She began her career as a fashion model before landing a role in the short-lived ABC primetime soap opera Paper Dolls in 1984, as well as starring in the romantic comedy film The Sure Thing (1985).

Thereafter, Sheridan appeared in lead roles in numerous television films and miniseries, including Lucky Chances (1990), Virus (1995), and The People Next Door (1996).

[3] In 1969, her mother Sally (billed as Dani Sheridan) featured in the James Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service as one of Blofeld's "Angels of Death".

The following years, she had star-billed roles in Somebody's Daughter (1992), Time to Heal (1994), Shadows of Desire (1994), Virus (1995), Silver Strand (1995), The People Next Door (1996), Murder in My Mind (1997), Dead Husbands (1998), The Spiral Staircase (2000), Haven't We Met Before?

[10] On November 15, 2004, Sheridan (in character as Britt) appeared with NFL wide receiver Terrell Owens in an introductory skit to that evening's Monday Night Football episode.

[11] On 14 March 2005, the Federal Communications Commission ruled that the skit did not violate decency standards, because it contained no outright nudity or foul language.

[12] Sheridan was nominated for a 2005 Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film[7] and was ranked number 48 on Maxim's 2006 Hot 100 List.

[14][15] Unlike the other main characters who had been killed off over the years on Desperate Housewives, Sheridan did not make an appearance in the show's final episode, which aired in May 2012.

In her lawsuit, Sheridan claimed wrongful termination, assault and battery, gender violence, discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and age, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

[16] The show's stars, Teri Hatcher, Felicity Huffman, Marcia Cross, and Eva Longoria, pledged their support to help Cherry in his battle against Sheridan's allegations.

[21] Cherry asserted that the alleged assault was in fact a tap to the head with his fingers, done in rehearsals when he was demonstrating to Sheridan how she should play a physical gag in a scene.

He also stated that the decision to kill off her character was already approved in May 2008 (several months before the alleged hitting incident in September 2008) due, in part, to the need to reduce the show's budget.

He also cited Sheridan's unprofessional on-set behavior (such as habitual lateness, not learning her lines, and feuding with her co-stars), and the fact that her character had simply "run its course" as other reasons for the decision.

[22] On 13 March 2012, the judge dismissed the battery charge against Cherry due to lack of evidence, and the lawsuit then focused solely on Sheridan's alleged wrongful termination by ABC.

A retrial was scheduled for September 2012, but this was dismissed in August when the Los Angeles Court of Appeal determined that Sheridan had not been wrongfully fired.

The court rejected Sheridan's argument that ABC's decision not to renew her option for another season was analogous to a violation of at-will employment.

[24] However, the court declared that Sheridan was free to file an amended lawsuit alleging that ABC retaliated against her for complaining about unsafe working conditions.

[31] In 2010, Sheridan was cast in an untitled CBS comedy pilot as a mother who battles with her British ex-husband (played by Paul Kaye) to get her teenaged daughter to stardom,[32][33] but the show was not picked up.

[36] On 28 November 2017, it was announced that Sheridan was cast in The CW remake of Dynasty as Alexis Morell Carrington, a role played by Joan Collins in the original series.

"[63][64] Fans of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills have since advocated for Sheridan to join the cast of the show, especially after Richards' departure at the end of the tenth season.