Last summer CPP staffers David Alford and Joseph Stam attended the Christian Worldview Film Festival in support of last year’s project “Royal Ashes” There, they caught a viewing of two other films that were being featured there, “Imposter Pastor” and the new Kendrick Brothers film, “Lifemark”. Both films featured an actress who really stood out to them, Sharonne Lanier.
Sharonne’s resume goes far beyond those films as she is one of the most, in demand, actresses in the Christian film industry today. So, when it came time to cast the role of Shelley Bowden in CPP’s new project, “Searching for the Elephant”, we were ecstatic when we saw Sharonne’s name on the casting call list. “It was a no-brainer,” SFTE Director, David Alford remarked, “About three lines into Sharonne’s audition she had the role. She’s just that good. We had many talented actresses audition, but Sharonne brought an extra depth and humanity to Shelley that captured her struggle as a character perfectly. The role was instantly hers if she wanted it, and are grateful that she did.”
Sharonne plays Shelley Bowden, a single mom widowed at a very young age and left to care for her husband’s infant son. She’s tough when she has to be and deeply caring when needed. Shelley struggles to keep her son from chasing his father’s path and going down a road that seems destined for self-destruction.
Acting has been in Sharone’s blood since she was a little girl. In fourth grade, her teacher forced the entire class to learn Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech for an oratorical contest. Sharonne thought this idea was weird, but little did she know this would change the course of her life forever. She discovered she had a talent for performing in front of people. This talent would lead her down the road of acting and blossom into her undying passion. Sharonne Lanier studied Theatre Performance at the University of Central Florida graduating magna cum laude. While studying, doubts and thoughts of giving up began to cloud her dreams. On the verge of switching paths, her mother said to her, “I believe God gives you dreams and visions for a reason. Don’t run from it”. Since then, she hasn’t looked back. Sharonne is a proud member of the Actor’s Equity Association and has performed professionally in countless stage plays, television, and film productions. One of her proudest achievements was working as a company member at the AD Players under Jeannette Clift George where she learned and experienced the value of keeping God at the center of her aspirations. It is not Sharonne’s goal to simply entertain, but she says, “I am an actress who will use my God given talents to positively motivate people. I seek to participate in productions that aim to teach and enhance the joy and integrity of people’s lives. I will leave this world knowing I contributed to making a number of people’s lives easier to live.”
You can follow Sharonne’s journey as Shelley Bowden in the film “Searching for the Elephant” here at this website or follow us on Facebook at “Searching For The Elephant” or Instagram @searchingfortheelephantmovie
