Sharon Gless is a renowned actress with a career spanning over four decades, having played iconic roles in groundbreaking television shows. Generations of TV viewers know and love her remarkable characters, including Christine Cagney from Cagney & Lacey, Debbie Novotny from Queer As Folk, and Madeline Westen from Burn Notice.
In 1972, Universal Studios signed Gless as a contract player, a coveted breakthrough opportunity for any young actress. She remained under contract for a decade, until the studio ended all talent contracts in 1982, making her the last contract player in Hollywood's history.
During her contract years with Universal, Gless appeared in top-rated television series, including The Rockford Files, The Bob Newhart Show, Kojack, Adam-12, and Faraday and Company. She also reoccurring guest-starred on Marcus Welby, M.D., which led to her being offered the role of Kathleen Faverty, a medical professional and James Brolin's first love interest.
Gless' career advanced when she was cast in the action series Switch, starring Robert Wagner and Eddie Albert, for all three seasons from 1975 to 1978. She then played Penny, who has embodied her husband, Sam, in the situation comedy Turnabout, and Carole Lombard in the TV movie The Scarlett O'Hara War.
In 1982, Gless stepped into the role of New York Police Detective Christine Cagney in Cagney and Lacey, making television history as the first hour-long drama to feature two females in the leading roles. The show ran for seven seasons, earning Gless two Emmy awards and six total nominations, as well as a Golden Globe award and six nominations.
Gless continued to captivate audiences with her performances in film and television, including The Star Chamber, Honor Thy Mother, Hobson's Choice, Hard Hat & Legs, Separated by Murder, and Letting Go. She also reunited with TV partner Tyne Daly for a quartet of critically acclaimed Cagney & Lacey television movies from 1994 to 1996.
In 2000, Gless took on the role of Debbie Novotny in Queer as Folk, playing a devoted mother to a gay son and confidant to his gay friends. Her portrayal of Debbie touched countless hearts and changed the definition of family for millions of viewers.
Gless has also appeared in Burn Notice, earning her 10th Emmy nomination, and Nip / Tuck, earning her 11th Emmy nomination. She has recently appeared in two independent features, Once Fallen and Hannah Free, and in four episodes of The Exorcist on Fox TV.
Throughout her career, Gless has also acted on stage to rave reviews, debuting with Oscar-winner Kim Hunter in Watch on the Rhine at Stage West in Massachusetts. She has also starred in London's famed West End, including Annie Wilkes in the adaptation of Misery and Jane Prowse's A Round-Heeled Woman.
Gless has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, an award for Excellence in the Arts from DePaul University in Chicago, and has recorded radio plays, including 'Night, Mother, which earned her the International Sony Award.
