Michael Michele

Michael Michele (born August 30, 1966) is an American film and television actress. She played Dr. Cleo Finch on the medical drama ER and Det. Rene Sheppard on the police procedural Homicide: Life on the Street. Her films include the Academy Award-nominated film Ali.

Personal life

Michele was born Michael Michele Williams in Evansville, Indiana, the elder of two daughters. Her father is white and her mother is black. Her father is a furniture-rental entrepreneur and her mother was employed by Bristol-Myers. She was named for her mother's best friend, Michael Ann. Michele attended Howard Roosa Elementary School and Benjamin Bosse High School, where she was active on the basketball team. She has a son J. Brandon, born December 21, 2004.

Career

Michele has appeared in music videos by R&B singers Freddie Jackson and Eric Gable. Michele is known for her role as Dr. Cleo Finch on the television series ER from 1999–2002 and her role as Det. Rene Sheppard on the final season of Homicide: Life on the Street. She also had a starring role in the short-lived television series Kevin Hill and a recurring role in New York Undercover. Michele played the role of Veronica Porsche Ali in the 2001 film Ali. She appeared in an episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit that aired in early 2007. She also appeared in two episodes of the fourth season of House as a doctor who had previously worked with the CIA. In 2009 Michele appeared in the Hallmark Channel original movie Relative Stranger with fellow ER cast member Eriq La Salle.