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S. Epatha Merkerson

S. Epatha Merkerson TV Listings

ChannelDate & TimeTitleBuy
TNTTue, Oct 7, 6:00 PMLaw & OrderBuy
TNTTue, Oct 7, 7:00 PMLaw & OrderBuy
TNTTue, Oct 7, 8:00 PMLaw & OrderBuy
TNTTue, Oct 7, 9:00 PMLaw & OrderBuy
TNTTue, Oct 7, 10:00 PMLaw & OrderBuy
TNTWed, Oct 8, 2:00 PMLaw & OrderBuy
TNTWed, Oct 8, 3:00 PMLaw & OrderBuy
TNTWed, Oct 8, 6:00 PMLaw & OrderBuy
TNTWed, Oct 8, 7:00 PMLaw & OrderBuy
TNTWed, Oct 8, 8:00 PMLaw & OrderBuy
BETThu, Oct 9, 12:00 PMLackawanna BluesBuy
HBOSGeThu, Oct 9, 12:15 PMRandom HeartsBuy
TNTThu, Oct 9, 3:00 PMLaw & OrderBuy
TNTThu, Oct 9, 7:00 PMLaw & OrderBuy
TNTFri, Oct 10, 7:00 PMLaw & OrderBuy
TNTSat, Oct 11, 10:00 AMLaw & OrderBuy
TNTMon, Oct 13, 2:00 PMLaw & OrderBuy
TNTMon, Oct 13, 6:00 PMLaw & OrderBuy
HBOSGeMon, Oct 13, 6:45 PMRandom HeartsBuy
TNTMon, Oct 13, 7:00 PMLaw & OrderBuy
more listings

S. Epatha Merkerson Biography

S. Epatha Merkerson
  • Birth Name: Sharon Epatha Merkerson
  • Birth Place: Saginaw, MI
  • Date of Birth / Zodiac Sign: 11/28/1952, Sagittarius
  • Profession: Actor
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:
  • 1990 Tony: Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play - Nominee
  • 2008 Tony: Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play - Nominee
  • 2006 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television - Winner
  • 2005 Emmy: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie - Winner

  • College:
  • Wayne State University, Detroit, MI (BFA in Theatre, 1976)
S. Epatha Merkerson Biography, TV Listings and More from TVGuide.com
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