S. Epatha Merkerson

DOB: 1952-11-28

DOD: -

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.

Starred In

1990
Movie

Jacob's Ladder

2004
Movie

Jersey Girl

2006
Movie

Black Snake Moan

1990
Movie

Loose Cannons

1999
Movie

Random Hearts

2003
Movie

Radio

2009
Movie

Mother and Child

2007
Movie

Slipstream

2013
Movie

Peeples

1994
Movie

A Place for Annie

1990
Movie

Moe's World

2005
Movie

Lackawanna Blues

2024
Movie

We Grown Now

2007
Movie

Girl, Positive

2025
Movie

Eye for an Eye

1998
Movie

An Unexpected Life

2012
Movie

Lincoln

1995
Movie

A Mother's Prayer

2015
Movie

The Challenger

1998
Movie

Exiled

NaN
Movie

Sexual Healing

1996
Movie

Breaking Through

2016
Movie

Year by the Sea

2016
Movie

You Can Go

2001
Movie

The Rising Place

2020
Movie

Blood Sugar Rising

1990
Movie

Navy Seals

2020
Movie

Barbecue

NaN
Movie

After All

1992
Movie

Second Chances

2005
Tv

The Closer

1992
Tv

Here and Now

1993
Tv

Frasier

2006
Tv

Rachael Ray

1990
Tv

Law & Order

1952
Tv

Today

1997
Tv

The View

1990
Tv

Law & Order

2015
Tv

Chicago Med

1956
Tv

Tony Awards

2009
Tv

The Good Wife

2012
Tv

Chicago Fire

2014
Tv

Chicago P.D.

2023
Tv

Poker Face