In 2015, she joined the cast of NBC medical drama Chicago Med as Sharon Goodwin, Chief of Patient and Medical Services. Jersey Girl S. Epatha Merkerson is known to millions of television viewers as Lieutenant Anita Van Buren on the hit NBC series Law Order. Although best known since 1993 as the smart and shrewd Lieutenant Anita Van Buren on the long-running TV crime drama Law & Order (1990), she has a long list of Broadway and off-Broadway credits and honors that include Drama Desk Award and Tony Award nominations for Best Actress for her performance in the August Wilson play The Piano Lesson (1995), a 1992 Obie Award for her performance in "I'm Not Stupid," and a 1998 Helen Hayes Award for her starring role in the Studio Theater production in Washington, DC, of the John Henry Redwood play "The Old Settler." Merkerson said much of her college acting experience was in studio, or through the African American Studies department, rather than in university productions. She starred alongside Chris Noth in NBC's Law & Order. Merkerson has been a staple of the show since 1993, three years after its launch, and more than a dozen years later her name became the answer to a trivia question: she is the longest-serving African-American . Actress: Law & Order. She discovered walking is an exercise she actually enjoys. She has even branched out into producing and directing at one point. I have listened to the directives, and I realize that people with diabetes are at risk. My grandmother lost her sight. In 1999, she won the Helen Hayes Award for her lead role in In an interview with the Television Academy, Merkerson shared how this acting gig led to her being a big fan of the show. Law Order. "I've given it my best for 16 years. typecast as an African American and generally not expecting much.". Leaving Cecil Street Oliver Platt and S. Epatha Merkerson Talk All Things Med | NBC's Chicago Med. "So when TV One called and asked me to host, I thought to myself, 'Wow, some things happen for a reason.' Ela tambm recebeu duas indicaes ao Tony Award. A successful television show requires a lot of teamwork, from the production team to the writers, directors, and actors who make the show's stories come alive on the screen. were a serial. When she accepted the last award, she mentioned her divorce lawyer in the As anticipated, S. Epatha Merkerson has about over $ 5 thousand dollars as net worth. Despite her Merkerson being a potential candidate due to her two-decade habit of smoking. New York, NY 10019. friends to lung cancer. S. Epatha Merkerson . She also began her fourteenth season on She was diagnosed with the disease on March 20, 1995, and by April 10, she was announced dead. synergy rv transport pay rate; stephen randolph todd. Law & Order star S. Epatha Merkerson to direct jazz project at Kennedy Center. Now Merkerson is returning to television to play hospital administrator Sharon Goodwin in the new NBC drama Chicago Med. Born Sharon Epatha Merkerson, November 28, 1952, in Saginaw, MI; daughter On April 1, 2010, it was confirmed that after 17 seasons, Merkerson would leave Law & Order at the end of the show's twentieth season. All picks and predictions are suggestions only. Peter Mills was another case of a character being primed to stick around. Her first appearance on television was a guest-starring role on an episode of The Cosby Show (1984). Starring: S. Epatha Merkerson [Lola] PlayDramaRevival. Her middle name 'Epatha' comes from her grade-school teacher who inspired Merkerson's father to stay in school. People It took several years, but Merkerson eventually changed her diet and exercise routine, losing a significant amount of weight. Merkerson avoids divulging what the initial "S" stands for, Her love life. elsewhere in the city into race riots that lasted for days the summer when Likewise, "nothing short of a miracle," a sister beat the fierce statistics roughly 85% fail within five years after a scare in the 1990s. ) and Laurence Fishburne ( . S. Epatha Merkerson branched out of acting to produce and direct the 2012 documentary "The Contradictions of Fair Hope" narrated by Whoopi Goldberg. As the celebrity guest at a health convention in 2003, Emmy- and Golden Globe-award-winning actress S. Epatha Merkerson, a star of Chicago Med, never expected to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes . Bring In 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk Merkerson's career began to rise after she assumed the lead role in the one-woman play Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill. It has great integrity. On March 20, 1994, they tied the knot in a private ceremony with their loved ones and close ones. Back Stage , and though the show was cancelled after its first season, Wolf called "They had just arrested some guys and put them in the Growing up, her family always called her Epatha, never calling her by her first name, Sharon. S. Epatha Merkerson. In January 2008 the production opened a successful run on Broadway and earned Merkerson her second Tony nomination. She has won a Golden Globe, an Emmy Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, an Obie Award and four NAACP Image Awards. You don't make a lot of noise there. project, "When I was a kid going to high school, it was ninety percent It appears she's not interested in engaging in marital life soon. and [my mother] telling me, 'Don't you let a soul in this award for her work in the well-received HBO film, In 2006, she was slated to appear in and television over the course of its run. trivia question: she is the longest-serving African-American actor on a "One of them passed away in 1995; the other in '97. "As she has proven on both Law & Order and Chicago Med, she is capable of projecting strength and empathy at the same . . 1952, in Saginaw, Michigan, but grew up in Detroit as one of five children The Matrix . PASADENA, CA JANUARY 15: Actress Lauren German speaks onstage during the Lucifer panel discussion at the FOX portion of the 2015 Winter TCA Tour at the Langham Huntington Hotel on January 15, 2016 in Pasadena, California (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images). Goodwins actions stir the board, leading to severe opposition and her alienation. but the marriage ended. Prize-winning drama She is best known for her award-winning portrayal of Lieutenant Anita Van Buren on the NBC police procedural drama series Law & Order, a role she played from 1993 to 2010, appearing in 388 episodes of the series. stellar cast, including Jimmy Smits, Macy Gray, Jeffrey Wright, Mos Def, Epatha Merkerson attends SCAD aTVfest 2020 - The Windy City Trifecta: Dick Wolf's 'Chicago' Panel on February 29, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia. She has received numerous high-profile accolades for her work, including an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, four NAACP Image Awards, two Obie Awards and two Tony Award nominations. The disparity between coverage of whites who go missing and people of color in America has been a heated topic of debate. She started dating her former husband (Toussaint Louverture Jones Jr) in 1975. her a year later when network executives strongly suggested that he needed Ms. Merkerson is also the recipient of 4 honorary doctorate degrees . Jones' house. State degree in 1975, but instead took a job in Albany, New York, with a the department, I didn't work on the main stage, " she said In the eleventh episode of season 7, Goodwin tries to protect her doctors by asking the firm to take their names off the suit and hold her as the sole accountable authority for the Vas-COM scandal. ", The pre-civil rights black community depicted in The Law & Order actress raises awareness of the dangers of tobacco and the grim reality of lung cancer. [1] Merkerson graduated from Cooley High School in 1970 and earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in theatre at Wayne State University in 1976. Although most of us only know Merkerson as a television actress, she has a wealth of acting experience on both the big and small screens and the stage. Related: Who is Alex Berenson's Wife? Since the series premiered in November 2015, she has also played Reba the Mail Lady on Pee-Playhouse . [10][5], Doctor of Letters, These priests owned plantations on which the enslaved people tilled tobacco; proceeds from the sale were used to pay off the debts of the Jesuit-operated Georgetown College (now Georgetown University). A Girl Thing While working at the theater, she toured around upstate New York, performing in schools. There is an act to the character exit, with writers having to consider the relationships they have with the rest of the cast, as well as what holes they will leave within the entertainment value of the show. I'm Not Stupid After a year of quitting, the actress turned into a campaigner. As Merkerson said in an interview with HuffPost, "a lot of the missing young women [are] between the ages of 11 and 17 so it becomes more important that we have a national forum to discuss these stories and these cases." Law Order Epatha attributes her curiosity about other cultures and Black history to living in this neighborhood as a small child. On a 2019 panel Merkerson took part in at Georgetown University, following a viewing of the episode of "Finding Your Roots,"The Georgetown Voice reported these nine slaves Merkerson is descended from were amongst the 272 people sold in 1838 to finance keeping the university open. Moreover, Merkerson signed a multi-year deal in 2021 to be part of the show at least till the end of the eighth season. Actor Bio. Merkerson: No, I still finger-prick twice a day, and we've been good about trying to maintain scheduled meals. Among its lengthy roster of cast members over the years, she In the episode, Merkerson says, "It boggles the mind these are men of the cloth." Seventeen years ago, when actress S. Epatha Merkerson was 50 years old, she attended a health fair in Washington, D.C., for NBC. The incredible skills of the actor who plays Van Buren, S. Epatha Merkerson, made the story real. guaranteed them every week, " she told Kilian in the In an interview with The Television Academy, Merkerson joked her first initial stands for "Sweet" before admitting a classmate from high school divulged her first name, making it public knowledge. She dealt with a myriad of personal issues and yet she managed to stay on top of her job (for the most part) and help those around her. Back Stage East even asking her to audition, so convinced was he that she was ideal for camera, " she told Johnson for the journal. She viewed her investment in Based on a one-person play by Ruben Santiago-Hudson, the movie was set in In 1992, legendary television producer Dick Wolf hired Merkerson for his , January 30, 1989, p. 69. (movie), 1989; Jacob's Ladder Sharon Epatha Merkerson is a film, stage, and television actress. Leslie Shay (Lauren German) was a troubled character from the start. Merkerson's home life provided her with the impetus to succeed in so deeply that she decided to major in dance when she entered college. become. The actress has also worked with CancerCare and the American Lung Association, advocating for people to quit smoking. Merkerson also explained, "I was one of those people who lit a cigarette before I put my feet on the floor in the morning,." a result, I was prepared when I came to New York, knowing I would be We hope youll forgive us for having character exits on the brain, but Severide (Taylor Kinney) is on the cusp of leaving Chicago Fire. in 2004, and in several more made-for-television movies. Will Colin Donnell Return to the Show. Counting her five seasons of Chicago Med, Merkerson has done 516 episodes of Dick Wolf-produced television. It was to such an extent that the actor who played Mills, Charlie Barnett, felt the same way and was promptly shocked when he was written out of the show after season 3. Horwitz. Black Snake Moan , 1990; Shay was killed when a burst pipe struck her head during a call. She spoke to Tell Me More earlier this year about hosting Finding Our Own, a program . There was a reason why I was hearing this dialogue, because it was this show coming up. Growing up, her family always called her by Epatha rather than her given first name, Sharon. All of these people would be in this home because of what was going on in Previously she had one relationship. Is Severide leaving on this week's episode of Chicago Fire? St. Louis Post-Dispatch A former smoker, Merkerson quitted after falling into a 23-year addiction, but her best friend, Yvette Hawkins, never got the chance. Merkerson made her television debut as Reba the Mail Lady on Pee-wee's Playhouse. interview in In this interview, Merkerson credits her part of Berniece in the Broadway show "The Piano Lesson" for getting her role in "Law & Order." the part. Merkerson is also a recipient of the Obie Award for her off-Broadway role in "Birdie Blue.". In 2002, when S. Epatha Merkerson was still with "Law & Order," she attended a health fair in Washington D.C. for NBC, making a segment with an affiliate cameraman. "It's exciting for me to be able to learn new things, she said. Why did Peter Mills leave Chicago Fire? that are correct, " Merkerson told the Jersey Girl City to apply her craft on stage. I'm doing other things and this will be a great way to leave what has been an extraordinary gig. Law & Order alum S. Epatha Merkerson has been cast in the CBS pilot from Erin Brockovich writer Susannah Grant.. Boston Herald Merkerson in the part of the humorless Lieutenant Anita Van Buren without Even though they stayed married for a long time, they don't share any children out of this marriage. (Photo by . This is the official Facebook Page for actor S. Epatha Merkerson. [2] and Watch over 67 live sports and entertainment channels with a 7-day FREE trial! Despite being an old personality, she still looks very young; apart from that, she has a brown eye color, whereas her hair . lives at that time and how they needed to support each other. school tell you that you can't do anything that you want to do. trying to take my spirit. ", NBC plans to order more Law & Order, beef up pilot development. 955 talking about this. Born: Nov 28, 1952 in Saginaw, MI Roles (4) Come Back, Little Sheba Opened January 24, 2008 as Lola (Original) The 60th Annual Tony Awards - 2006 Opened June 11, 2006 as Participating Artist (Original) The Piano Lesson . "It's a great show. "I worked in master classes, the studio theatre, and at recitals, Taylor Kinney rocks red lipstick in surprising Instagram post, Chicago Fire reveals mysterious reason for Severide leaving. Mann Machine CLIP 07/26/22. Washington. S. Epatha Merkerson's net worth of 2021 is $11 million. Your favorite teams, topics, and players all on your favorite mobile devices. (movie), 2005. She had married a social worker in 1994, and commuted to and from Most fans of the series don't know this, but a couple of years before we met the no-nonsense Lt. Van Buren on "Law & Order," S. Epatha Merkerson auditioned for a one episode part and got the role. was not unlike the world Merkerson knew in her earliest years in Detroit. She earned a degree in Fine Arts from Wayne State University. , Walter Kerr Theatre, 1990-91; (movie), 1994; the screen. in an interview with Simi Horwitz for For more than a decade, fans have tuned in to watch the show's ensemble cast portray gritty, often straight-from-the-headlines, New York crime stories. Watch One Chicago on fuboTV: Watch over 67 live sports and entertainment channels with a 7-day FREE trial! New York City from the Maryland home they shared for a number of years, Sam Waterston tells Variety what it's like working on 'Law and Order' again 11 years after the show ended. . As reported in USA Today, Merkerson checks her blood sugar twice a day and tracks how she's doing with regular doctor visits. (movie), 1990; Even though the hospital board tries to settle the predicament by firing Cooper, Goodwin informs the FBI about the scandal and the authorities arrest him. I could not take a breath. In 2012 Merkerson spoke with HuffPost about the documentary saying, "We took the story back to the beginning of the creation of the Benevolent Society, and we come all the way to now to show the way this organization has morphed from what it originally was to what it is now." Actress S. Epatha Merkerson wrapped up a 17-year run on Law & Order in 2010, when she said goodbye to beloved Lt. Anita Van Buren one of the longest-running African American characters on prime-time TV. S. Epatha Merkerson is 5 feet 6 inches (167 cm) tall and weighs around 65 kg, according to estimates of her physical characteristics. Revoked. Moreover, Merkerson signed a multi-year deal in 2021 to be part of the show at least till the end of the eighth season. Jerry Orbach. Read More: Why Did Connor Rhodes Leave Chicago Med? prove them to be the liar.'" Law Order. She is portrayed by S. Epatha Merkerson. Updated: February 29, 2020 Their marriage ended after 12 . By joining TV Guide, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. Later that year she also found a regular gig as Reba which is still on the air. For more information and news on your favorite stars, stay connected to Glamour Fame. , for Terminator 2: Judgment Day ", Although the fate of Law & Order now in Season 20 is also in question, the longtime cast member has faith it will return. S. Epatha Merkerson has been advocating for the campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and other cancer organizations for years. [1][2] She is also known for playing Reba the Mail Lady on Pee-wee's Playhouse and Sharon Goodwin in the NBC medical drama Chicago Med since the series premiered in November 2015 (and in crossover appearances on Chicago Fire and Chicago P.D. This was an emotional revelation. , 1990; Scenes from Angels in America. She mainly focused on leading the young generation freeing from tobacco addiction. Merkerson splits her time between New York City, which she considers home, and Chicago, where she films "Chicago Med." [5][4] She was made an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters by Wayne State University in May 2009[6] and received the same distinction from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore in 2012, from Montclair State University in 2013, and from the University of Pittsburgh in 2017. A Mother's Prayer There are others, though, that completely blindside us and leave us scrambling to figure out what happened. Merkerson still finds she has to struggle at times to bring some rather obscure African-American realities to her roles. [9] 2014, Merkerson became a spokesperson for Merck America's Diabetes Challenge, to increase Type 2 diabetes awareness among African Americans. At a time when the Although best known since 1993 as the Her full name is Sharon Epatha Merkerson. Merkerson is also an accomplished stage and screen actor . "All elements were in the neighborhood, but there were checks and played by S. Epatha Merkerson. After graduating from Wayne State, S. Epatha Merkerson moved to Albany, New York, where she worked in a children's theater. The Emmy Award-winning alum of The Practice, Ghost Whisperer, Stumptown (grr) and . chance to say hello to me. I'm producing and directing a documentary about African-American benevolent societies. police van, but the cops weren't going anywhere. Don't miss out: Who is Chaz Bono Dating in 2021? Browse S. Epatha Merkerson movies and TV shows available on Prime Video and begin streaming right away to your favorite device. S. Epatha Merkerson attending an award function. the first black-owned house on the street, which prompted a flurry of Epatha and her family witnessed what we now call "white flight" firsthand, as her neighbors put their homes up for sale, moving out of Detroit to the suburbs where there was less ethnic diversity. Random Hearts As a former Emergency Department charge nurse (a role currently being fulfilled by Maggie Campbell), she is often able to see issues from a nurse's perspective, rather than a purely business perspective. Brennan. "It's also about a period of time when this could happen. (movie), 1995; So many fans also wonder about her relationship status. Merkerson decided to leave the . She has won a Golden Globe, an Emmy Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, an Obie Award and four NAACP Image Awards. As per our current Database, S Epatha Merkerson is still alive (as per Wikipedia, Last update: May 10, 2020). (movie), 1998; For that, she was nominated for a Tony Award as Best Featured Actress in a Play. Mann Machine There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. She replaced Captain Donald Cragen as head of the precinct in 1993. acclaimed dance company. A native of Michigan, S. Epatha Merkerson earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from Wayne State University. But she didn't stop stage acting once she landed on the small screen. Navy Seals And it was a no-brainer when they asked.". This is a problem "Find Our Missing" directly addressed. breakthrough 1986 film, , an interracial drama starring Samuel L. Jackson, Christina Ricci, and Merkerson experienced firsthand how harrowing a routine traffic stop could Van Buren was diagnosed with cancer earlier in the season, and since Merkerson had said she was leaving the show after 17 years, there had been considerable speculation about what would happen . Her income sources are television shows, series, and movies. Lieutenant Anita Van Buren was the commanding officer of the 27th Precinct for almost 20 years. S. Epatha Merkerson (born Sharon Epatha Merkerson) is an award-winning American actress who is best known for her role as Lieutenant Anita Van Buren on the NBC police procedural drama series Law & Order, which she performed from 1993 until 2010. Although she never went back to school after getting her BFA, she has been awarded four honorary doctorates. She has also received two Tony Award nominations. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. Her first honorary doctorate came from her alma mater, Wayne State University, in 2009. , Second Stage Theatre, New York City, 2005. 1952 . ran until 1991, and the job helped Merkerson secure steady work in film Merkerson played Lt. Anita Van Buren on Law & Order for 17 seasons and currently . After feeling horrible in the morning, She flipped her cigarettes in the bin and never glanced back. prime-time drama series. She appeared in the made-for-TV She was born on November 28, As Law & Order is concerned, Camryn Manheim has been roped in to essay a new character named Lieutenant Kate Dixon, a successor to Merkersons character Lieutenant Anita Van Buren. Tossing away the habit took years for the Law & Order actress, who spent a decade trying "everything from the sublime to the ridiculous." (movie), 1996; The Piano Lesson (Apr 16, 1990 - Jan 27, 1991) Performer: S. Epatha Merkerson [Berniece] PlayOriginal. lieutenant, to her. "It's a graceful way to go. boy and the woman who raised him, " Merkerson explained in an As reported on the TV One website, "African Americans make up about 12 percent of the U.S. population, but are almost one-third of all missing person cases reported each year. Lackawanna Let's take a look at her love life. Broadway production of playwright August Wilson's Pulitzer Birdie Blue Stage appearances include: Television appearances include: Record The hope of the show creators is to jog witnesses' memories, so they can offer information to help authorities find these missing persons. If they say you can't do it, our culture that I've spent my career fighting for. As per our current Database, S Epatha Merkerson is still alive (as per Wikipedia, Last update: May 10, 2020). Q Is Law & Order's S. Epatha Merkerson suffering from cancer in reality or just on TV?Lenore Howell, Red Bluff, Calif.Photos: 12 Celebrity Cancer SurvivorsA S. Epatha was born in Saginaw, Michigan, United States of America on November 28, 1952. , that had won several literary accolades. S Epatha Merkerson was born in the Year of the Dragon. (Bergen Co., NJ), February 6, 2006, p. E1. Tracks how she 's doing with regular doctor visits generation freeing from tobacco addiction for the campaign for Kids... 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Back to school after getting her BFA, she has even branched out into producing and at! Degree from Wayne State, S. Epatha Merkerson Chicago Fire Merkerson checks her blood sugar twice day. And how they needed to support each other is Severide leaving on week...