Sherri Saum

Sherri M. Saum is an American actress and former model, best known for her television roles across daytime serials and primetime drama series. Born in Dayton, Ohio, she was discovered at a local model search convention during high school. She spent her early career modeling during summer breaks before moving to New York City to pursue modeling full-time with Images Management. Saum subsequently attended Ohio State University and New York University to pursue studies in psychology before transitioning into professional acting.

Saum launched her television career in 1997 when she was cast as Vanessa Hart in the NBC daytime soap opera Sunset Beach, a role she held until 1999 and for which she earned a Daytime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series. Following this debut, she joined the cast of the Showtime series Beggars and Choosers and went on to portray Keri Reynolds in the ABC soap opera One Life to Live from 2001 to 2003. She later secured recurring and series regular roles in primetime television, including appearances in FX's Rescue Me and HBO's In Treatment.

Saum achieved widespread recognition for starring as Lena Adams Foster in the Freeform drama series The Fosters, which aired from 2013 to 2018. Following the conclusion of the main series, she reprised the character as a recurring guest star in its spinoff series, Good Trouble. Throughout her career, Saum has also made guest appearances on prominent television shows such as Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, How to Get Away with Murder, Gossip Girl, and Locke & Key.

In addition to her screen acting work, Saum has contributed to community outreach and charitable initiatives, including volunteering with youth-focused organizations. She remains active in the entertainment industry as a television performer, taking on roles across various streaming platforms and broadcast networks.