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Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Birthday
November 28, 1952
Place of Birth
Saginaw, Michigan, USA
Also Known As
- Epatha Merkerson
S. Epatha Merkerson
1.4 Popularity
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
5.7
May
Eye for an Eye
2025
6.7
Anita
We Grown Now
2024
7.5
Joyce Carter
Poker Face
2023
0.0
Selma
Desmond's Not Here Anymore
2021
0.0
Lillie Anne
Barbecue
2020
10.0
Belize
The Great Work Begins: Scenes from Angels in America
2020
0.0
Narrator (voice)
Blood Sugar Rising
2020
5.0
Mrs. Bryant
You Can Go
2016
8.0
Liz
Year by the Sea
2016
8.3
Sharon Goodwin
Chicago Med
2015
Credits
Eye for an Eye
as May
2025
5.7
We Grown Now
as Anita
2024
6.7
Poker Face
as Joyce Carter
2023
7.5
Desmond's Not Here Anymore
as Selma
2021
0.0
Barbecue
as Lillie Anne
2020
0.0
The Great Work Begins: Scenes from Angels in America
as Belize
2020
10.0
Blood Sugar Rising
as Narrator (voice)
2020
0.0
You Can Go
as Mrs. Bryant
2016
5.0
Year by the Sea
as Liz
2016
8.0
Chicago Med
as Sharon Goodwin
2015
8.3
The Challenger
as Jada
2015
5.9
Life's Essentials with Ruby Dee
as Self
2014
1.5
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
as Self
2014
5.9
The Gabby Douglas Story
as Miss Caroline
2014
7.3
Chicago P.D.
as Sharon Goodwin
2014
8.4
Peeples
as Daphne Peeples
2013
5.6
Lincoln
as Lydia Smith
2012
6.9
Chicago Fire
as Sharon Goodwin
2012
8.4
Finding Your Roots
as Self
2012
6.4
We Heard the Bells: The Influenza of 1918
as Narrator (voice)
2010
6.5
Mother and Child
as Ada
2009
6.6
The Good Wife
as Judge Melanie Ellis
2009
7.6
The Six Wives of Henry Lefay
as Effa
2009
5.2
Zora Neale Hurston: Jump at the Sun
as Narrator (voice)
2008
8.0
Girl, Positive
as Ariel Winters
2007
6.1
Slipstream
as Bonnie
2007
4.9
Black Snake Moan
as Angela
2006
6.8
Rachael Ray
as Self
2006
5.1
The Best of The Tony Awards: The Plays
as Berniece (segment "The Piano Lesson")
2006
0.0
The Closer
as Dr. Rebecca Dioli
2005
7.9
Law & Order: Trial by Jury
as Anita Van Buren
2005
8.1
Lackawanna Blues
as Rachel 'Nanny' Crosby
2005
5.7
Jersey Girl
as Doctor #1
2004
6.2
Radio
as Maggie
2003
7.3
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
as Self
2003
5.6
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
as Anita Van Buren
2001
7.6
The Rising Place
as Lessie Watson
2001
6.0
Random Hearts
as Nea
1999
5.6
Law and Order: Justice
as Anita Van Buren
1999
0.0
Paul Robeson: Here I Stand
as Eslanda Robeson (voice)
1999
0.0
Exiled
as Lieutenant Anita Van Buren
1998
5.8
An Unexpected Life
as Beverly Hawkins
1998
4.0
The View
as Self
1997
4.3
After the SIlence
as Barbara
1996
7.1
A Mother's Prayer
as Ruby
1995
8.5
A Place for Annie
as Alice
1994
6.0
Frasier
as Dr. McCaskill
1993
7.7
It's Nothing Personal
as Louise Waters
1993
0.0
Here and Now
as Claudia St. Marth
1992
6.0
Mann & Machine
as Capt. Margaret Claghorn
1992
7.0
🎬
Second Chances
as Ruth Clayton
1992
0.0
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
as Tarissa Dyson
1991
8.1
Jacob's Ladder
as Elsa
1990
7.4
Law & Order
as Anita Van Buren
1990
7.4
Law & Order
as Denise Winters
1990
7.4
Navy Seals
as Jolena
1990
5.4
Moe's World
1990
0.0
Loose Cannons
as Rachel
1990
5.0
Pee-wee's Playhouse Christmas Special
as Reba
1988
7.2
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
as Self - Guest
1988
5.4
Pee-wee's Playhouse
as Reba
1986
7.1
She's Gotta Have It
as Doctor Jamison
1986
6.7
The Cosby Show
as Elena
1984
7.0
Tony Awards
as Self - Nominee
1956
5.9
Today
as Self
1952
5.6
The Emmy Awards
as Self
1949
7.9
🎬
Sexual Healing
as Alberta Gay
N/A
0.0
🎬
After All
N/A
0.0