MICHAEL MICHELE

A talented actress who possesses great depth and beauty, Michael Michele is emerging as one of Hollywood's most promising and captivating leading women. She portrayed Detective Rene Sheppard in the esteemed cast of NBC's critically acclaimed, long-running drama series "Homicide: Life on the Street." More recently, Michele delivered standout performances in the independent feature "The Substitute 2," starring as the romantic lead opposite Treat Williams for The Shooting Gallery, and in Touchstone Pictures' comedy "The Sixth Man," co-starring Marlon Wayans and Kadeem Hardison. On the small screen, she starred in the sizzling CBS series "Central Park West" and in Peter Benchley's highly rated ABC mini-series "Creature."
A native of Indiana, Michele spent many of her formative years in New York City, where she began her pursuit of acting. Her big break came in 1991, when she was cast in a key role opposite Wesley Snipes in Mario Van Peebles' urban drama "New Jack City." Following her notable performance in that film, she landed a starring role in the CBS series "Dangerous Curves," portraying a law school graduate-turned-cop. Prior to joining the cast of "Central Park West," Michele appeared for two seasons in a recurring role as Malik Yoba's girlfriend Sandy Gill, a feisty New York attorney on Fox's critically acclaimed television series "New York Undercover," produced by Dick Wolf. She also appeared in the NBC mini-series "Trade Winds."

Michele has also parlayed her acting prowess on stage, studying with renowned acting coaches Wally and Joanna Strauss. While honing her craft, she became involved in the New York theatre scene, appearing in the stage productions of "A Raisin in the Sun," "Purlie Victorious" and "The Owl and the Pussycat."

Michele has been actively volunteering her time to work with children since she was a teenager. Currently, she is an avid supporter and volunteer for Kids 'N U, a New York-based organization that provides motivational speakers to inner-city children who are in need of guidance and inspiration. She initiated Kids 'N U's "Round Table Chit-Chat" forum, a grassroots program that aims to work one-on-one with the kids with the long-term goal of bringing national awareness to the organization.

An accomplished athlete, Michele played competitive basketball for the top-ranked women's high school basketball team in Indiana, making her a local celebrity in a state where basketball and "Hoosier hysteria" are the favorite pastimes.