SHERRY STRINGFIELD

In high school, Sherry Stringfield divided her time between running track and running lines in drama class until a teacher convinced her to focus her energy on an upcoming musical. "I was really wild back then, and theater just allowed me to sing, dance, jump and run around the stage playing all kinds of characters," says the Emmy-nominated actress. "It was like playtime. You were creating something, and there was a result that other people could enjoy."

Stringfield, who previously played a lawyer on "NYPD Blue," now portrays a dedicated doctor who is cool under the intense pressure of an inner-city hospital's emergency room. She was born in Colorado Springs, Colo., the first of three siblings, and her family briefly relocated to Albuquerque before settling in Spring, Texas (near Houston). She attended the Acting Conservatory of the State University of New York at Purchase and graduated in 1989 with a B.F.A.

A few weeks later she was working in a theater box office in New York when she was asked to audition for the daytime drama "The Guiding Light." This led to a three-year stint as the nefarious Blake (her character eventually ran away with her mother's boyfriend). She left the series to travel but soon was called back to Los Angeles to co-star in "NYPD Blue" as Laura Kelly, the Manhattan attorney and estranged wife of John Kelly (series star David Caruso).

Stringfield's New York stage credits include "Goose and TomTom," as well as "Hurlyburly" and "A Dream Play" at the Acting Conservatory. "I did a lot of seriously off-Broadway stuff," she says. "I was just having a great time in the city."

About her character, Dr. Lewis, she says: "I admire that, in life-and-death situations, she's incredibly cool and in control in the face of serious pressure. She's definitely a problem-solver who has dedicated her life to the care of others." A two-time Emmy nominee for "ER," she also won a Best Actress Award from Viewers for Quality Television for her role as Dr. Lewis.

In her spare time, Stringfield enjoys snow skiing and is learning to ride motorcycles. She also likes to read and travel. Her birthday is June 24.

NBC Biography