سيرة
Sheri, an Actor, Director, Writer, Filmmaker, and founder of Mann Woman Productions, LLC, has over 50 years of experience in the Film and TV industry. She trained under Stella Adler, one of the most renowned acting teachers of our time. Recent screen roles include the lead in "Nana Dara is Gay," which was featured at the Cannes Film Festival and other international festivals, multiple episodes of "Kountry Wayne Skits" directed by Mike Bless, Tyler Perry’s "A Fall From Grace" (her third film with Perry), and a guest appearance on Starz’s "Hightown." She enjoyed being part of the "Table 19" ensemble and working again with Jeffrey Blitz on his Comedy Central series "Review." Sheri co-produced the feature and multimedia project "Becoming a Man in 127 Easy Steps," starring Scott Turner Schofield, which streamed on Kinema and screened at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2020 and 2021, as well as L.A. Outfest 2020. Upcoming acting projects include the feature film "Eidolon" by Dana Noffke and "Missing While Black," a film she co-produced, directed by Chris Anthony Hamilton, selected for the 2026 Atlanta Film Festival.
Bringing her background in Psychology (M.A., two degrees) and Journalism (UCLA certification and family heritage) to the screen, Sheri hosted and interviewed for the second season of "Confession Box" across various platforms. She serves as a Board Member for Atlanta’s Out On Film and participates on the Diversity Committee for SAG-AFTRA, having served on its Board in past years. Her film with Fran Burst, "Amanda Torres: Relentlessly Alive," premiered at FILMER by AIR Serenbe and screened at BronzeLens and MOM film festivals in 2020. As the director of the short film "When We Were," she earned the Best Cinematography Award for DP Robert Vardaros and was recognized in the Best Of 2018 selections, also receiving a nomination for Best Original Score by Evan Dangerfield among 90 films in Atlanta’s 48 Hour Project.
Sheri graduated with honors at age 19 with a double major in Theater and Psychology from the Catholic University of America and later earned a Master’s in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University. She takes pride in co-producing and featuring in Giovanni (Jo) Coda’s Italian-American feature "Bullied to Death," which has gained accolades worldwide and stars her son, Tendal Mann. Sheri has several TV and film projects in development and actively contributes as an industry expert, panelist, and moderator at film festivals and industry events. She has been directed in both comedic and dramatic roles by notable names such as Jeffrey Blitz, Mike Newell, Jamie Babbit, Tyler Perry, and Peter Segal, along with promising emerging directors. She has acted alongside stars including Jack Lemmon, James Garner, Janet Jackson, Esai Morales, James Earl Jones, Dwayne Johnson, and many talented colleagues.
Directors and critics alike have praised her consistent, powerful performances over four decades: Backstage described her as "...an under-appreciated performer who garnered well-deserved attention...unsentimental performance"; the Atlanta Journal-Constitution called her portrayal of Lindsey "heart-wrenching"; and Southern Voice noted her performance as "brave and subtle -- no pathos or cheap sentiment here."
Sheri is also a respected production, acting, and vocal coach, teaching students of all ages in New York and Atlanta. She holds faculty positions at the Tony Award-winning Alliance Theater, Emory University’s Theater Department, and the Goizueta Business School at Emory as a Visiting Lecturer on Creativity. Additionally, she teaches film at The Art Institute, voice at Baruch College, and acting at her private Atlanta studio. She has been honored to serve as a judge for Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theater’s August Wilson acting competition and the Georgia Governor’s Honors Program in Theater. Sheri volunteers with Canine CellMates, using improvisation and other acting techniques to improve the lives of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated men.
Born and raised in Georgia (Atlanta and Athens), Sheri began acting in major theater productions as a child, debuting as Baby June in "Gypsy" at the University of Georgia at age eight. Recently, she starred in multiple indie shorts that have toured the festival circuit and received numerous awards, including comedies "Plan B" and "Small Talk," and dramas "Refuge," "The Way of Justice," "Red," and "Insanity du Jour." She played Professor Stewart in Tyler Perry’s "Why Did I Get Married?" and "Why Did I Get Married Too?," both box office hits, and appeared as Chief Juror in Perry’s "A Fall From Grace."
A dedicated political activist, Sheri co-founded grassroots social justice groups and was elected as a Delegate to the 2012 Democratic National Convention supporting Barack Obama. She enjoys fine wine, food, and company, and is the proud mother of actors Tendal Mann and Royce Mann, the latter an Emory University Scholar graduate and seasoned political activist. Sheri currently resides in Georgia and travels extensively for meaningful projects, having worked in Italy, Japan, Canada, New Orleans, New York, California, Tennessee, North Carolina, Michigan, and Florida. "Have passport, will travel!
