Sherry Stringfield Bio
Sherry Stringfield (born June 24, 1967) is an American actress best known for her work on television. She first gained recognition on the CBS Daytime soap opera Guiding Light, where she played Christina “Blake” Thorpe from 1989 to 1992, and went on to become a familiar face on the ABC drama NYPD Blue. Stringfield is most widely recognized for originating the role of Dr. Susan Lewis on the NBC medical drama ER, a part she has returned to multiple times across the show’s long run. Over the course of her career, she has earned Emmy nominations, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a Golden Globe nomination, establishing herself as a respected dramatic television actress.
Early Life and Background
Sherry Stringfield was born on June 24, 1967, in the United States. Growing up, she developed an interest in storytelling and performance, eventually pursuing acting as a vocation. Her early training and dedication to the craft laid the foundation for a career that would begin in the world of daytime television before moving to prime-time drama.
During her formative years, Stringfield studied acting and later returned to her academic roots by teaching a script analysis class and directing several plays at her alma mater after leaving ER in 1996. This connection to formal training helped shape her disciplined approach to character work and grounded her performances in careful preparation.
Path to Celebrity
Stringfield’s professional acting career began in 1989 when she was cast on the long-running CBS daytime soap opera Guiding Light. Playing Christina “Blake” Thorpe, she spent three years on the series, earning recognition that included Soap Opera Digest Award nominations in 1991 and 1993 in the Outstanding Villain/Villainess category. After concluding her run on Guiding Light in 1992, she took a year to travel in Europe before returning to acting.
Back in the United States, Stringfield joined the cast of the ABC police drama NYPD Blue in 1993. She portrayed Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Laura Kelly, the ex-wife of officer John Kelly, played by David Caruso, during the show’s first season. Although her stint on the series was brief, the high-profile role introduced her to a broader prime-time audience and opened the door to one of the most important opportunities of her career.
Sherry Stringfield Career
Early Career (1989–1993)
Stringfield’s early career was anchored by her work on Guiding Light from 1989 to 1992, where she played Christina “Blake” Thorpe. The role established her as a daytime performer and brought her first industry recognition in the form of Soap Opera Digest Award nominations for Outstanding Villain/Villainess in 1991 and 1993.
Following a year of travel in Europe, she transitioned to prime-time television with a regular role on NYPD Blue in 1993. Playing Assistant District Attorney Laura Kelly gave her valuable exposure on one of the most talked-about dramas of the era, even though her time on the series was cut short when she was released from her contract.
Breakthrough (1994–2005)
In 1994, Stringfield joined the original cast of NBC’s medical drama ER as Dr. Susan Lewis, a role that would define her career. The series was an immediate hit, and Stringfield’s portrayal of the skilled, dedicated physician earned her three consecutive Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 1995, 1996, and 1997. In 1995, she also received a nomination for Favorite Female Performer at the People’s Choice Awards, and in 1995 and 1996 she was nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a TV-Series – Drama at the Golden Globe Awards.
Stringfield was contractually tied to appear in five seasons of ER, but a desire for a more normal life and to escape the show’s demanding filming schedule prompted her to leave the series early in its third season. To be released from her contract, she signed a no-work agreement that prevented her from appearing on television for the remainder of her original commitment. Her departure reportedly angered executive producer John Wells and sent a small shock wave through Hollywood, with her exit episode in November 1996 drawing 37 million viewers, the biggest night of the season for NBC.
After leaving ER in 1996, Stringfield explored a range of projects. She taught a script analysis class and directed several plays at her alma mater, then took film roles in 54 (1998) and Autumn in New York (2000), and appeared in the television movies Border Line (1999), produced by her ER co-star Anthony Edwards, and Going Home (2000), in which she starred opposite Jason Robards. She also guest-starred in the CBS drama Touched by an Angel in 1999 and was featured in the U.S. Got Milk? advertising campaign. In 1996, she won a Q Award for Best Actress in a Quality Drama Series, and in 1997 she shared a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series with several of her ER cast-mates.
Following the birth of her daughter, Stringfield changed her mind about leaving television behind and rejoined the cast of ER in 2001 for the show’s eighth season. Her return drew 26.7 million viewers and placed the series first in the ratings that week. During her second stint on ER, her character was featured in a special crossover with NBC’s New York City-based police drama Third Watch, which aired in 2002. She remained in the role for four additional seasons before announcing in August 2005 that she would leave the show again with the start of season 12.
Notable Works and Milestones
Stringfield’s signature role remains Dr. Susan Lewis on ER, a character she originated and revisited across the show’s run, including a return for the 2009 series finale “And in the End…” Beyond ER, she built a varied résumé with film appearances in 54 and Autumn in New York, television movies such as Border Line and Going Home, a Hallmark Channel movie The Confession in 2012, and guest-starring roles on series including Touched by an Angel, Shark, Law & Order, Curb Your Enthusiasm, In Plain Sight, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Under the Dome, and Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders. Her work has been recognized with multiple Emmy nominations, a Golden Globe nomination, a Q Award win, and a Screen Actors Guild Award win shared with her ER cast-mates.
Sherry Stringfield Award Nominations
Sherry Stringfield has received several award nominations across her career, beginning with two nominations in the Outstanding Villain/Villainess category at the Soap Opera Digest Awards in 1991 and 1993 for her work on Guiding Light. She earned three consecutive Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 1995, 1996, and 1997 for her portrayal of Dr. Susan Lewis on ER. In 1995, she was nominated for Favorite Female Performer at the People’s Choice Awards, and in 1995 and 1996 she received Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Performance by an Actress in a TV-Series – Drama. In 1997, readers of FHM magazine voted her one of the 100 Sexiest Women in the World.
Sherry Stringfield Awards Won
Sherry Stringfield has been honored with two verified award wins across her career. In 1996, she received a Q Award for Best Actress in a Quality Drama Series for her work on ER. The following year, in 1997, she shared a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series with several of her ER cast-mates.
Sherry Stringfield Family
Sherry Stringfield married journalist Larry Joseph in 1998, and the couple had two children together: a daughter named Phoebe, born in 2001, and a son named Milo, born in 2004. The couple separated in 2006 and eventually divorced.
Personal Life
In the early 1990s, Stringfield dated British businessman Paul Goldstein, chairman of Nevica skiwear, for nearly three years before the pressures of a long-distance romance ended the relationship. After her marriage to Larry Joseph and the birth of her two children, Stringfield has largely kept her personal life private. Despite being lactose intolerant, she was featured in the U.S. Got Milk? advertising campaign, a detail that has become a small but well-known footnote in her public story.