Kalinda Sharma

Grew Up… born in 1984, or so she says. It’s hard to believe she’s that young, but Kalinda keeps her past (and her present) as mysterious as possible. There is no mention of any family having raised Kalinda; her street smarts and general savvy make it seem like she could have raised herself.

Living… in Chicago. 

Profession… in-house investigator for the law firm Stern, Lockhart, & Gardner. Kalinda traffics in the more ethically dubious side of the law, often using unorthodox methods to get the information she needs. She tails jurors, impersonates neighbors, and breaks into apartments to dig up information for the firm. Before working at Stern Lockhart, Kalinda worked for the State’s Attorney office under Peter Florrick. Now Kalinda often works alongside attorney Alicia Florrick, Peter’s semi-estranged wife.

Interests… cars and weapons. Kalinda likes driving fast. She definitely owns and isn’t afraid to use a baseball bat, though she doesn’t play baseball. Don’t mess with Kalinda.

Relationship Status… actively single. She identifies as bisexual and has been involved in both short and long-term relationships with members of both sexes. Kalinda’s lure can be pretty potent, even though – or maybe especially because – she doesn’t seem to need anyone. A woman in the office once tells Cary, a lawyer at the firm, that the woman isn’t a lesbian. Cary replies, “I know a lot of people who weren’t anything until they met Kalinda.”

Challenge… occasionally letting someone past her defenses. Kalinda is intensely private, cynical, and highly individualistic, yet she can also be a great friend. She lies to strangers without hesitation, but finds it difficult to be dishonest with friends. Her challenge seems to be finding a balance between that loyalty to others and her private, withdrawn nature. She and Alicia are beginning a tentative friendship; it’s a start.

Personality… cunning, discreet, and charming. Kalinda is many things to many people, but when it comes to work, she’s all business. Kalinda is rarely caught on her back foot. She has a misanthropic outlook on human behavior, and as such doesn’t give anyone the chance to get the better of her. For all her seriousness, though, Kalinda knows how to be playful too, in her own way. After giving someone the middle finger, Kalinda tells Alicia, “You oughtta try it sometime. It’s good for your soul.”