Duane Sharp

Kansas City-born Duane Sharp started acting and boxing at the age of ten. He moved to Chicago after graduating from the University of Kansas and studied improvisation at The Second City and Improv Olympia with Charna Halpern and the late Del Close. Duane continues to live and work in Chicago, where he has done almost everything in the performance realm but disc jockey. He is an active Black Belt in Shidokan Karate, a Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu NAGA 2006 Champion, a Weekend War kickboxing winner, a veteran of 60 amateur boxing matches and a fight choreographer. Duane's film credits include Road to Perdition (2002) as Father Callaway; Stir of Echoes (1999) as a Polish priest; the lead role in Zen Noir (2004) (Winner Best Feature at the D.C., Rhode Island and Moondance festivals) as a hardboiled detective who becomes a Zen monk; Dark (2003) (2003 Toronto Film Festival Selection) as a homeless religious zealot; and The Godfather of Green Bay (2005), which ends the string of spiritual roles, as Sheriff Artie, who attempts to rescue Lauren Holly and arrest Tony Goldwyn while high on reefer and Ring Dings. He continues the twisted law enforcement theme as a sadistic CIA interrogator in The Sleeper (2007); in Totally Confused (1998) he is a talent agent who is a pathological liar; in Butch Camp (1996) a stuffy bank manager who is a transvestite. For TV he has appeared on Early Edition (1996) and Kevin's Room (2001) (2003 first-place TV Special Black History Hall of Fame). He has been seen or heard in in over 100 commercials and over 200 training videos. Duane is the voice of the ring announcer and Herbie the trainer in EA Sports' Fight Night 3 video game. In Chicago theater Duane has performed with The Goodman, Steppenwolf, Chicago Shakespeare, The Court, Apple Tree, Shaw Chicago, Bailiwick, and many other area theaters.