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Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Known Credits

66

Gender

Female

Birthday

1952-11-28 (73 years old)

Place of Birth

Saginaw, Michigan, USA

Also Known As

Epatha Merkerson

اس اپاتا مرکرسون

S. Epatha Merkerson

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

Acting

Terminator 2: Judgment Day

1991

Terminator 2: Judgment Day

as

Tarissa Dyson

Jacob's Ladder

1990

Jacob's Ladder

as

Elsa

Jersey Girl

2004

Jersey Girl

as

Doctor #1

Black Snake Moan

2006

Black Snake Moan

as

Angela

Loose Cannons

1990

Loose Cannons

as

Rachel

Random Hearts

1999

Random Hearts

as

Nea

She's Gotta Have It

1986

She's Gotta Have It

as

Doctor Jamison

Radio

2003

Radio

as

Maggie

Slipstream

2007

Slipstream

as

Bonnie

Peeples

2013

Peeples

as

Daphne Peeples

Lackawanna Blues

2005

Lackawanna Blues

as

Rachel 'Nanny' Crosby

We Grown Now

2024

We Grown Now

as

Anita

Girl, Positive

2007

Girl, Positive

as

Ariel Winters

It's Nothing Personal

1993

It's Nothing Personal

as

Louise Waters

The Gabby Douglas Story

2014

The Gabby Douglas Story

as

Miss Caroline

An Unexpected Life

1998

An Unexpected Life

as

Beverly Hawkins

Lincoln

2012

Lincoln

as

Lydia Smith

The Challenger

2015

The Challenger

as

Jada

Exiled

1998

Exiled

as

Lieutenant Anita Van Buren

Sexual Healing

Sexual Healing

as

Alberta Gay

After the Silence

1996

After the Silence

as

Barbara

You Can Go

2016

You Can Go

as

Mrs. Bryant

The Best of The Tony Awards: The Plays

2006

The Best of The Tony Awards: The Plays

as

Berniece (segment "The Piano Lesson")

The Rising Place

2001

The Rising Place

as

Lessie Watson

Blood Sugar Rising

2020

Blood Sugar Rising

as

Narrator (voice)

Navy Seals

1990

Navy Seals

as

Jolena

Barbecue

2020

Barbecue

as

Lillie Anne

Paul Robeson: Here I Stand

1999

Paul Robeson: Here I Stand

as

Eslanda Robeson (voice)

The Closer

The Closer

as

Dr. Rebecca Dioli

Mann & Machine

Mann & Machine

as

Capt. Margaret Claghorn

Here and Now

Here and Now

as

Claudia St. Marth

Frasier

Frasier

as

Dr. McCaskill

Law & Order

Law & Order

as

Anita Van Buren

Law & Order: Criminal Intent

Law & Order: Criminal Intent

as

Lieutenant Anita Van Buren

Today

Today

as

Self

The View

The View

as

Self

Law & Order

Law & Order

as

Denise Winters

Chicago Med

Chicago Med

as

Sharon Goodwin

Tony Awards

Tony Awards

as

Self - Nominee

The Good Wife

The Good Wife

as

Judge Melanie Ellis

Chicago Fire

Chicago Fire

as

Sharon Goodwin

Chicago P.D.

Chicago P.D.

as

Sharon Goodwin

Poker Face

Poker Face

as

Joyce Carter

Production

Crew

Directing