Shamika Cotton

Shamika Cotton is an American actress from Cincinnati, Ohio. She is perhaps best known to television viewers as Michael Lee's drug-addicted mother Raylene Lee in the acclaimed HBO series The Wire.

Early years

Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Shamika Cotton graduated from Withrow High School, where her activities included studying advanced chemistry and playing softball and volleyball, in 1994 and from Cincinnati's competitive School for Creative and Performing Arts, where she studied choir, flute, and theater. She graduated from Central State University in 1999 with a degree in manufacturing engineering.

Career

In 2006, Cotton appeared on the I Wanna Be A Soap Star reality series to good reviews, and her performances from the show were also highlighted on Entertainment Tonight.
In November, 2007, Cotton launched a weekly videocast on YouTube entitled the “Shamika Chronicles”, a series that follows her life and offers a realistic look at the daily life and work of an aspiring actress.
In 2019, she played small role in the movie The Sun Is Also a Star.