S. Epatha Merkerson (born Sharon Epatha Merkerson; November 28, 1952) is an American actress. She has received 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. She is known for her portrayal of NYPD 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. 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.
Early life Merkerson was born Sharon Epatha Merkerson in Saginaw, Michigan, and raised in Detroit. She is the youngest of five children raised by her mother Ann who worked for the post office.
During a segment on the January 31, 2012, episode of The Wendy Williams Show, when asked about the origin of her name, Merkerson said that "Epatha" was the name of "a grade-school teacher who was influential in keeping her father in school". Merkerson graduated from Cooley High School in 1970 and earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in theatre at Wayne State University in 1976. She was made an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters by Wayne State University in May 2009.
Career
In 1978, she moved to New York City, where she obtained her Master of Fine Arts from New York University part time.
Merkerson made her television debut as Reba the Mail Lady on Pee-wee's Playhouse. Merkerson has also appeared on The Cosby Show, among other series.
She first appeared in the NBC police procedural drama Law & Order in "Mushrooms" (Season 1: Episode 17) as the grief-stricken mother of an 11-month-old boy who is shot accidentally. Her performance impressed the producers enough to select Merkerson to replace Dann Florek as detective squad chief in the series' fourth season, making her one of the few actors to secure a main role after an initial single appearance on the show.
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. That was followed by her performance as Berniece in August Wilson's Pulitzer Prize–winning play The Piano Lesson. For that, she was nominated for a Tony Award as Best Featured Actress in a Play. Merkerson has also won two Obie Awards for her work in I'm Not Stupid and Birdie Blue, a Helen Hayes Award for The Old Settler, and a Lucille Lortel nomination for F**king A by Suzan-Lori Parks. Her screen credits include Jacob's Ladder, Loose Cannons, She's Gotta Have It, James Cameron's Terminator 2: Judgment Day; and Navy SEALs. In 2006, she won a Golden Globe Award, an Emmy Award and a Screen Actors Guild award for her performance in the HBO film Lackawanna Blues. In 2007, she starred as Lola Delaney in the Los Angeles stage production of William Inge's Come Back, Little Sheba. In January 2008 the production opened a successful run on Broadway and earned Merkerson her second Tony nomination.
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. Her departure from Law & Order, which aired on May 24, 2010, was also originally the show's final episode (until the show was revived by NBC in 2022, but Merkerson was unable to return due to starring in another NBC program, Chicago Med). In total, Merkerson appeared on the series for 17 consecutive seasons—395 episodes—which was more than any other actor associated with the program.
In 2012, Merkerson became the host of Find Our Missing, a reality-reenactment series on TV One which profiles missing people of color. She performed in Steven Spielberg's 2012 film Lincoln as Lydia Hamilton Smith, housekeeper to Tommy Lee Jones's character, Congressman Thaddeus Stevens.
In 2014, Merkerson appeared in the Primary Stages production of While I Yet Live, written by Billy Porter. In 2015, she joined the cast of NBC medical drama Chicago Med as Sharon Goodwin, Chief of Patient and Medical Services. The series was conceived and written by Law & Order creator Dick Wolf, along with Matt Olmstead, Derek Haas and Michael Brandt. In 2014, Merkerson became a spokesperson for Merck America's Diabetes Challenge, to increase Type 2 diabetes awareness among African Americans.
Personal life Merkerson appeared on the television series of Henry Louis Gates' Finding Your Roots on February 5, 2019 (Season 5, Episode 5), in which she revealed that she was a descendant of Isaac Hawkins and eight others of the 272 enslaved people who were sold in the 1838 Jesuit slave sale by Jesuit priests. 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).
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1986 She's Gotta Have It Dr. Jamison 1990 Loose Cannons Officer Rachel Jacob's Ladder Elsa Navy SEALs Jolena "Jo" 1991 Terminator 2: Judgment Day Tarissa Dyson 1999 Random Hearts Nea 2001 The Rising Place Lessie Watson 2003 Radio Maggie 2004 Jersey Girl Doctor 2005 Lackawanna Blues Rachel "Nanny" Crosby 2006 Black Snake Moan Angela 2007 Slipstream Bonnie 2009 The Six Wives of Henry Lefay Effa Mother and Child Ada 2012 Find Our Missing Herself Lincoln Lydia Smith 2013 Tyler Perry Presents Peeples Daphne Peeples 2015 The Challenger Jada Miller 2016 Year by the Sea Liz 2023 We Grown Now Anita 2025 Eye for an Eye May
Television Year Title Role Notes 1986–1989 Pee-wee's Playhouse Reba, The Mail Lady 16 episodes 1988 The Cosby Show Book Club Member #5 Episode: "Bookworm" 1989 CBS Summer Playhouse Jimmie Episode: "Elysian Fields" 1990 Equal Justice Mrs. Walters Episode: "Pilot" 1991 Law & Order Denise Winters Episode: "Mushrooms" 1992 Mann & Machine Captain Margaret Claghorn 9 episodes 1992–1993 Here and Now Ms. St. Marth 12 episodes 1993–2010 Law & Order Lieutenant Anita Van Buren 388 episodesNominated - NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series (1997–1999 & 2001)Nominated - Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series (1997–2002 & 2004)NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (2006 & 2010–2011)Nominated - NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (2007–2009) 1994 A Place for Annie Alice TV movie 1995 A Mother's Prayer Ruby 1998 Exiled Lieutenant Anita Van Buren 2000 Frasier Dr. McCaskill Episode: "Dark Side of the Moon" 2001 Art:21 Herself Episode: "Spirituality" A Girl Thing Lani TV movie 2002 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Lieutenant Anita Van Buren Episode: "Badge" 2005 Law & Order: Trial by Jury Episode: "Skeleton" Lackawanna Blues Rachel "Nanny" Crosby TV movieGolden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television FilmGracie Allen Award for Outstanding Female Lead in a MiniseriesNAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic SpecialPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a MoviePrism Award for Performance in a Television Movie or MiniseriesScreen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television MovieNominated - Independent Spirit Award for Best Female LeadNominated - Satellite Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film 2007 The Closer Dr. Rebecca Dioli 3 episodes Girl, Positive Ariel Winters TV movieNominated - NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special 2012 Drop Dead Diva Judge Hiller Episode: "Lady Parts" 2013 The Good Wife Judge Melanie Ellis Episode: "Going for the Gold" Deception Beverly 3 episodes 2014 The Gabby Douglas Story Miss Caroline TV movie 2015 Being Mary Jane Mark's Mother Episode: "Freedom" 2015–present Chicago Med Sharon GoodwinMain Chicago Fire 5 episodes 2016–present Chicago P.D. 2023 Poker Face Joyce Carter Episode: "Time of the Monkey"
Stage + Year Title Role Notes 1980 Tintypes Miss Thigpen John Golden Theatre, Broadway 1987 Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill Billie Holiday (Understudy) Vineyard Theatre, Off-Broadway 1988 Fucking A Hester Public Theater, Off-Broadway 1990 The Piano Lesson Berniece Walter Kerr Theatre, Broadway 1991 I'm Not Stupid Mother Young Playwrights Festival 1998 The Old Settler Elizabeth Studio Theatre, Washington DC 2005 Birdie Blue Birdie Second Stage Theater, Off-Broadway 2007 Come Back, Little Sheba Lola Kirk Douglas Theatre 2008 Come Back, Little Sheba Lola Biltmore Theater, Broadway 2014 While I Yet Live Maxine Primary Stages, Off-Broadway 2017 The Roommate Sharon Williamstown Theatre Festival 2019 A Raisin in the Sun Lena Younger Williamstown Theatre Festival 2027 Night, Mother Thelma "Mama" Cates Goodman Theatre
Awards and nominations Awards 1992 Obie Award Outstanding Performance (I'm Not Stupid) 1999 Helen Hayes Award Outstanding Lead Actress-Resident Play (The Old Settler) 2002 Regulus Award For her dedication to lung cancer awareness and education 2005 Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie (Lackawanna Blues) 2006 SunDeis Film Festival at Brandeis University Entertainer of the Year Award 2006 Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries (Lackawanna Blues) 2006 PRISM Award Performance in a TV Movie or Miniseries (Lackawanna Blues) 2006 Obie Award Outstanding Performance (Birdie Blue) 2006 NAACP Image Award Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (Law & Order) 2006 NAACP Image Award Best Actress in a Made for TV Movie, Miniseries or Dramatic Special (Lackawanna Blues) 2006 Gracie Allen Award Outstanding Female Lead – Miniseries (Lackawanna Blues) 2006 Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television (Lackawanna Blues) 2006 Black Reel Award Best Actress in a Made for TV Movie or Miniseries (Lackawanna Blues) 2010 NAACP Image Award Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (Law & Order) 2011 NAACP Image Award Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (Law & Order) 2017 Honorary Degree, Doctor of Letters, University of Pittsburgh 2013 Honorary Degree, Doctor of Letters, Montclair State University 2012 Honorary Degree, Doctor of Letters, University of Maryland Eastern Shore 2009 Honorary Degree, Doctor of Letters, Wayne State University
Nominations 1990 Helen Hayes Award Best Actress, Non-Resident Play (The Piano Lesson) 1990 Drama Desk Award Best Actress, Lead Role-Play (The Piano Lesson) 1990 Tony Nomination Best Actress, Featured Role-Play (The Piano Lesson) 1997 NAACP Image Award Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Law & Order) 1998 NAACP Image Award Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Law & Order) 1999 NAACP Image Award Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Law & Order) 2001 NAACP Image Award Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Law & Order) 2003 Lucille Lortel Award Outstanding Lead Actress (Fucking A) 2003 Drama League Award Distinguished Performance (Fucking A) 2005 Satellite Award Outstanding Actress in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television (Lackawanna Blues) 2006 Vision Award Best Dramatic Performance (ackawanna Blues) 2006 Lucille Lortel Award Best Actress (Birdie Blue) 2006 Independent Spirit Nomination Best Female Lead (Lackawanna Blues) 2006 Drama League Award Distinguished Performance (Birdie Blue) 2007 NAACP Image Award Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (Law & Order) 2008 NAACP Image Award Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (Law & Order) 2008 NAACP Image Award Nomination Best Actress in a Made for TV Movie, Miniseries or Dramatic Special (Girl, Positive) 2008 Tony Award Nomination Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play (Come Back, Little Sheba)