S. Epatha Merkerson Biography

S. Epatha Merkerson (born Sharon Epatha Merkerson; November 28, 1952) is an American film, stage, and television actress. She has won a Golden Globe, an Emmy Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, an Obie Award and four NAACP Image Awards. She has also received two Tony Award nominations. She is best known for her role as NYPD Lieutenant Anita Van Buren from 1993 to 2010 on the long-running NBC police procedural drama series, Law & Order. She appeared in 391 episodes of the series"?more than any other cast member.

In 2012, Merkerson became the host of Find Our Missing, a reality-reenactment series on TV One which profiles missing people of color.

Early life

Merkerson, the youngest of five children, was born in Saginaw, Michigan. Her mother, Ann, was, at the time, the only female in the vehicles operation unit at the Detroit Post Office. Her father worked in a factory. Merkerson's parents separated in 1957.

Merkerson has often been reticent about revealing what her first name really was (Sharon). On the June 11, 2005 episode of NPR's Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!, she jokingly claimed that the initial "S," "stands for 'Sweet' [because] so many people have difficulty with Epatha, which is what I prefer to be called". She has legally changed her first name to S. During a segment on the January 31, 2012 episode of The Wendy Williams Show, when questioned about the origin of her name, Merkerson shared that "Epatha" was the name of "a grade-school teacher who was influential in keeping [her father] in school." She further went on to clarify that she prefers to be addressed as "Epatha" as opposed to "S. Epatha."

Merkerson graduated from Cooley High School in 1970. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from Wayne State University and began her New York theater career in 1978. She was conferred an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Wayne State University in May 2009.

Career

Merkerson made her television debut as Reba the Mail Lady on Pee-wee's Playhouse. "It was one of those wild things where I went to audition. And I thought I was funny and the person I auditioned for didn't, and so I had blown the job and I guess weeks later they got new casting people," Merkerson said on the NPR program, Tell Me More. "I didn't know who Pee-wee Herman was, so if, you know, for fans of the show, if they watch like the first episode that I ever did, I think it was a big party and he just kept making me laugh because I had never seen the character before. And the director was angry and he was like how can we get through this scene? And I said I have to look at the plate. So the entire [time] he's serving hors d'oeuvres, I'm looking at the plate, and we're still good buddies. He still, to this day, knows how to make me laugh like no one else, Paul Reubens". Merkerson has also appeared on The Cosby Show, among other series.

She appeared in the first-season Law & Order episode "Mushrooms," in which she portrayed 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.

Merkerson was nominated for a Tony Award as Best Featured Actress in a Play for her performance as Berniece in August Wilson's Pulitzer Prize"winning play, The Piano Lesson and won an Obie Award in 1992 for her work in I'm Not Stupid. Her screen credits include Jacob's Ladder, Loose Cannons, She's Gotta Have It and in James Cameron's Terminator 2: Judgment Day, in which she played the terrified wife of Joe Morton. In 2006, she won Golden Globe, Emmy and Screen Actors Guild awards for her performance in the television movie Lackawanna Blues, her first starring role. In 2007, she starred on stage in Los Angeles in William Inge's Come Back, Little Sheba at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in the role made famous by Shirley Booth, and in January 2008 opened on Broadway in the production. For the revival of Come Back, Little Sheba, Merkerson earned her second Tony nomination.

In November 2007, Merkerson appeared in a television commercial for Coricidin HBP. Merkerson also appears in a series of commercials for Uni-Ball pens, directed by Emmy nominee Brent Roske, and in an American Express/NBC Universal ad for the Shine the Light program, in which she speaks highly of a restaurant not far from her then home in Harlem.

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. Her departure from Law & Order, which aired on May 24, 2010, was also the show's final episode. In total, Merkerson had appeared on the series for 16 consecutive seasons (391 episodes)"?longer than any other actor associated with the program. Merkerson's character is also the longest-running, African-American character in the history of television.

In 2012, Merkerson became the host of the show Find Our Missing which highlights the search for missing people of color. It is designed to put names and faces to people of color who have disappeared without a trace. Each episode tells the story of the missing person or persons, beginning with the day they vanished and the frantic searches by loved ones and investigators to find them. Find Our Missing provides insight into these victims' lives"their hopes and dreams, what makes them tick, and how they have touched those around them"?from the people who know them best. The episodes chronicle the investigations into their disappearances, and why the search for them so far has only turned up dead ends.

Merkerson also appeared in Steven Spielberg's 2012 film Lincoln as Lydia Hamilton Smith, housekeeper to Congressman Thaddeus Stevens (Tommy Lee Jones).

Personal life

Merkerson was formerly married to Toussaint L. Jones. She lives in the Washington Heights section of New York City. Her brother, Barrie Merkerson, currently works as an attorney for the city of Detroit.

Merkerson is an outspoken advocate against smoking and for lung cancer research and awareness. When she guest-hosted on The View on March 2, 2007, she discussed her 23-year addiction to cigarettes, which ended in the early '90s after she woke up one morning unable to breathe. Until May 2007, she sat on the Board of Directors of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.

She teaches acting at City College of New York.

For her role as Van Buren on Law & Order, she wore a wig. Her real hair is made up in short locks. Merkerson decided to wear a wig for the role to look more "professional".

In December 2008, Merkerson was sued for $222,908.40 by the Gersh Agency, a talent agency which claimed that they had an oral agreement with Merkerson to represent her at a rate of 10% commission.

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1986	She's Gotta Have It	Doctor Jamison
1986"1989	Pee-wee's Playhouse	Reba the Mail Woman	6 episodes
1988	The Cosby Show	Book Club Member #5	Episode: "Bookworm"
1989	CBS Summer Playhouse	Jimmie	Episode: "Elysian Fields"
1990	Loose Cannons	Rachel
1990	Jacob's Ladder	Elsa
1990	Equal Justice	Mrs. Walters	Episode: "Pilot"
1990	Navy Seals	Jolena
1991	Terminator 2: Judgment Day	Tarissa Dyson
1991	Law & Order	Denise Winters	Episode: "Mushroom"
1992	Mann & Machine	Capt. Margaret Claghorn	9 episodes
1992-1993	Here and Now	Ms. St. Marth	13 episodes
1993"2010	Law & Order	Anita Van Buren	390 episodes Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (2006, 2010-2011) Nominated"?Image Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (1997-1999, 2001) Nominated"?Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (2007-2009) Nominated"?Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series (1995-2004)
1994	A Place for Annie	Alice	TV movie
1995	A Mother's Prayer	Ruby	TV movie
1998	Exiled	Anita Van Buren	TV movie
1999	Random Hearts	Nea
2000	Frasier	Dr. McCaskill	Episode: "Dark Side of the Moon"
2001	The Rising Place	Lessie Watson
2001	A Girl Thing	Lani	TV movie
2001	Art 21	Herself	Episode: "Spirituality"
2002	Law & Order: Criminal Intent	Anita Van Buren	Episode: "Badge"
2003	Radio	Maggie
2004	Jersey Girl	Doctor
2005	Lackawanna Blues	Rachel "Nanny" Crosby	TV movie Black Reel Award for Best Actress " Miniseries or Television Film Golden Globe Award for Best Actress " Miniseries or Television Film Gracie Allen Award for Best Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries Image Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Television Film Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie 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
2005	Law & Order: Trial by Jury	Anita Van Buren	Episode: "Skeleton"
2006	Black Snake Moan	Angela
2007	Girl, Positive	Ariel Winters	TV movie Nominated"?Image Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Television Film
2007	Slipstream	Bonnie
2007	The Closer	Dr. Rebecca Dioli	3 episodes
2009	The Six Wives of Henry Lefay	Effa
2009	Mother and Child	Ada
2012	Find Our Missing	Herself
2012	Drop Dead Diva	Judge Hiller	Episode: "Lady Parts"
2012	Lincoln	Lydia Smith
2013	The Good Wife	Judge Melanie Ellis	Episode: "Going for the Gold"
2013	Deception	Beverly	3 episodes
2013	Tyler Perry Presents Peeples	Daphne Peeples

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
• 2005 Emmy Award for 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 Award Outstanding 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 Award Best 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 Award Outstanding Female Lead " Miniseries (Lackawanna Blues)
• 2006 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 Award Best Actress in a Made for TV Movie or Miniseries (Lackawanna Blues)
• 2010 NAACP Image Award Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (Law & Order)
• 2013 Honorary Degree, Doctor of Letters, Montclair 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 Award Best 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 Award Outstanding Lead Actress (Fucking A)
• 2003 Drama League Award Distinguished Performance (Fucking A)
• 2005 Satellite Award Outstanding Actress in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television (Lackawanna Blues)
• 2006 Vision Award Best Dramatic Performance (Lackawanna Blues)
• 2006 Lucille Lortel Award Best Actress (Birdie Blue)
• 2006 Independent Spirit Award Best 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 Best Actress in a Made for TV Movie, Miniseries or Dramatic Special (Girl, Positive)
• 2008 Tony Award 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)