Columbia, SC, native Monique Coleman began her training as an actress at the Workshop Theater School of Dramatic Arts as a young girl, and eventually got her first commercial role in an audition that she didn't even realize she was taking part in. When a talent scout arrived in the classroom claiming to be a substitute teacher, Coleman was recruited to appear in a television commercial. In the wake of that early success, the ambitious young actress began auditioning for every role she could find in the Southeast region.

As a result she would land roles in several local and regional commercials, and eventually make her debut as a female lead in the independently produced 1995 short Mother of the River. Two years later, Coleman was nominated for a Young Artist Award as a result of her performance in the Family Channel feature The Ditchdigger's Daughters, and after writing, producing, directing, and starring in the one-person play Voices from Within as a high-school sophomore she became increasingly involved in community activities. Later, after graduating from high school, Coleman earned her B.F.