S. Epatha Merkerson
S. Epatha Merkerson | |
---|---|
Born | November 28, 1952 Saginaw, Michigan, U.S. |
Education | Wayne State University (BFA), New York University (MFA) |
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 1976–present |
S. Epatha Merkerson
Early life
Merkerson was born Sharon Epatha Merkerson in Saginaw, Michigan, and raised in Detroit.[7][8][9] She is the youngest of five children raised by her mother Ann who worked for the post office.[7]
During a segment on the January 31, 2012, episode of The Wendy Williams Show, when asked about the origin of her name, Merkerson said that "Epatha" was the name of "a grade-school teacher who was influential in keeping her father in school".[5] Merkerson graduated from Cooley High School in 1970 and earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in theatre at Wayne State University in 1976.[9][8] She then went on to obtain her masters degree in fine arts from New York University in 1978. She was made an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters by Wayne State University in May 2009[10] and received the same distinction from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore in 2012, from Montclair State University in 2013, and from the University of Pittsburgh in 2017.
Career
In 1978, she moved to New York City.[9]
Merkerson made her television debut as Reba the Mail Lady on Pee-wee's Playhouse. Merkerson has also appeared on The Cosby Show, among other series.[10]
She first appeared in the NBC police procedural drama Law & Order in "Mushrooms" (Season 1: Episode 17) as the grief-stricken mother of an 11-month-old boy who is shot accidentally. Her performance impressed the producers enough to select Merkerson to replace Dann Florek as detective squad chief in the series' fourth season, making her one of the few actors to secure a recurring role after an initial single appearance on the show.
Merkerson's career began to rise after she assumed the lead role in the one-woman play
On April 1, 2010, it was confirmed that after 17 seasons, Merkerson would leave Law & Order at the end of the show's twentieth season.[6] Her departure from Law & Order, which aired on May 24, 2010, was also the show's final episode. In total, Merkerson appeared on the series for 17 consecutive seasons—395 episodes—which was more than any other actor associated with the program.[11]
In 2012, Merkerson became the host of Find Our Missing, a reality-reenactment series on
In 2014, Merkerson appeared in the
Personal life
Merkerson appeared on the television series of
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1986 | She's Gotta Have It | Dr. Jamison | |
1990 | Loose Cannons | Officer Rachel | |
Jacob's Ladder | Elsa | ||
Navy Seals | Jolena 'Jo' | ||
1991 | Terminator 2: Judgment Day | Tarissa Dyson
|
|
1999 | Random Hearts | Nea | |
2001 | The Rising Place | Lessie Watson | |
2003 | Radio | Maggie | |
2004 | Jersey Girl | Doctor | |
2005 | Lackawanna Blues | Rachel "Nanny" Crosby | |
2006 | Black Snake Moan | Angela | |
2007 | Slipstream | Bonnie | |
2009 | The Six Wives of Henry Lefay | Effa | |
Mother and Child | Ada | ||
2012 | Find Our Missing | Herself | |
Lincoln | Lydia Smith | ||
2013 | Tyler Perry Presents Peeples
|
Daphne Peeples | |
2015 | The Challenger | Jada Miller | |
2016 | Year by the Sea | Liz | |
2023 | We Grown Now | Anita |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1986–1989 | Pee-wee's Playhouse | Reba, The Mail Lady | 16 episodes |
1988 | The Cosby Show | Book Club Member #5 | Episode: "Bookworm" |
1989 | CBS Summer Playhouse | Jimmie | Episode: "Elysian Fields" |
1990 | Equal Justice | Mrs. Walters | Episode: "Pilot" |
1991 | Law & Order | Denise Winters | Episode: "Mushrooms" |
1992 | Mann & Machine | Captain Margaret Claghorn | 9 episodes |
1992–1993 | Here and Now | Ms. St. Marth | 12 episodes |
1993–2010 | Law & Order | Lieutenant Anita Van Buren | 388 episodes Nominated - NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series (1997–1999 & 2001) Nominated - Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series (1997–2002 & 2004) NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (2006 & 2010–2011) Nominated - NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (2007–2009) |
1994 | A Place for Annie | Alice | TV movie |
1995 | A Mother's Prayer | Ruby | |
1998 | Exiled | Lieutenant Anita Van Buren | |
2000 | Frasier | Dr. McCaskill | Episode: "Dark Side of the Moon" |
2001 | Art:21 | Herself | Episode: "Spirituality" |
A Girl Thing | Lani | TV movie | |
2002 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Lieutenant Anita Van Buren | Episode: "Badge" |
2005 | Law & Order: Trial by Jury | Episode: "Skeleton" | |
Lackawanna Blues | Rachel 'Nanny' Crosby | TV movie Prism Award for Performance in a Television Movie or Miniseries
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie Nominated - Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead Nominated - Satellite Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film | |
2007 | The Closer | Dr. Rebecca Dioli | 3 episodes |
Girl, Positive | Ariel Winters | TV movie Nominated - NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special | |
2012 | Drop Dead Diva | Judge Hiller | Episode: "Lady Parts" |
2013 | The Good Wife | Judge Melanie Ellis | Episode: "Going for the Gold" |
Deception
|
Beverly | 3 episodes | |
2014 | The Gabby Douglas Story | Miss Caroline | TV movie |
2015 | Being Mary Jane | Mark's Mother | Episode: "Freedom" |
2015–Present | Chicago Med | Sharon Goodwin | Main |
Chicago Fire | 5 episodes | ||
2016–Present | Chicago P.D. | ||
2023 | Poker Face | Joyce Carter | Episode: "Time of the Monkey" |
Awards and nominations
- Awards
- 1992 Obie Award Outstanding Performance (I'm Not Stupid)
- 1999 Helen Hayes Award Outstanding Lead Actress-Resident Play (The Old Settler)
- 2002 Regulus Award For her dedication to lung cancer awareness and education
- Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie(Lackawanna Blues)
- 2006 SunDeis Film Festival at Brandeis University Entertainer of the Year Award
- 2006 Screen Actors Guild AwardOutstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries (Lackawanna Blues)
- 2006 PRISM Award Performance in a TV Movie or Miniseries (Lackawanna Blues)
- 2006 Obie Award Outstanding Performance (Birdie Blue)
- 2006 NAACP Image AwardBest Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (Law & Order)
- 2006 NAACP Image Award Best Actress in a Made for TV Movie, Miniseries or Dramatic Special (Lackawanna Blues)
- 2006 Gracie Allen AwardOutstanding Female Lead – Miniseries (Lackawanna Blues')
- Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television(Lackawanna Blues)
- 2006 Black Reel AwardBest Actress in a Made for TV Movie or Miniseries (Lackawanna Blues)
- 2010 NAACP Image Award Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (Law & Order)
- 2011 NAACP Image Award Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (Law & Order)
- 2017 Honorary Degree,
Doctor of Letters, University of Pittsburgh
- 2013 Honorary Degree, Doctor of Letters,
Montclair State University
- 2012 Honorary Degree, Doctor of Letters, University of Maryland Eastern Shore
- 2009 Honorary Degree,
Doctor of Letters, Wayne State University
- Nominations
- 1990 Helen Hayes Award Best Actress, Non-Resident Play (The Piano Lesson)
- 1990 Drama Desk Award Best Actress, Lead Role-Play (The Piano Lesson)
- 1990 Tony NominationBest Actress, Featured Role-Play (The Piano Lesson)
- 1997 NAACP Image Award Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Law & Order)
- 1998 NAACP Image Award Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Law & Order)
- 1999 NAACP Image Award Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Law & Order)
- 2001 NAACP Image Award Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Law & Order)
- 2003 Lucille Lortel AwardOutstanding Lead Actress (Fucking A)
- 2003 Drama League Award Distinguished Performance (Fucking A)
- 2005 Satellite AwardOutstanding Actress in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television (Lackawanna Blues)
- 2006 Vision Award Best Dramatic Performance (ackawanna Blues)
- 2006 Lucille Lortel AwardBest Actress (Birdie Blue)
- 2006 Independent Spirit NominationBest Female Lead (Lackawanna Blues)
- 2006 Drama League Award Distinguished Performance (Birdie Blue)
- 2007 NAACP Image Award Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (Law & Order)
- 2008 NAACP Image Award Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (Law & Order)
- 2008 NAACP Image Award Nomination Best Actress in a Made for TV Movie, Miniseries or Dramatic Special (Girl, Positive)
- 2008 Tony Award Nomination Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play (Come Back, Little Sheba)
- 2008 NAACP Theatre Award Best Lead Female – Equity (Come Back, Little Sheba)
Notes
References
- ^ "S. Epatha Merkerson". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
- ^ "S. Epatha Merkerson Biography". IMDb. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
- ^ "S. Epatha Merkerson". The New Federal Theatre. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
- The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
- ^ a b "Interview with S. Epatha Merkerson". The Wendy Williams Show. Archived from the original on February 26, 2012. Retrieved January 31, 2012.
- ^ a b "Exclusive: S. Epatha Merkerson exits 'Law & Order'". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on April 4, 2010. Retrieved November 20, 2019.
- ^ a b Fletcher, Sharon Melson. "S. Epatha Merkerson". Contemporary Black Biography. Gale. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
- ^ a b "S. Epatha Merkerson". TV Guide. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
- ^ a b c d "S. Epatha Merkerson". Biography.com. A&E Networks. Archived from the original on September 15, 2018. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
- ^ a b c Merkerson, S. Epatha. "Interview". Inside the Actors Studio (Interview).
- ^ "Closing the Case With Law & Order's S. Epatha Merkerson". tv.com. Archived from the original on April 19, 2014. Retrieved January 31, 2012.
- ^ Labbé-DeBose, Theola (January 18, 2012). "TV One's 'Find Our Missing' highlight African Americans who vanished". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 28, 2012.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (February 20, 2015). "Laurie Holden Cast In NBC's 'Chicago Med'". Deadline.com. Retrieved March 11, 2015.
- ^ "Award-Winning Actress S. Epatha Merkerson and Merck Challenge African Americans with Type 2 Diabetes to Get to Their Goals". PR Newswire. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
- Georgetown Voice. February 15, 2019.