Actor and recording artist Sam Harris was born on June 4, 1961 in Cushing, Oklahoma. He is best known as the winner of the first season of the national television talent search Star Search, in 1983. His stint on the show led to his first single, “Sugar Don’t Bite”, which was a modest success on the charts—it reached #36 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1984. He went on to record nine more albums, assisted with concerts in different venues across the world.
Harris later decided to branch out into other forms of performance. He ventured into Broadway, where his performances in several musicals and plays were well received. His role in a production of Grease earned him a Drama Desk Award nomination. His role in another musical, The Life, earned him a Drama League Award, as well as Drama Desk and Tony nominations. He has also ventured into writing and mounting one-man shows.
Harris’ work for the screen reached even further. It began as early as 1984 when, fresh off his success in Star Search, he created and wrote episodes for the fantasy series Down to Earth. He only made a return to acting in 2000, through the film In the Weeds. In 2006, he took a role in the comedy series The Class, where he appeared as the high effeminate husband of Holly (Lucy Punch), Perry. The series only lasted one season.