Shari Headley
American actress (born 1964) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Shari Headley (born July 15, 1964)[1] is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Lisa McDowell in the 1988 box-office hit romantic comedy film Coming to America and its sequel Coming 2 America (2021). Headley also has appeared in films The Preacher's Wife (1996) and Johnson Family Vacation (2004).
Shari Headley | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 15, 1964 New York City, U.S. |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1984–present |
| Known for | Lisa McDowell – Coming to America |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
| Website | shariheadley |
On television, Headley starred as Detective Mimi Reed in the ABC daytime soap opera All My Children on a regular basis from 1991 to 1994. As lead actress, she starred in the Fox short-lived drama series 413 Hope St. (1997–1998), for which she received NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series nomination. From 2014 to 2016, Headley starred as villainous Jennifer Sallison in the Oprah Winfrey Network primetime soap opera The Haves and the Have Nots.
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Born in Queens, New York City, Headley is the youngest of four children.[2] She is of part Trinidadian descent.[3] Headley's father worked as a dental technician, and had wanted his daughter to be a doctor.[4] In college, she was a premedical student, minoring in drama and performing in school plays.[4]
In 1984, Headley's modeling career began after her sister submitted a photo of Shari to the Ford Modeling Agency, without Headley's knowledge.[5] She was a finalist in Eileen Ford's Face of the 80s campaign, and joined Ford afterwards.[5] Headley modeled for various magazines, including Glamour and Mademoiselle.[6]
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Headley made her acting debut appearing in an episode of NBC sitcom The Cosby Show in 1985.[4] Headley later appeared on Miami Vice,[4] Quantum Leap,[7] and Matlock.[1] In 1988, she portrayed Lisa McDowell, an heiress to a fast food restaurant, in romantic comedy Coming to America.[8] Eddie Murphy appears as her love interest in the film.[9] Being relatively unknown at the time, the film's director John Landis stated she was chosen in the role for that reason.[10] One reviewer opined she and Murphy "shined" together,[11] though another critic found Headley's performance "bland."[12] The film was a box-office success grossing a worldwide total of $288,752,301.[13]
The following year, Headley had a starring role alongside Louis Gossett Jr. in the short-lived ABC drama series, Gideon Oliver. In the series, she played Zina, the daughter of Gossett's character.[14] Later that year, she co-starred in the Kojak television film series.[15] In 1991, Headley joined the cast of ABC daytime soap opera, All My Children playing police officer Mimi Reed.[16] At the 25th NAACP Image Awards, she received an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series nomination, but lost to Victoria Rowell.[17] Headley received a second nomination the following year.[18] She was a regular on All My Children from 1991 to 1994, and returned to the series in 1995 and 2005.
After leaving the soap, she guest-starred on New York Undercover, Walker, Texas Ranger, and Cosby.[1] In 1996, she had a supporting role in the comedy-drama film The Preacher's Wife directed by Penny Marshall.[19] In 1997, Headley landed a leading role as Juanita Barnes in the short-lived FOX drama series, 413 Hope St. alongside Richard Roundtree.[20][21] The series was cancelled after only ten episodes,[22] but Headley received an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series nomination for her performance.[23] Headley portrayed Barbara, a woman looking for a man, in the pilot episode of Love Boat: The Next Wave.[24] She appeared as a counselor on sitcom The Wayans Bros..[25]
In the early 2000s, Headley returned to daytime television playing the recurring roles of Felicia Boudreau on Guiding Light (2001–2002)[26] and Heather Engle in The Bold and the Beautiful (2004–2005).[1] In 2004, she played Mack Johnson's (portrayed by Steve Harvey) wife Jacqueline in the comedy film, Johnson Family Vacation.[27] In 2007, she appeared in the comedy-drama film Towelhead.[28] She also had guest starring roles on Veronica Mars, House,[1] Castle, and Switched at Birth.[29]
In 2014, she joined the cast of Oprah Winfrey Network primetime soap opera, The Haves and the Have Nots created by Tyler Perry, playing District Attorney Jennifer Sallison.[30] She was promoted to series regular as of season four. In 2019, she had a recurring role in On Becoming a God in Central Florida. Headley reprised her role of Queen Lisa Joffer from Coming to America in the sequel Coming 2 America in 2021.[31]
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Headley was married to actor/entertainer Christopher Martin, better known as "Play" from the hip-hop duo Kid N' Play, from May 1993 until they divorced in June 1995.[32][33] Martin and Headley have one son together.[34]
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | The Pick-up Artist | Girl Painter with Ladder | |
| 1988 | Coming to America | Lisa McDowell | |
| 1989 | Kojak: Ariana | Trish Van Hogan | TV movie |
| 1990 | Kojak: None So Blind | Trish Van Hogan | TV movie |
| 1996 | The Preacher's Wife | Arlene Chattan | |
| 1997 | A Woman Like That | Herself | |
| 2004 | Johnson Family Vacation | Jacqueline Johnson | |
| 2007 | Towelhead | Mrs. Bradley | |
| 2008 | Belly 2: Millionaire Boyz Club | Alexis | Video |
| 2013 | Act Like You Love Me | Tianna | |
| 2014 | The Congregation | Maple | |
| 2015 | Ex-Free | Wendy | |
| 2018 | Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween | Mrs. Carter | |
| 2019 | Three's Complicated | Imani | TV movie |
| 2021 | Coming 2 America | Lisa McDowell |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | The Cosby Show | Mrs. Dubois | Episode: "Denise's Friend" |
| 1986 | Miami Vice | Cindy | Episode: "French Twist" |
| 1988 | The New Hollywood Squares | Herself | Episode: "Episode #3.6" |
| 1989 | Gideon Oliver | Zina Oliver | Main Cast |
| 1990 | Quantum Leap | Violet Walters | Episode: "Pool Hall Blues" |
| Matlock | Model Carla Royce | Episode: "The Cover Girl" | |
| 1991–96 | All My Children | Detective Mimi Reed | Regular Cast |
| 1995 | New York Undercover | Leanne | Episode: "Brotherhood" |
| 1996 | Walker, Texas Ranger | Vanessa St. John | Episode: "Behind the Badge" |
| Cosby | Victoria the Nude Model | Episode: "No Nudes Is Good Nudes" | |
| 1997 | Soul Train | Herself/Guest Host | Episode: "Mint Condition/Erykah Badu/Quad City DJ's" |
| 1997–98 | 413 Hope St. | Juanita Barnes | Main Cast |
| 1998 | Love Boat: The Next Wave | Barbara | Episode: "Smooth Sailing" |
| Getting Personal | Fake Robyn | Episode: "Bring in 'Da Milo, Bring in 'Da Robyn" | |
| Malcolm & Eddie | Veronica | Episode: "Twisted Sisters" | |
| For Your Love | Maya | Episode: "The Sister Act" | |
| 1999 | The Wayans Bros. | Dawn | Episode: "Crazy 4 U" & "Three on a Couch" |
| 2001–02 | The Guiding Light | Felicia Boudreau | Regular Cast |
| 2003 | Half & Half | Barbara | Episode: "The Big Bitter Baby Shower Episode" |
| 2004 | One on One | Pamela | Episode: "Sleepless in Baltimore" |
| 2004–05 | The Bold and the Beautiful | Heather Engle | Regular Cast |
| 2005 | All My Children | Detective Mimi Reed | Regular Cast |
| Veronica Mars | Vanessa Hamilton | Episode: "Lord of the Bling" | |
| House | Dr. Arlene Marks | Episode: "Kids" | |
| 2009 | Castle | Nicole Cameron | Episode: "Love Me Dead" |
| 2010 | 10 Things I Hate About You | Marcheline | Episode: "The Winner Takes It All" |
| 2012 | L.A. Hair | Herself | Episode: "First Cut Is the Deepest" |
| Celebrity Ghost Stories | Herself | Episode: "Tyler Blackburn/Lainie Kazan/Shari Headley" | |
| 2014 | Love That Girl | Maxine | Episode: "Gullible Is as Gullible Does" |
| 2014–16 | The Haves and the Have Nots | Jennifer Sallison | Recurring Cast: Season 2-3, Main Cast: Season 4 |
| 2015 | Switched at Birth | Gwendolyn Berdick | Recurring Cast: Season 4 |
| 2019 | Star | Houston Connelly | Recurring Cast: Season 3 |
| On Becoming a God in Central Florida | Harmony | Recurring Cast |
Documentary
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 1990 | Paris Is Burning |
Music videos
| Year | Title | Artist |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | "Half Crazy" | Johnny Gill |
| 1988 | "Sarah Sarah" | Jonathan Butler |
| 1994 | "Before I Let You Go" | Blackstreet |
| 1999 | "Wild Wild West" | Will Smith |
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