Unglamorous but distinctive, both in her talent and down-to-earth appearance, Merkerson started out on stage, appearing off-off Broadway and in regional theater. In the '80s, she landed her first series-regular TV role as Reba the mail lady on
Pee-wee's Playhouse, and essayed a handful of guest spots. She seemed destined to become one of the legions of working no-name actors, until everything changed for her in the '90s. After being nominated for a 1991 Tony for her searing turn in the Pulitzer Prize-winning play
The Piano Lesson, Merkerson turned in a devastating performance as a grieving mother in a
Law & Order episode. The next year, she again worked with
Law & Order creator Dick Wolf on the short-lived sci-fi crime series
Mann & Machine, on which she played a cop. So when
Law & Order introduced no-nonsense police lieutenant Anita Van Buren in Season 4, Merkerson was a shoo-in for the part. In addition to her high-profile gig, she took on small roles in features and TV-movies, and regularly returned to her theatrical roots. But in 2005, a different small-screen project brought her the most success to date: her turn as the lively head of a boardinghouse in the TV-movie
Lackawanna Blues, which earned her myriad accolades, including an Emmy, a Golden Globe, a SAG Award and an NAACP Image Award.
S. Epatha Merkerson Fast Facts:
- Raised by a single mother in Detroit as the youngest of five children.
- Theater honors include an Obie Award in 1991 for I'm Not Stupid and a Helen Hayes Award in 1999 for The Old Settler.
- Covers her unprocessed hair with a wig when portraying Lt. Van Buren on Law & Order, a role she has played since 1993. As of 2006, Van Buren is the longest appearing black character on a prime-time drama in TV history.
- A former smoker (for 20-plus years), she quit cold turkey after losing a close friend to lung cancer. She is a spokesperson for the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.
- Although her first name is really Sharon, she jokes that the "S" stands for Sweet.
- S. Epatha Merkerson Relationships:
- Ann Merkerson - Mother
- Toussaint L. Jones - Ex-husband
- S. Epatha Merkerson Awards:
- 2005 Emmy: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie - Winner
- 2006 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television - Winner
- 1990 Tony: Actress (Featured Role--Play) - Nominee
- 2008 Tony: Actress (Play) - Nominee
- College:
- Wayne State University, Detroit, MI (BFA in Theatre, 1976)
