--- name: "S. Epatha Merkerson" canonical: "https://film.one/person/s-epatha-merkerson" fi1m_id: "s-epatha-merkerson" imdb_id: "nm0580924" tmdb_id: 3978 wikidata_id: "Q1198897" roles: ["Actor"] born: "28 November 1952" reviewed_on_fi1m: 4 average_fi1m_score: 77 average_as: "actor" average_over: 4 updated: "2026-09-26T01:16:47.315952+00:00" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # S. Epatha Merkerson ## Identity S. Epatha Merkerson - **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/s-epatha-merkerson - **Type:** Person - **Fi1m ID:** s-epatha-merkerson - **IMDb ID:** nm0580924 - **TMDB ID:** 3978 - **Wikidata ID:** Q1198897 - **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S._Epatha_Merkerson, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1198897, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0580924/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/3978 Actor. Born 28 November 1952 in Saginaw, Michigan, USA. ## Details - **Work:** Actor - **Born:** 28 November 1952, Saginaw, Michigan, USA - **Active:** 1986–1991 - **Also known as:** Epatha Merkerson - **Primetime Emmy Awards:** 1 Emmy (1 won) - **Average Fi1m score:** 77, as actor, over 4 titles - **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 68 (1), 1990s 80 (3) - **Fi1m against the critics:** 79 to 73 across 3 titles - **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 2 at 60–79, 0 under 60 - **Lead roles:** 0 of 2 acting credits billed first or second - **Genres:** Drama 2, Action 1, Comedy 1, Crime 1, Horror 1, Mystery 1 - **Screen time:** 6 hours of reviewed films - **Box office:** $551m across 3 films with figures - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S._Epatha_Merkerson, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1198897, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0580924/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/3978 ## Streaming the US now - **Hulu:** [*Terminator 2: Judgment Day*](https://film.one/film/terminator-2-judgment-day.md) (88) - **Netflix:** [*She's Gotta Have It*](https://film.one/film/shes-gotta-have-it.md) (68) For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country. ## Biography S. Epatha Merkerson is an American actress. Born Sharon Epatha Merkerson on 28 November 1952 in Saginaw, Michigan, she was raised in Detroit and earned a BFA in theatre from Wayne State University in 1976 before moving to New York City. She trained further at New York University and began her career on stage. Merkerson is known for her long-running role as Lieutenant Anita Van Buren on the NBC series *Law & Order* (1993–2010), appearing in 388 episodes, as well as Sharon Goodwin on *Chicago Med* and Reba the Mail Lady on *Pee-wee's Playhouse*. Her film credits include *Jacob's Ladder* (1990), *Terminator 2: Judgment Day* (1991) as Tarissa Dyson, *Radio* (2003), *Black Snake Moan* (2006) and *Lincoln* (2012). She has received an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, four NAACP Image Awards, two Obie Awards and two Tony Award nominations. *Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.* ## On Fi1m (4) - *Terminator 2: Judgment Day* (1991), Fi1m 88, as Tarissa Dyson — [page](https://film.one/film/terminator-2-judgment-day.md) - *Jacob's Ladder* (1990), Fi1m 80, as Elsa — [page](https://film.one/film/jacobs-ladder.md) - *Law & Order* (1990), Fi1m 72, as Anita Van Buren — [page](https://film.one/tv/law-and-order.md) - *She's Gotta Have It* (1986), Fi1m 68, as Doctor Jamison — [page](https://film.one/film/shes-gotta-have-it.md) ## Complete filmography (57) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *Eye for an Eye* (2025), as May - *We Grown Now* (2024), as Anita - *Poker Face* (2023), series, as Joyce Carter — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/poker-face.md) - *Desmond's Not Here Anymore* (2021), as Selma - *Barbecue* (2020), as Lillie Anne - *The Great Work Begins: Scenes from Angels in America* (2020), as Belize - *Blood Sugar Rising* (2020), as Narrator (voice) - *You Can Go* (2016), as Mrs. Bryant - *Year by the Sea* (2016), as Liz - *Chicago Med* (2015), series, as Sharon Goodwin - *The Challenger* (2015), as Jada - *The Gabby Douglas Story* (2014), as Miss Caroline - *Chicago P.D.* (2014), series, as Sharon Goodwin - *Peeples* (2013), as Daphne Peeples - *The Contradictions of Fair Hope* (2013), Director - *Lincoln* (2012), as Lydia Smith — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/lincoln.md) - *Chicago Fire* (2012), series, as Sharon Goodwin - *We Heard the Bells: The Influenza of 1918* (2010), as Narrator (voice) - *Mother and Child* (2009), as Ada - *The Good Wife* (2009), series, as Judge Melanie Ellis — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-good-wife.md) - *The Six Wives of Henry Lefay* (2009), as Effa - *Zora Neale Hurston: Jump at the Sun* (2008), as Narrator (voice) - *Girl, Positive* (2007), as Ariel Winters - *Slipstream* (2007), as Bonnie - *Black Snake Moan* (2006), as Angela - *The Best of The Tony Awards: The Plays* (2006), as Berniece (segment "The Piano Lesson") - *The Closer* (2005), series, as Dr. Rebecca Dioli - *Law & Order: Trial by Jury* (2005), series, as Anita Van Buren - *Lackawanna Blues* (2005), as Rachel 'Nanny' Crosby - *Jersey Girl* (2004), as Doctor #1 - *Radio* (2003), as Maggie - *Law & Order: Criminal Intent* (2001), series, as Anita Van Buren - *The Rising Place* (2001), as Lessie Watson - *Random Hearts* (1999), as Nea - *Paul Robeson: Here I Stand* (1999), as Eslanda Robeson (voice) - *Exiled* (1998), as Lieutenant Anita Van Buren - *An Unexpected Life* (1998), as Beverly Hawkins - *After the SIlence* (1996), as Barbara - *A Mother's Prayer* (1995), as Ruby - *A Place for Annie* (1994), as Alice - *Frasier* (1993), series, as Dr. McCaskill — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/tv/frasier.md) - *It's Nothing Personal* (1993), as Louise Waters - *Here and Now* (1992), series, as Claudia St. Marth - *Mann & Machine* (1992), series, as Capt. Margaret Claghorn - *Second Chances* (1992), as Ruth Clayton - *Terminator 2: Judgment Day* (1991), as Tarissa Dyson — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/terminator-2-judgment-day.md) - *Jacob's Ladder* (1990), as Elsa — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/film/jacobs-ladder.md) - *Law & Order* (1990), series, as Denise Winters, Anita Van Buren — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/tv/law-and-order.md) - *Navy Seals* (1990), as Jolena - *Moe's World* (1990), Actor - *Loose Cannons* (1990), as Rachel - *Pee-wee's Playhouse Christmas Special* (1988), as Reba - *Pee-wee's Playhouse* (1986), series, as Reba - *She's Gotta Have It* (1986), as Doctor Jamison — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/film/shes-gotta-have-it.md) - *The Cosby Show* (1984), series, as Elena - *Sexual Healing*, as Alberta Gay - *After All*, Actor ## Gallery - ![S. Epatha Merkerson](https://film.one/media/person/78355/gallery-bd3b48e1f2aa.jpg) S. Epatha Merkerson — Behind The Velvet Rope TV, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e9/S._Epatha_Merkerson_on_Behind_The_Velvet_Rope.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) - ![S. Epatha Merkerson](https://film.one/media/person/78355/gallery-b6a2200367eb.jpg) S. Epatha Merkerson — Image via TMDB - ![S. Epatha Merkerson](https://film.one/media/person/78355/gallery-baee1b4d5415.jpg) S. Epatha Merkerson — Image via TMDB - ![S. Epatha Merkerson](https://film.one/media/person/78355/gallery-29db67d1e02c.jpg) S. Epatha Merkerson — Image via TMDB ## Awards ### Primetime Emmy Awards — 1 won - 2005: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie (won), for *Lackawanna Blues* ### Other awards — 0 won, 2 nominated - Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play 2008: Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play (nominated) - Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play 1990: Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play (nominated) *From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.* --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/s-epatha-merkerson