S. Epatha Merkerson
- Acting
- November 28, 1952 · Saginaw, Michigan, USA
Biography
S. Epatha Merkerson (born Sharon Epatha Merkerson) is an American film, stage, and television actress. She has won a Golden Globe, Emmy Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award, Obie Award, 4 NAACP Image Awards, and 2 Tony Award nominations. She is best known for her role as NYPD Lieutenant Anita Van Buren (1993–2010) on the long-running NBC police procedural drama series Law & Order, as well as the Law & Order TV movie Exiled. She appeared in 390 episodes of the series, more than any other cast member. She has a starring role as Sharon Goodwin on NBC's Chicago Med. She also had a recurring role as Reba (the mail carrier) on Pee-wee's Playhouse, and Ms. St. Marth on the TV series Here and Now. She has appeared in feature films including She's Gotta Have It, Loose Cannons, Jacob's Ladder, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Random Hearts, Radio, Black Snake Moan, Lincoln (2012), and Peeples. She has also appeared in TV movies including A Place for Annie, A Mother's Prayer, Breaking Through, Lackawanna Blues, and The Gabby Douglas Story.
Known for
Filmography
- Eye for an Eye · May
- We Grown Now · Anita
- Poker Face · Joyce Carter
- Desmond's Not Here Anymore · Selma
- Barbecue · Lillie Anne
- The Great Work Begins: Scenes from Angels in America · Belize
- Blood Sugar Rising · Narrator (Voice)
- You Can Go · Mrs. Bryant
- Year by the Sea · Liz
- Chicago Med · Sharon Goodwin
- The Challenger · Jada
- Life's Essentials with Ruby Dee · Self
- The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon · Self
- The Gabby Douglas Story · Miss Caroline
- Chicago P.D. · Sharon Goodwin
- Peeples · Daphne Peeples
- The Contradictions of Fair Hope · Director
- Lincoln · Lydia Smith
- Chicago Fire · Sharon Goodwin
- Finding Your Roots · Self
- We Heard the Bells: The Influenza of 1918 · Narrator (Voice)
- Mother and Child · Ada
- The Good Wife · Judge Melanie Ellis
- The Six Wives of Henry Lefay · Effa
- Zora Neale Hurston: Jump at the Sun · Narrator (Voice)
- Girl, Positive · Ariel Winters
- Slipstream · Bonnie
- Black Snake Moan · Angela
- Rachael Ray · Self
- The Best of The Tony Awards: The Plays · Berniece (segment "The Piano Lesson")
- The Closer · Dr. Rebecca Dioli
- Law & Order: Trial by Jury · Anita Van Buren
- Lackawanna Blues · Rachel 'Nanny' Crosby
- Jersey Girl · Doctor #1
- Radio · Maggie
- The Ellen DeGeneres Show · Self
- Law & Order: Criminal Intent · Anita Van Buren
- The Rising Place · Lessie Watson
- Random Hearts · Nea
- Paul Robeson: Here I Stand · Eslanda Robeson (Voice)
- Exiled · Lieutenant Anita Van Buren
- An Unexpected Life · Beverly Hawkins
- The View · Self
- After the SIlence · Barbara
- A Mother's Prayer · Ruby
- A Place for Annie · Alice
- Frasier · Dr. McCaskill
- It's Nothing Personal · Louise Waters
- Here and Now · Claudia St. Marth
- Mann & Machine · Capt. Margaret Claghorn
- Second Chances · Ruth Clayton
- Terminator 2: Judgment Day · Tarissa Dyson
- Jacob's Ladder · Elsa
- Law & Order · Anita Van Buren, Denise Winters
- Navy Seals · Jolena
- Moe's World
- Loose Cannons · Rachel
- Pee-wee's Playhouse Christmas Special · Reba
- LIVE with Kelly and Mark · Self
- Pee-wee's Playhouse · Reba
- She's Gotta Have It · Doctor Jamison
- The Cosby Show · Elena
- Tony Awards · Self
- Today · Self
- The Emmy Awards · Self
- Sexual Healing · Alberta Gay
- After All