S. Epatha Merkerson

(Bio as of April 2026)

Epatha Merkerson has won critical acclaim for her work in theater, television and film. She is best known for her 17 season run as Anita Van Buren on Law and Order (3 NAACP Image Awards for Oustanding Actress in a Drama) and she current plays Sharon Goodwin on NBC’s Chicago Med, now in it’s 11th season. For her role as Nanny in the HBO film Lackawanna Blues, Merkerson received an Emmy, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild, Gracie Allen and NAACP Image Awards. Other credits include Radio (Cammie Award), Black Snake Moan, Terminator II: Judgement Day, Navy Seals, Peeples, Stephen Spielberg’s Lincoln, We Grown Now and An Eye for and Eye. She can be seen in the upcoming independent film A Break in the Rain. Her theatre credits include the Broadway revival of Come Black Little Sheba (Tony nom), the original Broadway cast of The Piano Lesson (Tony, Drama Desk, Helen Hayes Award noms), Birdie Blue and I’m Not Stupid (Obie Awards), The Old Settler (Helen Hayes Award), F**king A and Billy Porter’s While I Yet Live (Lucille Lortel noms.) Her television credit includes Peewee’s Plahouse (Reba the Mail Lady), Here and Now, Dick Wolf’s Mann and Machine and she served as the host for Find Our Missing on TVOne. Ms. Merkerson is the recipient of 5 Honorary Doctorates: her alma mater Wayne State University (2009), University of Maryland Eastern Shore (2012), Montclair State University (2013), University of Pittsburgh (2017) and Talladega College (2025).