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
I was so excited to see that you posted ...
ReplyDeleteFROM DEBBIE
Posted Friday, 05:20 AM
I was so excited to see that you posted and I'm glad you got to read your comments :o)
I am glad that your feeling better and I look forward to the new series.
I can't wait for Barney's new book and the release of the DVD's. There is so much to look forward to.
I have started renting Queer As Folk and I am LOVING it! What a fantastic show and I am totally into the story and the characters. I love your character the best and she's got my name so how great is that :o) I am renting them from Blockbuster online cause that's the only way I could see them all. I wish the series could have continued, but I am happy to see that you have other work lined up too.
I am buying The State Within soon. I am waiting for Amazon to release it. I know that's gonna be a great miniseries. I got to see some scenes online and you were great!
I guess I will end this for now. I look forward to chatting with you in the future. I hope you can keep updating your blog as much as time allows. I enjoy reading what your up to.
Take care :o)
Debbie
Hi Sharon,So glad that you are feeling better and ...
ReplyDeleteFROM WENDY
POSTED FRIDAY, 08:16 AM
Hi Sharon,
So glad that you are feeling better and are on the mend.
I have just pre-ordered my C&L DVD's which i am so looking forward to watching.
Enjoy watching the Emmy's with Tyne.
Wish you and your's the best.
Wendyxx
Oops....meant Oscars, not Emmys ...
ReplyDeleteFROM WENDY
POSTED FRIDAY, 08:37 AM
Oops....meant Oscars, not Emmys apologise for mistake. Well have a good time watching.
Wendyxx
Image Lacey leaning over Cagney's shoulder and ask...
ReplyDeleteFROM MARGIE
Friday, 10:29 PM
Image Lacey leaning over Cagney's shoulder and asking, "Christine, what on earth are you doing?" to which Cagney responds, "Mary Beth, I'm blogging. What does it look like?"
Ah, the circle of life. Thanks for coming back into our lives, Sharon. It was worth wait. I look forward to Barney's book and the release of the DVD's.
Be well,
Margie
Hi Sharon,Okay, on preview this comment opens with...
ReplyDeleteFROM MAGNOLIA
POSTED SATURDAY, 01:40 AM
Hi Sharon,
Okay, on preview this comment opens with "Magnolia said". Who the heck is MAGNOLIA? Well, it's not me, that's for sure. My name is Kristy and I'm sticking to it (though I do love "Steel Magnolias", that's something else altogether).
Congrats on "Burn Notice"! I'm definitely looking
forward to watching on USA.
Great to hear that Tyne's visiting and you'll be
watching the Oscars together! Karen, my
"thanks-to-C&L" friend of 20+ years that I mentioned
in my first post, will be back in town and we'll be
watching the Oscars together on Sunday night, too. There's something really nice about hearing that you and Tyne will be watching together as well - old friends, too, and all of that. Anyway, WOOHOO! I LOVE OSCAR NIGHT!!! And Ellen should be a
hilarious.
Take care, keep feeling better and have fun Sunday
evening.
Kristy
Hi all - due to a technical hitch we've had to re-post 5 comments from 4 of you, which therefore appear here as if "said by" us rather than them!
ReplyDeleteWe have, however, added the authors' names and the original posting date and times under the title of their posts.
Apologies for any inconvenience, especially to Debbie, Wendy, Margie and Kristy (aka Magnolia!).
All the best.
Hi Sharon
ReplyDeleteThis is so cool that there's now a Cagney and Lacey website and the imminent DVD release too - couldn't ask for much more!
I’ve been a dedicated Cagney and Lacey fan since it first started but it was on too late and Mum and Dad used to send me to bed so I used to hide under my duvet and watch it on my little black and white portable tv with a pair of headphones… happy days! I’m now 35 and thankfully Mum and Dad think I’m old enough to make my own decisions… :-)
Anyway, I just thought I’d let you know it was (and still is) television at its best – thank you!
Jules x
PS Blogging is new to me too but if you have the time and inclination you are more than welcome to visit julesjonesy.blogspot.com and please feel free to leave a comment - my friends would never hear the last of it!!!
Hi Sharon!
ReplyDeleteSo great to hear from you again. Glad to hear you're on the mend after your illness! Make sure you take care of you!
I have to admit I've been 'blogging' for some time now thanks to the wonders of livejournal and myspace. You'll soon get the hang of it!
I hope you and Tyne had a fun time for her birthday and watching the Oscars! I can imagine you two being very dangerous when you get together! ;-)
I'm eagerly awaiting the release of Cagney and Lacey and I'll also look out for 'Burn Notice'. Hopefully it will be aired in the UK.
Thanks for checking in with us! Keep in touch!
Much love
Pip Fider
http://www.myspace.com/pipfidler
Wait, you know how to BLOG?????? xo
ReplyDeleteIsnt this wonderful to be able to say Hi to our favorite people from TV. I am so thrilled that you are online Sharon. I love Rosie too and her blog. She sure takes alot of heat though. Im just thrilled to pieces here! I was wondering, Will you ever answer our questions if we ask? now that would be great! Let us know if you will???? and hopefully you wont be to busy to get on your blog. Your the best!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteHi Sharon,
ReplyDeleteI want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for the chance to have worked with you for four wonderful seasons on Queer as Folk. I was one of the many background performers on the series and worked with you many times over the course of seasons two to five.
I have two very strong memories of two scenes I was in that you were a part of, both during season three.
The first was a scene in episode 311 where Debbie challenged "Stockwell" during a campaign appearance about the murder of Jason Kemp. I have never seen as powerful a statement as the one you made in that scene. Even today, I can still recall the feeling I had watching your performance and really feeling Debbie's anger and indignation.
I was glad to have been sitting right behind you during the scene and was able to briefly tell you how much I have enjoyed your performances over the years, going all the way back to "Switch".
The second memorable scene that season was during the all-night street party scene we shot after Stockwell had been defeated in episode 314. Again, I was close enough to you and Peter to have heard you deliver the statement "Mourn the losses because they are many but celebrate the victories because they are few" live. Truer words have never been spoken and I have taken them to heart ever since that night.
I consider myself to have been so lucky to have met you and worked with you during that period in your career. Your past triumphs like QAF and C&L and current and future ones like the State Within are testament to the immense talent you have.
I am so glad I found your blog because I never had the chance to thank you in person after QAF wrapped how much I was honoured to have been able to work with you. Now, I can express my thanks to you here.
I wish you much success in all your future acting endeavours and all my best to you and your husband Barney.
Drew Finnie
Toronto, Ontario
QAF Background Performer
Blimey!! After all these years we finally have a C&L website! Thanks Sharon and Tyne for contributing and good health to you both!
ReplyDeleteI think you are both going to be very surprised by how popular C&L still is. I think there must be thousands of us still watching and posting on various forums! Looking forward to the DVDs I’ll have something good to watch in Afghanistan!
Regards,
Zandra LaPoI
Sharon,
ReplyDeleteCagney and Lacey was the moment I looked most forward to every week back in the 80's. I watched it as a teenager. I'll refrain from mentioning my present age for fear it might make you feel old.
I had watched you in House Calls before that and was excited to see you in another series. I loved Cagney and Lacey from the beginning, and always wanted to be a cop. I just never got tall enough. So I'm a Paralegal instead.
My favorite part of Cagney and Lacey was your sarcastic humor. I think that no matter how serious or depressing the shows got - you and Tyne both kept them from dragging the audience down by infusing just a bit of humor. I still have a few episodes that I taped that have survived from from the 80's. They're Season 5. One of my favorite humorous quotes is from Epsiode 1 of that Season - Cagney has just come from the precinct, after nabbing a pick pocket and dicovereing that David Keeler is not a dentist but an ACLU lawyer and decides to go to an ACLU dinner with him as his date:
Lacey: Your'e not going out with him again!?
Cagney: I am going to an ACLU Dinner (coughs sarcastically) I think I'll have signs made up that say "Hi, I'm a cop and No, I don't care to here about what happened to you at the '68 Chicago Convention"
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIsn't this fab! I do hope that you will be post to this site regularly.
ReplyDeleteA contentious point now: I am the biggest Cagney and Lacey fan ever! (Watch 'em fly!)
Recently bought on DVD your recent BBC series "The State Within" which I have yet to sit down and watch.
One of my most memorable times ever was seeing you speak at a conference in London on "Women in Television". It was at the Television Show in Islington, London in the early 90s. Are there more roles for women in the business? Thankfully, you and Tyne appear to be always busy, but could it still be better?
I read with interest the excitement across the pond at the forthcoming release of the C&L DVDs. Here in Blighty a compilation DVD was released a couple of years ago but I wonder if all the series will be released? I hope they will otherwise I shall have to go out and buy a new DVD multi-region player and buy them in from the States.
After your recent illness, I wonder if a character who chain-smokes is the best bet for you!!! But now I sound like your mother (or Mom as you folk say) and so I shall sign-off.
Keep up the good work and please post whenever you can.
Hey Sharon!
ReplyDeleteLook at you, bloggin'! I'm so proud! Hey, Donna & I had such a good time having you on our show, The Lesbian Lounge. Just wanted you to know we gave the info regarding our Lincoln Rd. gig at SCORE on South Beach to Paul, but he said you were getting in ONE DAY too late! :( Sorry we'll miss you! We really wanted to hang out!
Next time your in town and have some down time, let us know!
I'm thrilled to hear about "Burn" on USA, we'll be talkin' that up big time!
I'm all set to get my C & L DVD - because we all know I lost my dear dear collection of episodes to a broken Beta Max in the 80's.
Hope you get some much needed rest-although, I know your all over the globe. I bet you'll be seeing Stacy Codikow & Lisa Thrasher in L.A. for the DVD Launch- tell them hi from internet radio girls at GIRL. They are our idols!
Just like you..:)
Take care,
KEEP ON BLOGGIN'...
--xoxo
Denise
The Lesbian Lounge
www.GayInternetRadioLive.com
www.myspace.com/thelesbianlounge
I am so happy right now. Every couple of months I do a google search for Cagney & Lacey dvd's and this time I hit paydirt. I am so thrilled that they are finally being released.
ReplyDeleteI am literally crying because I am so happy to have found cagneyandlacey.com and these blogs. I can't wait to get the sries on dvd. I only wish the entire series was being released at one time.
You are great and I really look forward to hearing more from you in the future.
And I thought I was happy a few weeks ago when I won an autographed Cagney & Lacey picture on eBay. Well this just has me floored.
Thank you for sharing your time with us and for giving us all terrific memories from the best show ever created.
Tears of happiness,
Cheryl
Hi Sharon!
ReplyDeleteI hope you are feeling better. My great Uncle Neil and my grandfather "Pop" (Robert Emmett) were brothers and I just wanted to say hello! I've always enjoyed your work throughout the years and am glad you are still acting as you are so good at it. My brother and sister still live in Florida but myself and my family live in Phoenix. I think you met my sister Robin once (she was married to Craig T. Nelson for a number of years). Anyway, I'm glad you hav a blog and good luck with your new series, I'm sure it will be a hit.
Regards,
Erin
Okay, this is gonna seem a little backward, because I posted to the more recent blog above this one a couple of days ago.
ReplyDeleteSince then I got my hands on some interviews and news updates I hadn't seen before. And one of the things that I noticed was the way you really do care for people. Your compassion, sensitivity, and respect just shine through. You're not just saying so-- you really do love us back! Thank you for that.
And although I missed "The State Within" (aired in Feb. on the BBC?-- I'm not up on television schedules), I really want to check it out after seeing a video clip and that promo pic. You know the one-- it depicts such exquisite duplicity: stern expression and coolly muted tones on the left, warmer tones and a subtle facial softening on the right. Whoever designed that photo was brilliant-- you can already see the beautiful conflict within her character. You've always been capable of that kind of complexity, Sharon, and it's great to see you in roles that show us your skills.
Man, I could go on for a while, but I guess what's really driving this post is that, to my pleasant amazement, you have really grown (even more than I imagined) as an actor and expanded your dynamic range in a way that I think few actors do. In the spirit of Debbie Novotny, I'll just say I'm fuckin' impressed. If you wish, you can email me through this account-- on my blogger profile page, there's a contact/email link and a link to my blog as well. It would be an honor to have a real dialog with you at some point, but given your incredible schedule of late, and the sheer number of fans who probably write, I'd understand if it weren't possible. Nevertheless, this is such great fun to be able to check back and see how you're doing and what you've got planned! Take care and keep posting.
Love and a warm healing hug,
Anne.
It's fantastic that your part of the website.
ReplyDeleteI am thrilled that the DVD is finally on it's way. I have such wonderful memories of the series and can't wait to see if again.
Thank you all for such a fantastic show and glad to hear your feeling better
Justin x
For some reading this they will shake their head and mutter "sad".. for me it was the most natural thing.
ReplyDeleteThe series touched me to the core - it was natural, relatable, relevant and empowering..
I was in high school and when asked to choose a subject to paint I came up with copying one of the press/media images released at the time of Christine Cagney peering around the edge of a brickwall in a warm jacket with gold badge (I can hear a Mmmm so a few of you know what I am referring to.)
An image of confidence, focused and sure. A character we came to know as sure as a member of our family - tis the power of the actor, the script and delivery.
Must admit the artwork didn't win an artistic prize but it won a spot in my memory which is the greatest prize of all.
If Cagney and Lacey was all that you did, Sharon you did it justice and did yourself justice.
Thank you again. Kat
Hi, Sharon...
ReplyDeleteI'm so excited that C&L is finally on DVD. I can't wait to get mine. I pre-ordered so it should be soon. My old VCR tapes are about worn out! I saw you and Tyne on TV last week and you both looked beautiful. You two are my very favorite actresses and you both hold a special place in my heart. I'm sorry you had pneumonia. I had it 7 yrs. ago and it definitely wasn't fun. It took me a year to recover. I'm glad you're back to work and I look forward to your new show. Take care...Sondra
Hi Sharon! I'm very excited to read your words...It's like a dream to me. I could never imagine that in my life I could "speak" with you. A part of my dream has been realized...!!!
ReplyDeleteI'm Italian so for me it's not easy to keep in touch with all your works. I perfectly know C&L series and Trials of Rosie O'neil because i could watch them on Italian tv but it's not the same for your movies so i have to buy them on Internet.
Now I'm looking for C&L DVD but it's not easy to find beacuse it has been made for US DVD Players only!!! And for Queer as Folk is the same!
I hope to read this blog soon with your comments...We are far but with this blog i can feel you and all the people writing here a little bit closer!!
Thank you for all...You are simply the best!!!!
OMG Sharon Gless.....who'd have thought it - what is it about Cagney and Lacey ? it was magic and still is. It was the high light of my week and before videos i used to set up my tape recorder and just tape the sound (!) and play it over again on my headphones reliving every delicious moment. Other girls had boy band posters in their rooms - i had you :o) thank you for whatever it is you did to create that magic that's never gone away... just hearing the theme tune makes the years roll back and my spine tingle hehe
ReplyDeleteyou're fab - always xxx
Wow am I ever slow! I just found the website and it is so cool to know there are other fans that have held out as much as I have! Thanks to everyone that had to do with okaying the release of the First Season! My sister and I have already seen it several times and keep finding new stuff. Thanks also to Ms. Daly & Ms. Gless for continuing to hold up the banner of "Hey, I'm me and if you don't like it..."
ReplyDeleteAll the best to you guys and have a good Summer!
Hi Sharon,
ReplyDeleteI did not know until this minute you had a blog. I am so happy to hear you have a new series. It's about time. You are one of the best to ever be on TV. If you're ever in Oklahoma City look up Bill W. I met him about 7 1/2 years ago and have coffee about once a week. Glad to hear you are feeling better. Take care.
Mary K.
okiegran2002@aol.com
hi all
ReplyDeletehave to say in uk we are enjoying the complete series i think of C&l and its just as fab now as it was then.
I watched the show when i was a kid and its been a great foundation for me grownin up. The life experience of both charactors prepared me for lifes ups and downs. Im no sad person whom was infatuated by the series, I was a child with no directors or direction. Thanks to all the folks involved in making that show as now im a social worker, married like mary beth with the temperment of christine. What a combination!
cheers folks!
watch repeats daily.....loved you on Graham Norton....
ReplyDeleteHow about another special on the 2 of you........
Whats your secret to growing old gracefully, naturally and beautifully?
Need to know!!
Love
Jude
I'm on a 2 week medical leave from work and was surfing the net and came upon this site. Thought I would check it out. I was quite impressed.
ReplyDeleteI'm a huge Cagney and Lacey fan. I watched that show religiously when it was on CBS, Lifetime and TNT/Spike. I only have 2 all time favorite tv shows and that is Cagney and Lacey and WINGS. Can't wait for the DVD collection to come out. It will have a special place in my collection.
I just wanted to say thank you for being part of a great show.
and for caring about your fans.
Hope you get back to feeling 100 percent and keep up the great work.
By the way love the new show and I DVR it so I can watch it uninterrupted.
Just happened across this web page.
ReplyDeleteYou posted in Feb 2007.
Am posting Oct 2007.
There you go.
Cagney and Lacey was huge here in The UK.
We all loved it.
A suggestion.
A sequel to trace what as fictional characters you have been doing.
Merely a suggestion.
You would be so surprised by the interest.
Food for thought.
Kind regards
Jan Concannon.
MERRY CHRISTMAS, SHARON! :)
ReplyDeletehi sharon i'm really glad the cagney and lacey dvd is here and hope one day that i will get to meet you when you come over to englend
ReplyDeleteDear Sharon,
ReplyDeleteWOW, I am so surprised. My mom even doesn't know how to switch on a computer *lol*. And you have an own Blog. Wow, once again.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts with all of us. You are amazing!
Thanks and best wishes,
Chris
Dear Sharon,
ReplyDeleteWOW, I am so surprised. My mom even doesn't know how to switch on a computer *lol*. And you have an own Blog. Wow, once again.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts with all of us. You are amazing!
Thanks and best wishes,
Chris
Dear Sharon,
ReplyDeleteToday while travelling somewhere in the middle east I happened to switch on the TV after work and saw you on mbc (Burn Notice) , I was so intrigued that I had seen you on TV before long ago when I was a student in London in the eighties - so I went surfing for over 2 hours to get your name and the programme I saw (C & L of course !), and am happy to have reached this site.
Sharon I maybe 20 years younger than you are but even now I find you every inch an elegant, beautiful and charming lady that you are !! God bless you and keep you happy always.
Niki
Please let us know if you can bring "Round Heeled Woman "to Toronto; you have tons of appreciating admirerers(?)in this neck of the woods!! Gary Joseph; Oshawa
ReplyDeleteHi Sharon,
ReplyDeleteafter changing my mind back and forth thinking about whether I should be writing something here I finally decided: yes.
This is the very first time I'm leaving a message on someone else's blog! And it's yours. (I don't believe I'm doing this...)
I was surfing the internet lately looking for something and then stumbled across an old Cagney & Lacey episode, actually just a clip of it. And, as chance would have it - it was a really tough one: Cagney's breakdown... I have no idea how I got there and I completely forgot what I was looking for in the first place. Honestly, I can't even remember now!
Unexpected as it was, it not only threw me back in time. This video clip sucked me in, put me through the mill and then spit me out again. I (virtually) hit the floor even before Cagney did. You've done a hell of a job in that episode! (Seeing this woman being so wounded and devastated was really hard to bear... it took a while to put myself together again.)
Since I had forgotten already what I was actually looking for and couldn't concentrate anymore on what it was I did a little research and watched and read a number of things. Then I saw the Hannah Free trailer and I thought I have to see more of that one. I did (got the DVD) and - a moment of silence here - it's simply wonderful!
Thanks to the good old VCR I'm able to watch more C&L episodes again (most of them unfortunately dubbed but currently better than nothing...). At the moment I feel a bit like a pearl diver. ;-)
Since I'm older now - like everybody else who watched the show then - I look at several things differently and I must say that I like Cagney & Lacey even better today. Many things have changed since then but remarkably (not really surprisingly) so many things haven't... Frightening, isn't it? I'm pretty sure you've heard that more than a bazillion times but again, It really was - and still is - an outstanding and unique show. I remember someone saying that nobody tried to do something similar since then. I do not believe that this could be repeatable or even replacable. Naaaaa... Considering today's type of filming/editing especially in crime series (including the overload of technical gimmicks in some of them) alone, there would hardly be enough space for letting the characters develop and grow that way over an extended period of time or giving them the chance to really act things out (which - for me - also means to pause for a moment here and there) - certainly not with such an emotional span. - At least, I very much doubt it. - The film material with its grainy look and comparatively many long and almost steady shots are definitely part of the list. (I also like the precisely choreographed background, in particular at the 14th precinct when it's really crowded. I have to smile everytime I see it). - Not to forget, you two were in fact a matchless dream team (and exquisitely funny, by the way). Too bad, you don't like to watch yourself (but I can imagine). I subsequently congratulate you on your first step with C&L. Give it another try when the other seasons are out on DVD. You may get used to it. It's really cool and, leaving a few little curiosities aside, getting better each season.
I'd better stop now before this becomes a novel... Besides, my English isn't that good - but I tried my best. In case I have overlooked something and there's any mistakes left, I'm sorry...
I hope you're well and enjoying yourself. - For my part, I'm having a ball watching. - I love it. So good to see you again ! :)