Lesley Sharp

Lesley Sharp is a British actress. She became widely known for her role as Detective Constable Janet Scott in the ITV crime series Scott & Bailey (2011–2016). Her other credits include Rita, Sue and Bob Too, The Rachel Papers (1989), Naked (1993), Priest (1994), The Moonstone (1996), Great Expectations (1999), Daylight Robbery (1999), Clocking Off (2000–2001), From Hell (2001), Vera Drake (2004), Afterlife (2005–2006), This Cop Life (2022), and The Full Monty (2023).

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).

Early life and education 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. 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.

Career Sharp's screen debut was in Alan Clarke's Rita, Sue and Bob Too (1987),

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).

In early 2009 Sharp played Petronella van Daan in the BBC's new version of The Diary of Anne Frank. 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.

Personal life Sharp married Nicholas Gleaves in 1994,

Filmography +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

Theatre 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.

Awards and nominations

References and notes