Sharon Gless's blog

Photo blog: Adventures in London ... Part 2

2012-01-12T02:36:00.000-08:00

The Metropolitan Police, New Scotland Yard

(c) copyright 2012 www.sharongless.com/Photo: Steve Osborn

In October I was invited as Guest of Honor to New Scotland Yard for the annual Metropolitan Police Commendation Ceremony, which awards officers for bravery above and beyond the call of duty. Detective Constable Shane O'Neill - my character Rosie's real-life namesake!! - organized the event.

French and Saunders

(c) copyright 2012 www.sharongless.com/Photo: collection of Anna Kerslake

I had a great time with Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders doing a radio show broadcast on New Year's Day. They loved my play when they came to see it!

Gabby Logan

(c) copyright 2012 www.sharongless.com/Photo: collection of Anna Kerslake

I had the greatest time on Gabby Logan's chat show - she was a such pleasure to talk to, and Simon from Blue in the photo with us was also very charming.

The Royal Opera House

(c) copyright 2012 www.sharongless.com/Photo: collection of Anna Kerslake

One of my favorite days in London was a trip to The Royal Opera House. Barry, Greg and Paul showed us around. It was a really amazing day being back stage rather than on stage, for a change!

Watch out for Part 3 of my adventures ...coming soon!

Love, Sharon

Photo blog: Adventures in London ...Part 1!

2011-11-13T15:43:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone

I thought it would be fun to share some photos from my personal photo album with you, so that you can enjoy my adventures in London with me!

I'm here for four months with my play A Round-Heeled Woman, adapted for the stage and directed by Jane Prowse, based on the autobiography by Jane Juska. It's transferring from the Riverside Studios, where it closes in a week, to the Aldwych Theatre where previews begin on November 25th. Thanks to everyone who's already been to see it. We're going to be publishing some of your reviews on my website, soon - thanks so much for saying such nice things.

This is the first in an occasional series ... enjoy!

All photos copyright of www.sharongless.com. Please do not reproduce without written permission (contact contactus@cagneyandlacey.com)

The Metropolitan Police, New Scotland Yard - October 2011

With officers at New Scotland Yard, London

Addressing the Metropolitan Police

I was so proud to be involved in the day and I told stories of the bravery of the police. I love London sooo much! What an important role the police play in making it such a great place to be.

They have saved the public from knife attacks, and one female officer just two weeks on her duty from school saved a man who hanged himself in the middle of Victoria Street early one morning. She was on her own and had to lift his weight to give mouth to mouth -- and saved his life.

Three officers had also saved the life of a man, who was cutting himself with a huge knife and then ran at them with it. Had they not stepped in the man would have surely died. Three off-duty policemen saw a man being beaten up by a gang and went to his rescue. They sustained bad injuries themselves for helping the victim.
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A Round-Heeled Woman, Riverside Studios, Hammersmith, London, UK. October 2011

Backstage with my UK Agent Anna Kerslake (left), and friend Dr Fiona Alexander (right), on the first night of the play, October 18th, 2011

Jane Juska, author of the book on which Jane Prowse's stage adaptation of A Round-Heeled Woman is based, taking a bow with me after a Question and Answer session following the play.

Watch out for my London adventures (Part 2) ... coming soon!

Love, Sharon

My Emmy nomination

2010-07-20T16:43:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!

Forgive me for being a bit late in talking to all of you personally. The press can be a jealous mistress. :) But, yes, to confirm the good rumors (is there such a thing?), yes - I have been nominated for an Emmy in the category of Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. The show for which I have been nominated is, of course, Burn Notice. One of the press interviews I gave looked it up and informed me that this is my 10th nomination. Wow. Even I was stunned. I am glad someone out there is keeping score. :)

The only thing that makes this news a bit bitter-sweet is that mine was the only nomination for Burn Notice. We are in our 4th year and always seemed to be overlooked by the Academy. Not only the show, but my fellow actors, producers, directors, crew, etc. have been so deserving for so long. But I like to think that this nomination finally opens the door for Burn Notice to be, well, noticed.

I am the dark horse in the race, to be sure. But it is an honor to be listed with my fellow nominees. It is a very impressive group of women.

The hardest part is figuring out what to wear.

I send you my love and my gratitude for all your support over the years.

Always, Sharon

About a new blog ...

2009-06-15T18:20:00.000-07:00

"The Big Yin" commented on 15 June 2009 on Sharon's last blog:

Sharon, have you gone AWAL, long time since your last post.

Sharon answers:

I do intend to post a new blog as soon as time allows.

Sharon

News from Sharon Gless

2008-12-04T16:31:00.000-08:00

Dearest Bloggers -

I sound like Rosie O'Donnell, don't I? In my dreams. :) I wish I were that articulate. But I will do my best.

First, my husband, Barney, says you should never start anything with an apology, but I feel one is due, as I do tend to disappear into my life, and have not been very attentive to you - who mean a great deal to me. And for that I DO apologize. Forgive me?

I have spent the last several months in Miami shooting my series, "Burn Notice" for USA Networks. We finished our 2nd year (the second half of which will air starting in January). It was a very fun time, the ratings are wonderful - the demographics range from age 10 to age 80 - and we have just been picked up for our 3rd season, which I will start shooting in March. (Hopefully, if there IS an actors' strike, it will be over by then.)

My last day of shooting, Tyne Daly surprised me at the door of my dressing room. (Carole Smith was the "angel" who brought her to me). I took Tyne into the set, and I have never heard a crew go that quiet! They were in absolute awe. I pointed out to them that they never pay ME that kind of respect.:)

I still love working, and happily, they still let me do it. I went from "Burn Notice" to a brief shoot in Los Angeles, in Ed Harris' new movie, "Once Fallen." I only shot 2 days on it, but I wanted to work with Amy Madigan, who is fabulous, and all my scenes were with her. I played an old lesbian in a wheel chair who lives in a trailer park next door to Amy. We had such a good time. It is a drama, and she and I laughed for 2 days.

The next day I flew to Chicago to do a wonderful little film called "Hannah Free", written by the fabulous lesbian playwright, Claudia Allen. Claudia has written almost 30 plays (one of which I performed in 2000 called "Cahoots"), and this is the first one that has been transferred to film. And guess what I played - go ahead, guess - you got it - an aging lesbian who is stuck in a wheel chair!!.

It was fabulous - I played the title role - Hannah Free - with a group of wonderful Chicago actors. It was very low budget, and the response to it has been so favorable that they are raising the $ now for distribution. It spans the 70-year relationship of 2 women. It is funny and sometimes sad, and very timely considering the politics affecting the gay community today in the US. There was an actress playing me at 30 and one playing me at 10. I played Hannah from 50-80. I felt very old but had a wonderful time.

I just finished that last week, which brings you up to date. Tomorrow I have surgery on my hand which is going to keep me somewhat incapacitated for 3 weeks. The surgery and the economy will keep me out of the stores this Christmas. I am giving every member of my family a sheep or a llama or some bunnies or a goat or a pig or some honeybees. What????

I made a donation to the Heifer Society and you can pick different animals (in your family member's name) that will go to families in third-world countries (not to be eaten - that would be too weird) so that they can breed them, sheer them, etc. to sustain their families. Good, eh? I recommend it.:)

And on that note, I will close (and rest) with my love to each one of you - and to your families. I hope your holidays are warm and filled with laughter.

Thanksgiving has passed now, but I am going to back up a week just to tell you how grateful I am that you are all in my life. That has never changed. Nor will it ever.

My love to you all.

Always, Sharon

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Visit the official Cagney & Lacey website

MY BLOG WEDNESDAY JUNE 27TH

2007-06-27T04:10:00.000-07:00

Dear Blog Busters? Bunnies? Brave People?

It is Sharon. Yeahhhh!!

I am on my way to New York, then London, and then back to New York to catch Rosie O'Donnell's cruise. Life is good.

The series I am shooting, "Burn Notice," will premiere this Thursday night on USA Network at 10:00PM EST. It's the 90 minute pilot with NO commercials. Don't blink, you may miss me, but the star of the show, Jeffrey Donovan, is wonderful!! Then the following week starts the one-hour episodes. I say more in those :) :) Oh, Jeff and I will be on The Today Show this Thursday morning (June 28th). I dunno what time. NBC.

For the viewers in England - Tyne Daly and I are headed your way next week. We are coming over to do The Graham Norton Show on the BBC. We will be his only guests on
the 4th of July (not your favorite holiday). I imagine he is going to roast us good. I am ready!

We will shoot it on the 4th of July, but it will not air until the 5th of July. The tickets are free, so anyone who wants to come and see it, call the BBC I guess. Then ask for The Graham Norton Show. It would be nice having friends in the audience to cheer us on while we're dodging bullets from Graham. I'm kidding -- I've done his show before -- without Tyne -- and he is lovely -- and very very funny as you know.

So that's it for now - I will close up my suitcase and head across the pond.

This is sent with love,

Sharon

Updates from Sharon as of March 30th

2007-03-30T07:48:00.000-07:00

Hi Everybody!!

Well, it was getting pretty exciting! When Barney is back, he is definitely back! This "unfortunate" (but solved!) delay on the studio's (no names ;)) part, has only brought out the best in him. This was the Barney that I fell in love with - the one that took no prisoners. Personally, I was sorry to see it resolved so soon, as he hadn't even gotten STARTED yet. Oh well. Life is good.

I am writing from Toronto where I came to have some meetings - boring stuff - taxes, etc. I will return to Miami on the 3rd and spend some time with my middle granddaughter, Greer, fly back to LA on the 8th for a photo shoot, play with family for a bit, hopefully get a metaphysical seminar in one weekend, and fly back to Miami where I am starting on a new series, "Burn Notice". We will shoot 11 episodes - USA Network - throughout the summer, and then we shall see what happens.

In the meantime, we are getting ready to launch the DVD's and Barney's new book. I understand it is very good - I decided not to read it - as I would like to stay married to him!

I was in London for over a week. Very expensive, but turned out to be a good trip. Since I did "State Within", I've gotten a new agent who will handle me in England. She is fabulous. I got 2 jobs there, and am about to see the first draft of the screenplay which was based on a book I optioned called "A Round-Heeled
Woman". It's about a woman (Jane Juska) who took out an ad that said, "Before I turn 67 - next month - I want to have a lot of sex with a man I like". It is a true story and Jane took a sabbatical to write about the men who came forth (you'll forgive the pun). "Round heels" refers to a woman of promiscuity. This should be fun - I think - and will start in England in 2008.

My family and friends are well. For this I am grateful and at the top of my list, always, is the gratitude I feel towards all of you. You never left. That is very cool.

With love, Sharon
________________________________________

Hi Everybody - It's Sharon here.

2007-02-22T02:43:00.000-08:00

Hi Everybody -

It's Sharon here.

I just looked at the C&L website! Those of you who know me know that I never look at my own film or listen to my own interviews, radio plays, etc. So, frightening as it was, I bit the bullet and looked. It is very cool. Very cool indeed. Once I got past the shock that I was ever that young - what happened?? - I enjoyed the memories.

This "blog" business is new to me, and it has been fun reading all your correspondence.
My pal, Rosie O'Donnell, has been trying to teach me about "blogging" - I just made that word up - didn't I? I see how it can become addictive, and I doubt I will be as good at it as she is, but then again, there are very few things that I am as good at as she is. :)

So - what to tell you about my life lately. I am recovering from a nasty bout of pneumonia
and pleurisy - am totally on the mend. My doctor said I am a "healing machine"!

And - I shot a pilot for a new series in Miami - and I just got word that it sold!! It is for USA network and it's called "Burn Notice". I play the mother to the lead (Geoffrey Donovan). It's fun - my character is a chain-smoking hypochondriac whose favorite thing to do is check into the hospital every week with some new strain of parasite that she imagines she has - and make her son's life miserable. It's an hour drama, but she's fun.

So far, it's been a good year - and it's only February. I am aware that many of my collegues my age are not working, and I come from gratitude every day that they're still letting me do what I love to do most - work. And I never forget that all the good fortune I have had for the last 25 years, has been a result of a series called "Cagney & Lacey". And your loyalty. I do not forget. I thank you.

My family is well, and I hope you and yours are, too.

Today (February 21) is Tyne Daly's birthday, and she's coming to visit me in Florida and watch the Oscars with me. No one will be safe. We take no prisoners!

We are also getting ready to announce the release of the DVD's of C&L (finally!) and Barney's new book, "Cagney & Lacey...and Me I have not read it, deliberately, as I am married to him, and would like to stay that way.:)

It is almost 1AM here, so I will close - I need to leave enough time to catch up on Anna Nicole. It is horrifying and I'm ashamed to say I can't look away. Forgive me.

I send my love to all of you. I hope I have not said anything to offend any of you - yet. Our relationship is so new. :). Is 25 years new?

I will have my trusted assistant, Carole Smith check my spelling.

Sent with love.

Sharon

Opening Remarks

2007-01-23T21:18:00.000-08:00

Oops...opening day and I'm not ready.
Will catch up with all before month's end.

In the interim I send my love.

Sharon.