Netflix's hit "You" is one of those semi-anthology shows that swaps cast members each season to introduce viewers to several rising stars. In Season 3, (open in new tab) new dad Joe (Penn Badgley) and his wife Love (Victoria Pedretti) move to Madre Linda, a fictional Bay Area suburb (open in new tab) full of biohacking technicians and judgmental mom influencers. Queen bee of the quiet suburbs, Sherry Conrad is an influencer, the perfect wife and mother, and the key to popularity among Love and Joe's neighbors.

Sharita Grant shines as Shelley, bringing unexpected nuance to a conventional mean girl, and we went from hating to loving the character throughout the season. (Opens in new tab) In real life, Grant is a Juilliard-trained actor with a top-class Instagram and natural hair care line. Here is everything we know about this rising star.

The 33-year-old actor was born in August 1988 in Baltimore, Md. He grew up between Baltimore and Petersburg, Virginia, and attended the Baltimore School for the Arts, where at age 17 he received a scholarship to study theater at the Juilliard School in New York, graduating in 2010.

After graduating from Juilliard, she appeared in Shakespeare productions at the Public Theater in New York City, including the role of Cassandra in the dark comedy "Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike" in September 2012, while working with Sigourney Weaver and David Hyde Pierce, She has appeared off-Broadway and on Broadway, and was nominated for a 2013 Tony Award for Best Actress.

Grant first caught the attention of streaming audiences when she played attorney Cassidy Diamond in Season 3 of Search Party. This comedic role required her to be fiercely vocal as a young lawyer arguing a case for the first time on the defense side of a murder trial. She kept the role from becoming cliché (as she did with the role of Shelley), but played it with nuance and empathy that captivated the audience.

Grant began developing hair care products after her hair was damaged following her three-year stint on NCIS: New Orleans. She told Refinery29 (open in new tab) that the constant use of extensions and heat styling on the show damaged her naturally fragile hair.

"When I left that show, I had a bald spot in the middle of my head. By the end of season three, my hair was falling out fast. So I put on my cosmetic chemistry hat, did some research, and created Four Naturals Treatment.

"In 'You,' my hair was straightened every day for six months. And I left that show with more hair than when I appeared on it. It was powerful to give my products to a white hair stylist and give her instructions and have her do what we knew would be damaging. And I didn't experience that damage," she continued."

Grant, a former UFC women's strawweight champion, and Aguilar met last year through mutual friends during a summer of pandemics and massive protests. Aguilar told The Advocate (opens in new tab), "When we met, everything in the world was uncertain. But I think the universe gave us a reset and put each other in our lives for a reason."

Grant lives in LA with her two dogs, a King Charles Spaniel named Mr. Tits and a pit bull/Australian Shepherd mix named Candy Alizee. Her preferred workout is exotic Russian pole dancing, which she started after turning 30. She explains on Instagram (open in new tab) that this practice has helped her "transform from the inside out."

"As a black lesbian, I have defined my sexuality, my sensuality, and all the ways my views of myself have been shaped by the dominant culture. Standing alone in a room listening to your favorite music, watching your body take shape and maintain its posture, loving and celebrating yourself no matter what, is a radical act. Focusing your joy and enjoyment on working out is revolutionary," she writes.

Grant told the AV Club (opens in new tab) that she was a fan of 'You' even before she decided to appear." My hotel companion on my last trip abroad before the world changed In December 2019, I was alone in a hotel in Barcelona, wondering what show to watch, when Netflix recommended "You." I remember thinking, 'Do I really want to watch a thriller about a stalker and a serial killer while traveling alone? I absolutely did. I watched it in one sitting and fell in love. It was very uncomfortable, but I thought it was funny."

She also said that one of her favorite things about playing an influencer was that early in the season, she was terrified of love.

"People kept telling me, including my girlfriend, 'I hate your character, he's terrible. Until this role, I had not yet had the opportunity to play someone that people really despise. I love why people hate her. She uses her femininity as a weapon. She is super gaslighting, super passive aggressive, but she exercises it in a friendly way. I was drawn to playing this terrifying character."

As season 3 began, she read fan reactions to her character on social media.

"I woke up this morning and said, 'Oh my God. I gotta go on Twitter. This morning I was like, 'I hate Shelly. Sherry is annoying.' (Later) now my comment is, 'I'm so glad they survived,'" she told Refinery29 (opens in new tab)." Already "I've been a fan of the show, and this is the first time I've ever gotten a phone call. I feel like a Netflixer. I'm on Twitter and I'm like, "What are you talking about?"

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