Keesha Sharp

Keesha Ulricka Sharp (née Fleth; born June 9, 1973) is an American actress and television director. She played Monica Charles Brooks in the UPN/The CW comedy series, Girlfriends (2002–08), for which she received a nomination for NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.

Sharp has also appeared in films include American Adobo (2002), Why Did I Get Married? (2007), and from 2010 to 2013 co-starred in the TBS sitcom, Are We There Yet?. In 2016, she played Dale Cochran, the wife of Johnnie Cochran, in the FX anthology drama series, The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story. From 2016 to 2019, Sharp starred as Trish Murtaugh in the Fox police comedy-drama series, Lethal Weapon, for which she received NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series nomination.

Life and career Sharp was born in Rochester, New York. After graduating cum laude from The Boston Conservatory, Sharp set her sights on the stage. She performed in the Broadway National Tour of Carousel, debuted Off-Broadway in Michael Bradford's Living in the Wind and played eight different roles in the interactive comedy Eat the Runt. Other theatre performances include Abyssinia, Aida, Thunder Knockin, Jitney, The Producers, Big Street, Suburb and Joe Turner's Come and Gone. On television, she guest starred on Welcome to New York, Third Watch, and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, before moving to Los Angeles.

In 2002, Sharp was cast on the CW comedy series Girlfriends, which she played William Dent's (Reggie Hayes) girlfriend, and later wife, Monica. Her role garnered a nomination for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. The series ended in 2008. From 2005 to 2006, she also had the recurring role on Everybody Hates Chris as Sheila Ridenhour. Sharp also had roles in films Malibu's Most Wanted, Leprechaun: Back 2 tha Hood, Never Die Alone and Why Did I Get Married?.

After Girlfriends, Sharp had guest starring roles on The Game, Cold Case, Melissa & Joey, Elementary and The Exes. From 2010 to 2013, she was a regular cast member on the TBS sitcom, Are We There Yet?. In 2015, Sharp was cast as Dale Cochran, the wife of Johnnie Cochran (played by Courtney B. Vance), in the FX anthology drama series, American Crime Story. In 2016, she was cast in a series regular role opposite Damon Wayans Sr. in the Fox series Lethal Weapon playing Trish Murtaugh (played by Darlene Love in the Lethal Weapon film series). Golden Brooks, her Girlfriends co-star, originally was cast in the role, but was replaced by Sharp during filming of pilot episode. Later that year, she was cast as Thurgood Marshall's wife in the biographical film Marshall starring Chadwick Boseman.

In 2018, Sharp secured the rights to John Williams’ 2013 biography America’s Mistress: The Life and Times of Eartha Kitt. She was slated to star as Kitt and to produce the film alongside her husband, Brad Sharp.

In 2019, Sharp was cast in the final season of the Fox musical drama series Empire.

In 2022, Sharp joined the third season of Power Book II: Ghost as a series regular.

Personal life Sharp married actor and singer-songwriter Brad Sharp on August 1, 1997. The couple have been together since high school and have a son named Solomon.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 2001 Pootie Tang Monique American Adobo Debbie 2003 Malibu's Most Wanted Sister #1 Leprechaun: Back 2 tha Hood Chanel Video 2004 Never Die Alone Edna 2005 What If in This Life Rape Victim Short 2007 Why Did I Get Married? Pam 2008 Shattered! Angela 2014 The 636 Hope Rigby Short 2015 Sayeneshin Wife Short Christian Robyn Short 2016 Killer Coach Gina Morgan TV movie 2017 Fixed Daisy Born Guilty Leslie You Have a Nice Flight Kristen MarshallVivian Burey 2020 A Christmas Surprise Demetria TV movie 2021 Do Better Wisdom (voice) Short 2022 Dark My Light Emily Green Lantern: Beware My Power Vixen / Mari McCabe (voice) Direct-to-Video Titanic 666 Captain Celeste Rhoades 2023 Spring Breakthrough Monica Rollins TV movie2024Justice League: Crisis on Infinite EarthsVixen / Mari McCabe (voice)Direct-to-Video

Television

Year Title Role Notes 2000 Welcome to New York Lauren Episode: "The Crier" 2001 Third Watch Grace Episode: "Walking Wounded" Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Charlene Episode: "Pique" 2002–2008 Girlfriends Monica Charles Brooks Recurring Cast: Season 3-6, Main Cast: Season 7-8 2004 The Tracy Morgan Show Lindy Berry Recurring Cast: Season 1 Still Standing Lexi Episode: "Still Flirting" 2005–2006 Everybody Hates Chris Sheila Ridenhour Recurring Cast: Season 1 2009 America's Got Talent Herself Episode: "Episode #4.25" The Game Keesha James Episode: "Hill Street Blues" 2010 Cold Case Chantel Jones Episode: "Bombers" Detroit 1-8-7 Keri Rader Episode: "Royal Bubbles/Needle Drop" 2010–2013 Are We There Yet? Gigi Main Cast 2013 Melissa & Joey Maggie Episode: "Teach Your Children" Elementary Mistress Felicia Episode: "Poison Pen" Instant Mom Lynn Lawson Episode: "Dances with She-Wolves" 2014 Bad Teacher Denise Recurring Cast The Exes Dee Dee Episode: "Catch It 'Cause You Can" 2015 The Player Maya Recurring Cast 2016 American Crime Story Sylvia Dale Cochran Recurring Cast 2016–2019 Lethal Weapon Trish Murtaugh Main Cast 2018 Hell's Kitchen Herself/Restaurant Patron Episode: "Trying to Pasta Test" 2018–2019 The Good Fight Naomi Nivola Guest: Season 2, Recurring Cast: Season 3 2019–2020 Empire Dr. Paula Wick Recurring Cast: Season 6 2022 Inside the Black Box Herself Episode: "Condola Rashad, Keesha Sharp and Jeff Byrd Visit the Black Box" 2023 Power Book II: Ghost Professor Harper Bonet Main Cast: Season 3

Directing Year Title Notes 2012 Are We There Yet? Episode: "The Concussion Episode" 2014 Half-Off Director and writer 2018 Lethal Weapon Episode: "Panama" 2021 Black Lightning Episode: "The Book of Ruin: Chapter Four: Lyding" 2021 The Last O.G. 2 episodes 2021 Our Kind of People Episode: "Sistervention..." 2022 Charmed Episode: "The Tallyman Cometh" 2022 All American: Homecoming Episode: "Free Your Mind" 2023 Bel-Air 3 episodes 2023–2024 Found 2 episodes 2025 Chicago P.D. Episode: "Name Image Likeness"

Awards and nominations Year Awards Category Recipient Outcome 2008 NAACP Image Awards NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series "Girlfriends" 2017 Black Reel Awards Black Reel Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress, TV Movie or Limited Series "American Crime Story" NAACP Image Awards NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture "Lethal Weapon" 2018 NAACP Image Awards NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture "Marshall"