Actors - S. Epatha Merkerson

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	Actors - S. Epatha Merkerson

S. Epatha Merkerson (her first name is usually cited as "Sharon" but she's humorously renamed herself: "It's for "Sweet" so many people have difficulty with Epatha, which is what I prefer to be called."), born 28 November 1952 in Saginaw, Michigan, is a Tony Award nominated and Emmy winning American actress. She is best known as Lieutenant Anita Van Buren (1993-present) on the long-running TV crime drama Law & Order. She is currently the longest-serving cast member. When it reaches its 366th episode in the 16th season, she will become the first actress to appear in 300 episodes.

Raised in Detroit as the youngest of five children, she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from Wayne State University and began her New York theater career in 1978. Merkerson was nominated for a Tony award for Best Actress for her performance as Berniece in The Piano Lesson and won an Obie Award in 1992 for her work in I'm Not Stupid. Her screen credits include Jacob's Ladder, Loose Cannons, She's Gotta Have It
and James Cameron's Terminator 2: Judgment Day
, in which she played Joe Morton's terrified wife.

Merkerson made her television debut as Reba the Mail Lady on Pee Wee's Playhouse, and has appeared on The Cosby Show, among other series, but her most important single television appearance may have been in the first season Law and Order episode "Mushrooms," in which she portrayed the grief-stricken mother of an 11-month-old boy who is shot accidentally. Her work was not only memorable to the audience during that key first season, but also to the producers, who later picked Merkerson for the role of the new detective squad chief in the series' fourth season.

Merkerson's natural hair is in dreadlocks (a style that she feels the NYPD would not permit a squad chief to wear), so for her scenes as Lt. Van Buren she wears a wig.

Merkerson recently played a large role in the L&O episode, "Acid". In 2006, she won a Golden Globe award for Best Actress in the television movie Lackawanna Blues and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries. (her first starring role).

She is an outspoken advocate against smoking and for lung cancer research and awareness.

Awards

Won

2006 Golden Globe Award Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television (Lackawanna Blues)
2006 Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries (Lackawanna Blues)
2006 Black Reel Award Best Actress in a Made for TV Movie or Miniseries (Lackawanna Blues)
2006 NAACP Image Award Best Actress in a Made for TV Movie, Miniseries or Dramatic Special (Lackawanna Blues)
2006 NAACP Image Award Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (Law & Order)
2006 SunDeis Film Festival at Brandeis University Entertainer of the Year Award
2005 Emmy Award Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie (Lackawanna Blues)
2002 Regulus Award For her dedication to lung cancer awareness and education
1999 Helen Hayes Award Outstanding Lead Actress-Resident Play (The Old Settler)
1992 Obie Award Outstanding Performance (I'm Not Stupid)

Nominated

2006 Independent Spirit Award Best Female Lead (Lackawanna Blues)
2005 Satellite Award Outstanding Actress in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television (Lackawanna Blues)
2003 Drama League Award Distinguished Performance (F***ing A)
2003 Lucille Lortel Award Outstanding Lead Actress (F***ing A)
2001 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)
1998 NAACP Image Award Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Law & Order)
1997 NAACP Image Award Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Law & Order)
1990 Tony Award Best Actress, Featured Role-Play (The Piano Lesson)
1990 Drama Desk Award Best Actress, Lead Role-Play (The Piano Lesson)
1990 Helen Hayes Award Best Actress, Non-Resident Play (The Piano Lesson)

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for S. Epatha Merkerson ]

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