Name	Shamika Cotton
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Shamika Cotton is one of Hollywood's brightest talents, with a burgeoning career in the areas of television, film and theatre. Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she attended the renowned School for the Creative Performing Arts, whose alumni includes Sarah Jessica Parker and Rocky Carroll, as well as classmates Nick and Drew Lachey, Shamika decided to move to New York to continue to pursue her career in acting.

She quickly landed roles in numerous stage productions, including Ain't Supposed To Die, which was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for Best Musical in 2004, and Medea, both at the prestigious Classical Theatre of Harlem. Additional theatre credits include Vanities, Joe Turner's Come and Gone, and Iphigenia.

In 2006, she was selected to appear as a participant in soapNet's popular reality series "I Wanna Be A Soap Star," where she became a judge and fan favorite, finishing as a top finalist. She parlayed that role into a multi-episode arc on the CBS daytime drama "As The World Turns."

Displaying her versatility and range as an actor, she also appears in a recurring role as Michael's drug-addicted mother, in the fourth and fifth seasons of HBO's critically-acclaimed drama series "The Wire."

Additional television credits include a high-profile guest lead role on USA Network's "Law & Order: Criminal Intent," which premiered in November, 2007, and a national Robitussin commercial filmed in 2006.

Shamika recently completed production on the independent short drama "Stream," executive produced by Whoopi Goldberg, Tom Leonardis and Mitchell Reichgut, where she portrays "Young Jodi," a woman played in later life by Goldberg, in this searing drama focusing on mental illness.

In November, 2007, Shamika launched the "Shamika Chronicles," a weekly video podcast that follows her life as an actress, featuring a charming and intimate look at the behind-the-scenes trials and tribulations, from preparing for auditions, to walking down the red carpet, and everything in-between!

In her free time, Shamika enjoys billiards, fashion, music, dancing and volunteering on behalf of her favorite charities.

Shamika Cotton will next star as the younger version of Whoopi Goldberg's character in the sci-fi miniseries "Stream" on FEARnet.com; a Web/video-on-demand network jointly owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, Lionsgate and Comcast. Shamika will portray the young "Jodi Quinn," who struggles with experiencing various stages of her life-past, present and future-at the same time.

Shamika is best known for her gut wrenching and controversial portrayal of "Raylene Lee," Michael's (played by Tristan Wilds also of The CW's "90210") mother, on HBO's critically acclaimed drama series "The Wire".

Displaying her versatility and range as an actress, Shamika was seen at night as the drug addicted young mother on "The Wire," and by day as "Dr. Rourke" on CBS's "As The World Turns". She landed the multi-episodic arc on the daytime drama after being a fan favorite and holding down the "Star of the Show" slot for 3-weeks in a row on soapNet's popular reality series "I Wanna Be A Soap Star".

Additional television credits include a high-profile guest starring role on USA Network's "Law & Order: Criminal Intent," and various commercials.

Shamika's talent comes as no surprise as she attended the renowned School for the Creative Performing Arts in Cincinnati, whose alumni includes Sarah Jessica Parker, Rocky Carroll, Jeffrey D. Sams; as well as classmates Nick and Drew Lachey.

After moving to New York, she quickly landed roles in numerous stage productions, including the 2004 Drama Desk Best Musical nominated 30th year revival production of Melvin Van Peebles' Tony Nominated Ain't Supposed To Die… with the prestigious Classical Theatre of Harlem, in which she played the character originated by Phylicia Rashad. Also, Shamika originated the roles of "Odysseus" and "Messenger" in P. Seth Bauer's Iphigenia. Her lead performance in the New York premiere of Garret's Jon Groenveld's Missives, garnered rave reviews including:

"Ms. Cotton, thoughtful and controlled at the beginning, does a slow burn of grief that leads genuine emotion to the sentimental ending." - Rachel Saltz, THE NEW YORK TIMES



Shamika launched the "Shamika Chronicles," a video podcast (www.youtube.com/shamikachronicles) that follows her life, featuring a charming and intimate look at the behind-the-scenes trials and tribulations of being one of Hollywood's and Broadway's newest rising stars; from preparing for auditions, to walking down the red carpet and everything in-between!

In her free time, Shamika is a guest speaker for and serves on the creative committee of Abundant Life Creative Services, an organization which focuses on helping young people discover and maximize their unique gifts. In addition of volunteering on behalf of her favorite charitable organizations, Shamika has an obsession with billiards and a penchant for fashion.