← Black Hollywood Talent Talk Careers and the Politics of the Hollywood

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By Janell Hazelwood | Published February 29, 2012 | Full size is 620 × 480 pixels

POWER: Whether it's showcasing her musical abilities in Rent, starring on television shows including Boston Public or playing lead roles in the hit films Dream Girls and Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married franchise, Sharon Leal has been able sustain a consistent and credible career. Her latest endeavor: an role alongside Blair Underwood in T.D. Jakes' Women Thou Art Loosed: On the 7th Day. PASSION: “I think people are always searching for what they want to do. One thing I knew I wanted to do was something in the entertainment industry." PATH: Though Leal was a very shy teen, she attended performing arts junior high and high schools, honing her skills. She did some community theater and auditioned for a New York production of Miss Saigon, which led to an agent, move to the city and the catapulting of her mainstream career.

POWER: Whether it’s showcasing her musical abilities in Rent, starring on television shows including Boston…