S. Epatha Merkerson: Biography in Details
Who is S. Epatha Merkerson?
S. Epatha Merkerson is an American-renowned film, stage, and television actress.
She is best known for her award-winning role as Lieutenant “Anita Van Buren” which she played from 1993 to 2010 on the NBC police procedural drama series, Law & Order.
She entirely appeared in the 395 episodes of the series and became one of the longest-serving African-American actors on the Primetime drama series.
S. Epatha Merkerson: Age, Family, Siblings, Ethnicity
S. Epatha was born in Saginaw, Michigan, United States of America on November 28, 1952.
At present, she is 70 years old. Her full name is Sharon Epatha Merkerson.
Her middle name ‘Epatha’ comes from her grade-school teacher who inspired Merkerson’s father to stay in school.
The name of her mother is Ann Merkerson but she hasn’t yet disclosed her father’s name.
Her mother worked for the United States Postal Services. When she was five years old, her parents get separated.
She has four siblings two brothers and two sisters named Barrie Merkerson, Zephry Merkerson, Linda Merkerson, and Debbie Maekerson. Her brother Barrie is a lawyer.
S. Epatha Merkerson holds an American nationality and belongs to African-American descent.
Education
In 1970, Merkerson graduated from Cooley High School located on the northwest side of Detroit, Michigan.
Afterward, she enrolled at Eastern Michigan University as a dance major but she transferred to Indiana Univerity Bloomington thereafter.
In 1976, she received her bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from Wayne State University majoring in theatre.
In May 2019, she has conferred an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Wayne State University.
Similarly, S. Epatha Merkerson received the same distinction from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore in 2012, Montclair State University in 2013, and the University of Pittsburgh in 2017.
S. Epatha Merkerson: Professional Life, Career
S. Epatha Merkerson moved to Albany, New York in 1978 to join a theater company. In 1986, she made her television debut as Reba the Mail Lady on Pee-wee’s Playhouse.
That year, she also made her big-screen debut through the film, She’s Gotta Have It where she portrayed the role of Doctor Jamison.
Similarly, S. Epatha Merkerson appeared in television series like The Cosby Show (1988), CBS Summer Playhouse (1989), and Equal Justice (1990).
In 1991, she appeared in the NBC police procedural drama an episode “Mushrooms” of Law & Order as the grief-stricken mother of an 11-month-old boy who has been shot accidentally.
Her performance impressed the producers enough and selected her to replace Dann Florek as detective squad chief in the series’ fourth season.
Afterward, she departed from the show at the end of the show’s twentieth season.
Currently, S. Epatha Merkerson is starring in the police procedural drama television series, Chicago P.D. where she portrayed the role of Sharon Goodwin.
Furthermore, some of her notable films and television series are,
| Year | Title | Role |
| 1990 | Terminator 2: Judgment Day | Tarissa Dyson |
| 2001 | The Rising Place | Lessie Watson |
| 2007 | Girl, Positive | Ariel Winters |
| 2012 | Lincoln | Lydia Smith |
| 2015 | Being Mary Jane | Mark’s mother |
| 2016 | Year by the Sea | Liz |
Awards, Nomination
Merkerson has won numerous awards in her lifetime career and some of them are,
- In the year 1992, she won Obie Award for Outstanding Performance in I’m Not Stupid.
- She won the 2005 Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a miniseries, Lackawanna Blues.
- That year, she was also nominated for Satellite Award for the same category in the same series.
- In 2008, she was nominated for Best Lead female in Come Back, Little Shena in NAACP Theatre Award
- She won Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a mini-series, Lackawanna Blues in 2006.
- Similarly, she won NAACP Image Award for Best Supporting Actress in a drama series, Law & Order in 2011.
Activist
In 2013, Merkerson was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and had to go through many physical, mental, and emotional transformations.
She was also a smoker for about twenty-three years but later quit the smoking habit after a health scare in the 1990s.
She has lost one of her friends due to lung cancer which helped her learn more about the result of smoking.
Now, she is an outspoken advocate against smoking and for lung cancer research and awareness.
S. Epatha Merkerson: Net Worth, Salary
Merkerson’s main source of income is her profession as an actress.
As of 2023, she has accumulated a net worth of around $11 million dollars.
Further, her salary, yearly income, and real estate are still under review.
Body Measurement: Height, Weight
The actress stands at a height of 5 feet 6 inches tall whereas her actual weight is not known.
S. Epatha Merkerson has a brown complexion.
Likely, she has black hair color with a black pair of eyes.
Social Media
The actress has a verified Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook account.
S. Epatha Merkerson has more than 12k followers on her Facebook page.
Similarly, she has over 43.8k followers and 33k followers on her Instagram and Twitter accounts respectively.
You may also read Gabriella Pizzolo, Charlene Amoia, Cara Buono.
S. Epatha Merkerson's Birthday Dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|
| 2024 | November | Thursday |
| 2025 | November | Friday |
| 2026 | November | Saturday |
| 2027 | November | Sunday |
| 2028 | November | Tuesday |
