Who is Sharon Epatha Merkerson?
Sharon Epatha Merkerson is a well-known American film, stage, and television actress. Sharon Epatha Merkerson is best recognized for her award-winning role as Lieutenant “Anita Van Buren” in the NBC police procedural drama series Law & Order, which she performed from 1993 to 2010.
Sharon Epatha Merkerson – Birth, Parents, Siblings & Education
Sharon Epatha Merkerson was born on November 28, 1952, in Saginaw, Michigan, United States of America.
She is currently 70 years old. Sharon Epatha Merkerson is her full name.
Her mother’s name is Ann Merkerson, but she hasn’t revealed the name of her father.
Her mother was employed by the United States Postal Service.
Her parents divorced when she was five years old.
Barrie Merkerson, Zephry Merkerson, Linda Merkerson, and Debbie Maekerson are her two brothers and two sisters. Barrie, her brother, is a lawyer.
She is of African-American origin and has American citizenship.
Merkerson graduated from Cooley High School on the northwest side of Detroit, Michigan in 1970.
She then enrolled at Eastern Michigan University as a dance major before transferring to Indiana University Bloomington.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in fine arts in theater from Wayne State University in 1976.
Wayne State University awarded her an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters in May 2019.
Merkerson was also honored by the University of Maryland Eastern Shore in 2012, Montclair State University in 2013, and the University of Pittsburgh in 2017.
Net Worth of Sharon Epatha Merkerson? Salary, Earning
Merkerson’s primary source of income is her acting career.
Sharon Epatha Merkerson has a net worth of roughly $11 million dollars as of 2023.
Furthermore, her salary, yearly income, and real estate are currently being investigated.
Facts of Sharon Epatha Merkerson
| Full Name | Sharon Epatha Merkerson |
|---|---|
| Age: | 70 years |
| Birth Date: | November 28, 1952 |
| Nick Name | S. Epatha Merkerson |
| Net Worth: | $11 million (estimated) |
| Profession | actress |
Relationship, Married life, Boyfriend/Girlfriend
Sharon Epatha Merkerson has a divorce.
Previously, on March 20, 1994, she married Toussaint Louverture Jones Jr., a social worker.
On February 14, 2006, the couple divorced after twelve years of marriage. She is now single.
Body Measurement- Height, Weight, Hair Color
The actress Sharon Epatha Merkerson stands 5 feet 6 inches tall, but her exact weight is unknown.
Her skin tone is brown. She is more likely to have black hair and black eyes.
Sharon Epatha Merkerson – Professional Career
In 1978, Merkerson relocated to Albany, New York to join a theater company.
She made her television debut as Reba the Mail Lady on Pee-wee’s Playhouse in 1986.
She also made her big-screen debut that year with the film She’s Gotta Have It, in which she played Doctor Jamison.
She has appeared in television shows such as The Cosby Show (1988), CBS Summer Playhouse (1989), and Equal Justice (1990). (1990).
She appears in the NBC police procedural program Law & Order: Special Victims Unit episode “Mushrooms” in 1991 as the bereaved mother of an 11-month-old baby who was accidentally shot.
Her performance impressed the producers enough that she was chosen to replace Dann Florek as detective squad chief in the fourth season of the show.
After that, she left the show at the end of its twentieth season.
She is currently featured in the police procedural drama television series Chicago P.D., where she plays Sharon Goodwin.
Awards and nominations
Merkerson has received various honors over her career, including the following:
She earned the Obie Award for Outstanding Performance in I’m Not Stupid in 1992.
Lackawanna Blues earned her an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in 2005.
That same year, she was nominated for a Satellite Award in the same series for the same category.
In 2008, she was nominated for NAACP Theatre Award for Best Lead Female in Come Back, Little Shena.
In 2006, she received a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Miniseries for her performance in Lackawanna Blues.
Similarly, in 2011, she received the NAACP Image Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her work on Law & Order.
Activist
Merkerson was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2013 and had to undergo numerous physical, mental, and emotional alterations.
She was also a smoker for almost twenty-three years before quitting due to a health crisis in the 1990s.
She lost one of her friends to lung cancer, which taught her more about the dangers of smoking.
She is now an ardent opponent of smoking as well as a supporter of lung cancer research and awareness.
Sharon Epatha Merkerson – Social Media Status
The actress has verified accounts on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
Her Facebook profile has over 12,000 followers.
Similarly, her Instagram and Twitter profiles have over 43.8k and 33k followers, respectively.
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Quick Facts of Sharon Epatha Merkerson
- Epatha is an American-renowned film, stage, and television actress.
- She is best known for her award-winning role as Lieutenant “Anita Van Buren” which she played from 1993 to 2010 on the NBC police procedural drama series, Law & Order.
- Currently, Epatha is starring in the police procedural drama television series, Chicago P.D. where she portrayed the role of Sharon Goodwin.
- Now, she is an outspoken advocate against smoking and for lung cancer research and awareness.
- As of 2023, Epatha has accumulated a net worth of around $11 million dollars.
