ORBITRA
S. Epatha Merkerson

Acting

S. Epatha Merkerson

Born Nov 28, 1952 · 73 years67 titles 44 movies · 23 TV
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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.

Also known as

Epatha Merkerson

Born

Nov 28, 1952

Saginaw, Michigan, USA

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Photos

Profile images from TMDB · click to enlarge

4 images

Roles across career

Titles counted once; a person can act and direct on the same film (roles merged).

66

Acting credits

1

Directing

0

Writing

0

Other crew

Most critically rated

Highest TMDB score (min 100 votes)

Most commercially successful

Highest TMDB vote count (attention / reach proxy; not box office)

Career timeline

By release / first air year · movie & TV merged

Orbit ↑

1949 1 title(s)

1952 1 title(s)

1956 1 title(s)

1984 1 title(s)

1986 2 title(s)

1988 2 title(s)

1990 5 title(s)

1991 1 title(s)

1992 3 title(s)

1993 2 title(s)

1994 1 title(s)

1995 1 title(s)

1996 1 title(s)

1997 1 title(s)

1998 2 title(s)

1999 2 title(s)

2001 2 title(s)

2003 2 title(s)

2004 1 title(s)

2005 3 title(s)

2006 3 title(s)

2007 2 title(s)

2008 1 title(s)

2009 3 title(s)

2010 1 title(s)

2012 3 title(s)

2013 2 title(s)

2014 4 title(s)

2015 2 title(s)

2016 2 title(s)

2020 3 title(s)

2021 1 title(s)

2023 1 title(s)

2024 1 title(s)

2025 1 title(s)

Undated 2 title(s)