S. Epatha Merkerson (born
Sharon Epatha Merkerson on
November 28,
1952) is an
American Golden Globe-,
Screen Actors Guild- and
Emmy Award-winning
actress. She has also received two
Tony Award nominations. She is known for her roles as Reba the Mail Lady on
Pee Wee's Playhouse in the 1980s, and as the no-nonsense supervisor,
Lt. Anita Van Buren (1993-present), on the long-running
television crime drama
Law & Order. She has appeared on the show longer than any other cast member and on May 14, 2008, she appeared in her 345th episode of
Law & Order, surpassing
Michele Lee's record of 344 episodes (for
Knots Landing).
Biography
Early life
Merkerson, the youngest of five children, was born in
Saginaw,
Michigan, the daughter of Ann Merkerson, who at the time was the only female in the vehicles operation unit at the Detroit Post Office. Her father worked in a factory.
[S. Epatha Merkerson Biography (1952-)][Stated in interview on Inside the Actors Studio][S. Epatha Merkerson Biography - Biography.com] Merkerson's parents separated in 1957. Merkerson graduated from
Cooley High School in 1970. She earned a
Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from
Wayne State University and began her
New York theater career in 1978.
