S. Epatha Merkerson

Biography

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.

Known For

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

Self

Law & Order: Criminal Intent

Lieutenant Anita Van Buren

Tony Awards

Self - Nominee

Chicago P.D.

Sharon Goodwin

Chicago Fire

Sharon Goodwin

The Closer

Dr. Rebecca Dioli

LIVE with Kelly and Mark

Self - Guest

Law & Order

Anita Van Buren

Filmography

Year	Movie	Role
2025	Eye for an Eye	May
2024	We Grown Now	Anita
2021	Desmond's Not Here Anymore	Selma
2020	Blood Sugar Rising	Narrator (voice)
2020	Barbecue	Lillie Anne
2020	The Great Work Begins: Scenes from Angels in America	Belize
2016	Year by the Sea	Liz
2016	You Can Go	Mrs. Bryant
2015	The Challenger	Jada
2014	The Gabby Douglas Story	Miss Caroline
2014	Life's Essentials with Ruby Dee	Self
2013	Peeples	Daphne Peeples
2012	Lincoln	Lydia Smith
2010	We Heard the Bells: The Influenza of 1918	Narrator (voice)
2009	The Six Wives of Henry Lefay	Effa
2009	Mother and Child	Ada
2008	Zora Neale Hurston: Jump at the Sun	Narrator (voice)
2007	Slipstream	Bonnie
2007	Girl, Positive	Ariel Winters
2006	Black Snake Moan	Angela
2006	The Best of The Tony Awards: The Plays	Berniece (segment "The Piano Lesson")
2005	Lackawanna Blues	Rachel 'Nanny' Crosby
2004	Jersey Girl	Doctor #1
2003	Radio	Maggie
2001	The Rising Place	Lessie Watson
1999	Random Hearts	Nea
1999	Paul Robeson: Here I Stand	Eslanda Robeson (voice)
1998	An Unexpected Life	Beverly Hawkins
1998	Exiled	Lieutenant Anita Van Buren
1996	After the Silence	Barbara
1995	A Mother's Prayer	Ruby
1994	A Place for Annie	Alice
1993	It's Nothing Personal	Louise Waters
1992	Second Chances	Ruth Clayton
1991	Terminator 2: Judgment Day	Tarissa Dyson
1990	Jacob's Ladder	Elsa
1990	Loose Cannons	Rachel
1990	Moe's World
1990	Navy Seals	Jolena
1988	Pee-wee's Playhouse Christmas Special	Reba
1986	She's Gotta Have It	Doctor Jamison
	Sexual Healing	Alberta Gay
	After All

Year	TV Show	Role
2023	Poker Face	Joyce Carter
2015	Chicago Med	Sharon Goodwin
2014	Chicago P.D.	Sharon Goodwin
2014	The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon	Self
2012	Finding Your Roots	Self
2012	Chicago Fire	Sharon Goodwin
2009	The Good Wife	Judge Melanie Ellis
2006	Rachael Ray	Self
2005	The Closer	Dr. Rebecca Dioli
2005	Law & Order: Trial by Jury	Anita Van Buren
2003	The Ellen DeGeneres Show	Self
2001	Law & Order: Criminal Intent	Lieutenant Anita Van Buren
1997	The View	Self
1993	Frasier	Dr. McCaskill
1992	Mann & Machine	Capt. Margaret Claghorn
1992	Here and Now	Claudia St. Marth
1990	Law & Order	Anita Van Buren
1990	Law & Order	Denise Winters
1988	LIVE with Kelly and Mark	Self - Guest
1986	Pee-wee's Playhouse	Reba
1984	The Cosby Show	Elena
1956	Tony Awards	Self - Nominee
1952	Today	Self