Interview with Actress Sharonne Lanier
Sharonne Lanier is an actress, wife, and mother located in Atlanta. She is an award winning actress who has played numerous roles in TV shows and movies like Hallie Mae Parker in ABC’s Women of the Movement, Emily Schwenk in HBO’s The Outsider, and her breakout role as Rosa Parks in Spike Lee’s historical drama The Son of the South.
I first had the pleasure of meeting Sharonne when we worked together on my husband Nathan’s Christmas movie, Miracle on Highway 34 — in which Sharonne played the leading lady.
I was struck by how warm, professional, and charming Sharonne was over the week we worked together. Any space she entered was instantly made more fun, uplifting, and bright.
I was so glad when Sharonne agreed to an interview for Wallflower to discuss her acting journey and her life — I find Sharonne and her passion for her work inspiring, powerful, and beautiful. I hope you enjoy getting to know her.
Wallflower: At Wallflower Journal, we love seeing women find their purpose and passion. How did you first realize you wanted to pursue acting?
Sharonne: Well, it all started in 4th grade. There was an oratorical contest at my school, which featured Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech. The contest was voluntary, however, my teacher told the entire class to learn the speech, stand in front of the class, and say it. From there, you could go on to participate in the competition.
I had never done anything like that before, but because I was forced to, I did it for the class and actually enjoyed it! I went on to perform for the school contest and won the competition.
The win was nice, but what I recall the most is that there were older people in the audience who had lived during the civil rights movement. I remember the look on some of their faces and realized that I had the power to move people with the words I spoke. That was the spark that lit the fire inside of me and the rest is history!
W: What are your three favorite roles you’ve performed?
S: That’s a hard question! Piggy-backing off of your previous question, I guess one of those roles would have to be Rosa Parks in Son of the South, executive produced by Spike Lee. One reason is because it offers a nostalgic feeling triggering memories of when the performing bug initially bit me. More than that though, it was such an honor to play a woman who knew how to stand with her head held high and fight hard without compromising her faith. Americans know who Mrs. Parks is because we are taught about her in history classes, but playing her allowed me to get a deeper understanding of who she really was. One of my favorite quotes from her is, “There’s going to come a time when you have to decide which side you’re on. Not choosing is a choice.” Wow! That statement alone has made me a better person.
Sharonne as Rosa Parks in ‘Son of the South’. Source: IMDb
Another role that comes to mind is Sheila Dates from Your Worst Nightmare. That’s a show that most people have probably never heard of! It’s a series that comes on the Investigation Discovery channel and it depicts real people and the heart-pounding situations and danger they endured. Some survived, some didn’t. Ms. Dates survived and what I love about this role was tapping into her strength. I enjoyed the challenge of portraying her unimaginable fear yet courage at the same time.
Sharonne as Sheila Dates in ‘Your Worst Nightmare, S6E9. Source: IMDb
Again, I really don’t know what my literal favorite roles are, as I love a lot of them for different reasons, but the third one I’ll mention is Jayda Parker from an episodic I recently shot entitled Fragment, which is set to release on PureFlix this year. I had an absolute blast with that role, as I played a villain, which I typically don’t get the opportunity to do. This character is fierce, in your face, and quite frankly, I’m a little scared of her, too!
W: What’s the most difficult part of being an actress?
S: Now, I could give you an entire list on this one, as acting is not for the faint of heart. But if I had to pick one, I’m going to go with the uncertainty of the business! You rarely know where you’re going to be, when you’re going to be there, who’s going to say yes, who’s going to say no, how much money you’re going to make, if your sacrifice is going to prove beneficial, how much time and energy a project is going to cost you… You just don’t know much at all! But, when it’s a God-given passion, you have to go for it or you’ll be miserable sitting on the sidelines.
W: What’s your favorite book?
S: Hm, it’s going to sound cliche, but I’m going to go with the Bible on this one! It’s the only book I’ve been reading for decades and yet I’m continuing to find new adventures in it! I continue to find new inspiration, new instruction and guidance, new hope and new strength! It’s the one book that I just can’t live without!
W: Tell us more about any projects you’ve been working on and where readers can find you and your work.
S: I’ve been blessed to have quite a few out there! For an accurate up-to-date list, IMDb is a good way to keep up with my work (click here for Sharonne’s IMDb page).
A few upcoming projects slated for release are You’ll Never Leave Me, scheduled to air on Lifetime on July 9th; Lifemark, produced by the Kendrick Brothers, scheduled to premiere on September 9th in theaters nationwide; and The Pursuit of Freedom, based on a true story about a woman sold into sex trafficking and the miracles God provided to bring her out of bondage, scheduled to release in October in select theaters.
Also, I recently produced a short film entitled I Really Miss You. It’s a beautiful story dealing with hope in the midst of heart-wrenching pain. (Watch below)
Well, this has been fun and I certainly appreciate the time you took to get to know me a little more! I wish you all the absolute best as you embrace your journey!