American actress S. Epatha Merkerson works for television, stage and film, and has an estimated net worth of $5 million. She was born Sharon Epatha Merkerson on November 28, 1952 in Saginaw, Michigan. She is a graduate of Cooley High School in 1970, later earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Wayne State University. In 1978, she began her New York theater career. She was named an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters by Wayne State University in May 2009.

Merkerson started her professional acting career on stage in New York City and later moved to film and television. Getting herself a supporting role in the film She’s Gotta Have It,  she also had guest-starring or recurring roles on television shows including Pee-Wee’s Playhouse, The Cosby Show and Mann and Machine.

S. Epatha Merkerson became a household name as a cast of the long-running series Law & Order. She played the role of Anita van Buren on the show for sixteen seasons and became the longest-staying cast member. Her role also holds the longest-running African-American character on television.

With the end of Law and Order in 2010, Mekerson continued to appear in various film, television and theater projects. She also won a number of awards such as an Emmy, a Golden Globe, a SAG Award, an Obie, and four NAACP Image Awards, as well as two Tony Award nominations.

S. Epatha Merkerson became the host of Find Our Missing, a reality-enactment series on TV One in 2012. The show profiles missing people of color.