lesley sharp

Meet Before We Die actress Lesley Sharp's family here

The actress is a mum-of-two

TV & Film Writer
June 30, 2021

Lesley Sharp's gripping Scandi-inspired thriller Before We Die is set to reach its dramatic conclusion on Wednesday night and reveal what really happened to Detective Hannah Laing's former partner.

MORE: Lesley Sharp reveals if Before We Die series two is happening

Viewers have been full of praise for the series, and for Manchester-born actress Lesley Sharp's performance in particular. Want to know more about her? Find out everything you need to know about her family below..

WATCH: Have you watched new drama Before We Die on Channel 4?

Is Lesley Sharp married?

Lesley has been married to actor and playwright Nicholas Gleaves for nearly 27 years. The couple, who met in the early nineties when they were both up-and-coming actors, married in 1994.

© Photo: Rex

Lesley and Nicholas wed in 1994

Viewers may recognise Nicholas from his many roles in television, film and theatre. He's appeared in shows such as Survivors, Playing the Field and Cold Feet, and his film credits include Captain America: The First Avenger, Spider-Man: Far From Home and Starter for Ten.

He even appeared alongside Lesley in the first two series of ITV drama series Scott & Bailey, where he played DS Andy Roper - although he says that it wasn't his wife's involvement that attracted him to the role, but because the show was "so different" to other cop shows.

Does Lesley Sharp have children?

Yes, Lesley and Nicholas share two grown-up sons - Zachary, 26, and Gabriel, 23. Not much is known about them as it seems that, unlike their famous parents, they prefer to stay out of the spotlight. 

© Photo: Rex

Lesley and her husband Nicholas both starred in ITV's Scott & Bailey

However, it appears that both of them work either full-time or part-time for a production company they've set up with their parents. According to the internet, both Zachary and Gabriel are directors of Prim and Proper Productions, as are Lesley and Nicholas.

MORE: Before We Die viewers shocked after 'tense' end to episode three

MORE: This Before We Die star has a very famous dad

What else is there to know about Lesley Sharp's family?

Lesley had something of a tumultuous start in life after she was put up for adoption at just six weeks old. Originally christened Karen Makinson, she was later renamed Lesley by her adoptive parents, who raised her as their own. Sadly, though her mother, Roberta, died when she was just 15, leaving her to be raised alone by her father, Jack.

MORE: Everything you need to know about Lesley Sharp's career

Appearing on the genealogy programme Who Do You Think You Are? in 2013, Lesley said: "If you're adopted, you can't help but feel, somehow or other, deep, deep, deep down inside that you don't belong. It makes you feel like you've got a question mark inside you."

She previously told The Guardian that her experience of being given up by her biological parents led her to pursue a career in acting because, as a child, she felt "invisible" and as if she did not "quite fit in".

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