Sharon Gless
Biography
Sharon Gless is an American actress whose career has centered on television. Born in Los Angeles, she studied drama with Estelle Harman and after working as a secretary signed a seven-year contract with Universal Studios in 1972. She appeared in many television series and TV movies early on, including Revenge of the Stepford Wives (1980), then had the recurring role of Kathleen Faverty on Marcus Welby, M.D. and played Maggie Philbin on Switch. Taking over Detective Christine Cagney on Cagney & Lacey, which ran from 1982 to 1988, brought her an Emmy in 1986 and 1987 and a Golden Globe in 1986. She won a second Golden Globe in 1991 for The Trials of Rosie O'Neill, played Debbie Novotny on Queer as Folk from 2000 to 2005, and co-starred as Madeline Westen on Burn Notice from 2007 to 2013. Her stage work includes a 1992 West End production of Misery, and she starred in the independent film Hannah Free.
83years old
Turns 84 on May 31in 242 days
- Born Los Angeles
- Star sign: GeminiThe sign runs May 21 to June 20
- Sharon Marguerite Gless (birth name)
Movie Career
- Films
- 7
- Career span
- 51 years1972 to 2023
Genres
- Crime43%, 3 films
- Drama43%, 3 films
- Thriller43%, 3 films
- Documentary29%, 2 films
- Mystery29%, 2 films
First and latest
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A first
Gless was the last actress identified in the media as a contract player under the old Hollywood apprentice system at Universal Studios, which ended all contracts in 1981.
A role that slipped away
Gless took over as NYPD detective Christine Cagney on Cagney & Lacey starting with the seventh episode, replacing Meg Foster. The part had been created with Gless in mind, but she was unavailable for the pilot and the first seven installments.
Beyond film
Gless made her first London West End appearance in the fall of 1992, playing Annie Wilkes in the stage adaptation of Stephen King's Misery at the Criterion Theatre alongside Bill Paterson.
Sharon Gless movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Worked with
Sharon Gless shares two films with Tyne Daly, and one with each of the others. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Tyne Daly's page
Ed Harris's page
Pierce Brosnan's page
James Caan's page
Ryan Reynolds's page
Hal Holbrook's page
Phillip NoyceDirector, 1 film, 2023
All films by Phillip Noyce
All films by Peter Hyams
Jacob KornbluthDirector, 1 film, 2013
All films by Jacob Kornbluth
Awards
Three awards and honors from 1986 to 1987, two of them major.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emmy Awards | |||
| 1987 | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series | Cagney & Lacey | Won |
| 1986 | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series | Cagney & Lacey | Won |
| Other honors | |||
| Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame | Honored | ||
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.