 — The Rachel Papers — Jenny • 1991 — Close My Eyes — Jessica • 1993 — Naked — Louise • 1994 — Syrup — Miss James — Short • Priest — Mrs. Unsworth • 1997 — The Full Monty — Jean • 2001 — From Hell — Kate Eddowes • 2002 — Spyhole — Angela Miller — Short • 2003 — Cheeky — Kath • 2004 — Vera Drake — Jessica Barnes • 2008 — Inkheart — Mortola • 2009 — In Passing — Fay Travers — Short • 2012 — Peekaboo — Emily — Short • 2015 — The Holocaust: A Story of Remembrance — Narrator — Short • 2016 — Dusty and Me — Lil • 2017 — All That You Love Will Be Carried Away — Alice — Short • 2018 — Spoon Fed — Ellie — Short • 2019 — Brighton — Doreen • 2022 — Catherine Called Birdy — Morwenna • 2025 — Pillion — Peggy Television • Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1983 — Tartuffe, or the Impostor — Mariane — TV film • 1987 — ScreenPlay — Valerie — "Road" • 1989 — Marion Parkin — "Night Voice" • Woman — "Wedded" • 1991 — Josie — 1 episode • Performance — Dull Gret / Angie — "Top Girls" • 1992 — She-Play — "First Night" • 1993 — Nights — Carol • 1993–94 — Frank Stubbs Promotes — Petra Dillon — Main (13 episodes) • 1994 — The All New Alexei Sayle Show — Various — 2 episodes • Stages — Susan — "Speaking in Tongues" • Dandelion Dead — Constance 'Connie' Martin, née Davies — Mini-series • 1995 — Prime Suspect — Anne Sutherland — "The Lost Child" • The Peter Principle — Susan Harvey — "Pilot" • 1996 — The Moonstone — Rosanna Spearman — TV film • 1997 — Common As Muck — Christine Stranks — Main (6 episodes) • Lloyds Bank Channel 4 Film Challenge — Pet Warmley — "Nurse Ajax" • 1998–2000 — Playing the Field — Theresa Mullen — Main (20 episodes) • 1999 — Great Expectations — Mrs. Joe — TV film • Daylight Robbery — Carol Murphy — Main (4 episodes) • 2000 — Nature Boy — Martha — Mini-series • 2000–01 — Clocking Off — Trudy Graham — Main (11 episodes) • 2001 — Bob & Rose — Rose Cooper — Main (6 episodes) • 2003 — The Second Coming — Judith Roach — Mini-series • Carla — Helen North — TV film • 2004 — Carrie's War — Louisa Evans • 2005 — Planespotting — Lesley Coppin • Born with Two Mothers — Laura Mayfield • Days of Darkness — Jerri Nielsen • 2005–06 — Afterlife — Alison Mundy — Main (14 episodes) • 2005 — Our Hidden Lives — Edie Rutherford — TV film • 2006 — The True Voice of Murder • The True Voice of Prostitution • 2008 — Doctor Who — Sky Silvestry — "Midnight" • The Children — Anne — Mini-series (3 episodes) • 2009 — The Diary of Anne Frank — Petronella van Daan — Mini-series (5 episodes) • Red Riding — Joan Hunter — "1980" • Moving On — Sylvie — "Butterfly Effect" • Cranford — Mrs. Bell — Specials • Poirot — Miss Martindale — "The Clocks" • 2010 — Whistle and I'll Come to You — Hetty — TV film • 2011 — Leah's Story — Narrator — Documentary • The Shadow Line — Julie Bede — Mini-series (6 episodes) • 2011–16 — Scott & Bailey — DC Janet Scott — Main (33 episodes) • 2011 — The Walton Sextuplets: Moving On — Narrator — TV film • Shirley — Eliza Bassey — TV film • 2012 — Protecting Our Children — Narrator — Mini-series (3 episodes) • 2012–13 — Starlings — Jan — Main (16 episodes) • 2012 — Corfu: a Tale of Two Islands — Narrator — Documentary • 2013 — Homeboys — Eileen — TV film • Who Do You Think You Are? — Herself — 1 episode (S10E4) • 2014 — Shirley — Charlotte Brontë • 2015 — Capital — Mary — Mini-series (3 episodes) • Tom Daley: Diving for Gold — Narrator — Documentary • 2016 — Paranoid — Lucy Cannonbury — Main (8 episodes) • 2017 — Three Girls — DC Margaret Oliver — Mini-series (3 episodes) • 2017–19 — Living the Dream — Jen Pemberton — Main (12 episodes) • 2021 — Fate: The Winx Saga — Rosalind — 3 episodes • 2021– — Before We Die — Hannah Laing — Main • 2021 — Help — Gaynor — TV film • Heaven Made — Narrator — Documentary • 2023 — The Full Monty — Jean — Mini-series • 2024 - — Red Eye — DG Madeline Delaney — Drama • 2026 — Bergerac — Monica — Upcoming

In October 2005, Sharp starred in her first theatre role for a decade in the play The God of Hell at the Donmar Warehouse, London. In 2008, she played the lead character in the play Harper Regan at Royal National Theatre. In 2014, she played the character Helen in the play A Taste of Honey at Royal National Theatre.