S. Epatha Merkerson
Unglamorous but distinctive, both in her talent and down-to-earth appearance, Merkerson started out on stage, appearing off-off Broadway and in regional theater. In the '80s, she landed her first seri...
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BirthDate BirthPlace |
11/27/1952
Saginaw, MI |
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| Covers her unprocessed hair with a wig when portraying Lt. Van Buren on Law & Order, a role she has played since 1993. As of 2006, Van Buren is the longest appearing black character on a pr |
| A former smoker (for 20-plus years), she quit cold turkey after losing a close friend to lung cancer. She is a spokesperson for the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. |
| Theater honors include an Obie Award in 1991 for I'm Not Stupid and a Helen Hayes Award in 1999 for The Old Settler. |
| Raised by a single mother in Detroit as the youngest of five children. |
