S. Epatha Merkerson, a native of Michigan, holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from Wayne State University. In 1978, she relocated to New York City to pursue a career in the performing arts. Although she is most renowned for her portrayal of the intelligent and perceptive Lieutenant Anita Van Buren on the long-running television crime drama Law & Order since 1993, Merkerson boasts an extensive repertoire of credits and accolades on both Broadway and off-Broadway stages.
Notably, she has received numerous nominations for her performances, including a Drama Desk Award and a Tony Award nomination for Best Actress for her role in the August Wilson play The Piano Lesson in 1995. Additionally, Merkerson has earned a 1992 Obie Award for her performance in "I'm Not Stupid" and a 1998 Helen Hayes Award for her starring role in the Studio Theater production in Washington, D.C. of the John Henry Redwood play The Old Settler.
Merkerson's television career began with a guest-starring role on an episode of The Cosby Show in 1984. Her earliest recurring role was that of Reba the Mail Woman on Pee-wee's Playhouse in 1986. Throughout her career, she has maintained her status as a theatrical force on both stage and screen, with the distinction of being nominated for an Image Award in the Outstanding-Lead-Actress-in-a-Drama category for Law & Order for three consecutive years by the NAACP.
