S. Epatha Merkerson
Biography
S. Epatha Merkerson is an American actress from Saginaw, Michigan, who was raised in Detroit. After moving to New York City in 1978, she studied at New York University for a master of fine arts. Her first television role was Reba the Mail Lady on Pee-wee's Playhouse, and her stage career gained notice when she took the lead in Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill. She was nominated for a Tony Award for playing Berniece in August Wilson's The Piano Lesson. Her films include She's Gotta Have It (1986), Loose Cannons (1990), Jacob's Ladder (1990), Navy SEALs (1990) and Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991). From 1993 to 2010 she played Lieutenant Anita Van Buren on Law & Order, and for Lackawanna Blues (2005) she won an Emmy, a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild Award. She has played Sharon Goodwin on Chicago Med since 2015.
73years old
Turns 74 on November 28in 16 days
- Born Saginaw
- Star sign: SagittariusThe sign runs November 22 to December 21
- Sharon Epatha Merkerson (birth name)
Movie Career
- Films
- 18
- Career span
- 39 years1986 to 2025
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A first
Merkerson appeared in 395 episodes of Law & Order over 17 consecutive seasons, a total no other actor tied to the program reached.
Big break
Merkerson's career rose after she took the lead in Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill, a one-woman play. She then played Berniece in August Wilson's The Piano Lesson and earned a Tony nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Play.
Early training
Merkerson earned her Master of Fine Arts from New York University part time after moving to New York City in 1978.
S. Epatha Merkerson movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
Five actors appear in two of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Samuel L. Jackson's page
David Alan Grier's page
Michael Clarke Duncan's page
Kerry Washington's page
Jimmy Smits's page
Box office
What S. Epatha Merkerson's films earned in cinemas worldwide.
Combined worldwide box office
$695 million
12 of the 18 films have a worldwide figure.
Of the 18 films: 12 worldwide figure; 1 us gross only; 3 never in cinemas; 2 figure not found.
- 12Worldwide figure
- 1US gross only
- 3Never in cinemas
- 2Figure not found
Highest grossing
The eight biggest films earned 99% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.
- 1$518M74.5% of the total
- 2$53M7.7% of the total
- 3$35M5.1% of the total
- 4$26M3.8% of the total
- 5$25M3.6% of the total
- 6$11M1.6% of the total
- 7$9.3M1.3% of the total
- 8$7.1M1.0% of the total
$9.9 millionfrom the other 4 films with a worldwide figure, 1% of the total
Awards
One award and honor, one of them major.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emmy Awards | |||
| 2005 | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie | Lackawanna Blues | Won |
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.