S. Epatha Merkerson

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.

Filmography (65 Appearances)

After All

TBA

Sexual Healing

TBA

Eye for an Eye

2025

We Grown Now

2024

Poker Face

2023

Desmond's Not Here Anymore

2021

Barbecue

2020

The Great Work Begins: Scenes from Angels in America

2020

Blood Sugar Rising

2020

You Can Go

2016

Year by the Sea

2016

Chicago Med

2015

The Challenger

2015

Life's Essentials with Ruby Dee

2014

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

2014

The Gabby Douglas Story

2014

Chicago P.D.

2014

Peeples

2013

Lincoln

2012

Chicago Fire

2012

Finding Your Roots

2012

We Heard the Bells: The Influenza of 1918

2010

Mother and Child

2009

The Good Wife

2009

The Six Wives of Henry Lefay

2009

Zora Neale Hurston: Jump at the Sun

2008

Girl, Positive

2007

Slipstream

2007

Black Snake Moan

2006

Rachael Ray

2006

The Best of The Tony Awards: The Plays

2006

The Closer

2005

Law & Order: Trial by Jury

2005

Lackawanna Blues

2005

Jersey Girl

2004

Radio

2003

The Ellen DeGeneres Show

2003

Law & Order: Criminal Intent

2001

The Rising Place

2001

Random Hearts

1999

Paul Robeson: Here I Stand

1999

Exiled

1998

An Unexpected Life

1998

The View

1997

After the SIlence

1996

A Mother's Prayer

1995

A Place for Annie

1994

Frasier

1993

It's Nothing Personal

1993

Here and Now

1992

Mann & Machine

1992

Second Chances

1992

Terminator 2: Judgment Day

1991

Jacob's Ladder

1990

Law & Order

1990

Navy Seals

1990

Moe's World

1990

Loose Cannons

1990

Pee-wee's Playhouse Christmas Special

1988

LIVE with Kelly and Mark

1988

Pee-wee's Playhouse

1986

She's Gotta Have It

1986 Debut

The Cosby Show

1984

Tony Awards

1956

Today

1952
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