Sharon Epatha Merkerson (née Sharon Epatha Merkerson le 28 novembre 1952 à Saginaw, dans le Michigan) est une actrice américaine.

Elle accède à la notoriété par le rôle du Lieutenant Anita Van Buren dans la série New York, police judiciaire (1991-2010).

Par la suite, elle confirme en remportant un Golden Globe, un Screen Actors Guild Award et un Emmy Award pour son rôle dans le téléfilm dramatique Lackawanna Blues en 2006.

Depuis novembre 2015, elle incarne Sharon Goodwin dans la série médicale Chicago Med, aux côtés de Torrey DeVitto, Oliver Platt, Yaya DaCosta, et bien d'autres Il s'agit d'une série dérivée de Chicago Fire et de Chicago PD dans lesquelles l'actrice intervient aussi de manière récurrente.

Biographie

Merkerson was formerly married to Toussaint L. Jones. She lives in the Washington Heights section of New York City. Her brother, Barrie Merkerson, currently works as an attorney for the city of Detroit.

Merkerson is an outspoken advocate against smoking and for lung cancer research and awareness. When she guest-hosted on The View on March 2, 2007, she discussed her 23-year addiction to cigarettes, which ended in the early '90s after she woke up one morning unable to breathe. Until May 2007, she sat on the Board of Directors of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.

She teaches acting at City College of New York.

For her role as Van Buren on Law & Order, she wore a wig. Her real hair is made up in short locks. Merkerson decided to wear a wig for the role to look more "professional".

In December 2008, Merkerson was sued for $222,908.40 by the Gersh Agency, a talent agency which claimed that they had an oral agreement with Merkerson to represent her at a rate of 10% commission.