Born Sharisse Jackson, the ambitious actress enrolled in the Al Fann Theatrical Ensemble and began modeling with the reputable John Robert Powers and Barbizon agencies as a child. While both fields seemed promising, Jackson set her sights on becoming an actress and nurtured her talent while working with acting coach, Bob Feldman. By age 11, Jackson was inundated with commercial gigs and guest-starring roles for popular TV shows like “Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper” (ABC, 1993), My So-Called Life” (ABC, 1994), and “The Steve Harvey Show” (WB, 1996). Jackson also made an appearance on the critically acclaimed but extremely short-lived series “South Central” (1994) which cast included reigning superstar Jennifer Lopez. At 13, the motivated ingénue received the Award of Distinction from the Directors Guild of America for writing, directing, and producing a school film. With sufficient training in front of the camera, Jackson was ready to make her presence known as a cast regular on “Moesha” in 1996. Her role as the quirky and boy-crazy Niecy allowed Jackson to share her flair for comedy with young audiences everywhere, and helped jump start her career into feature films.
In 1997, the seasoned actress landed a supporting role in the feel-good comedy, “Good Burger” (1997), about a group of teenagers working at a fast-food joint. The comedic actress tried her luck in more mature, sophisticated films with a small stint in the 2000 romantic drama “Love & Basketball,” featuring Omar Epps and Sanaa Lathan. Jackson continued acting on the small screen with recurring spots on the popular UPN series, “The Parkers” (1999) and “Girlfriends” (2000).
While keeping a steady career in TV, Jackson also famously played mother to her two children Kori and Kaleb, both fathered by Federline, also known as “Mr. Britney Spears,” just prior to his becoming involved with the pop star. Their triangle became an major media frenzy; as a result, Jackson was flooded with television offers, including that of a reality-TV series set to showcase the struggles of being a single parent in showbiz.