S. Epatha Merkerson may not be a household name but, judging from her resume, she should be.
Her debut on TV came as Reba the Mail Lady on Pee-Wee's Playhouse, leading to small parts on other programs like The Cosby Show.
Her portrayal of NYPD Lieutenant Anita Van Buren on Law & Order had her appearing on the hit drama more than any other cast member. It has led her to playing Sharon Goodwin on the new NBC Chicago Med, which films locally. Being on HBO's Lackawanna Blues had her racking up awards such as a Golden Globe, an Emmy and a Screen Actors Guild Award.
Her stage work was nominated for a multiple Tony Awards for The Piano Lesson and Come Back, Little Sheba. Merkerson's movies have included Jacob's Ladder, She's Gotta Have It and Lincoln.
Windy City Times: First, I have to ask if you have seen the new Pee-Wee Herman Netflix movie.
S. Epatha Merkerson: I haven't seen it yet. It is on my queue to see. I can't wait to see it because I know it is going to be funny. There have been such great actors that have come out of his Playhouse like Laurence Fishburn, Jimmy Smits and Phil Hartman.
WCT: Being from Detroit, how does it feel to be back in the Midwest?
SEM: I love it. There is just a certain attitude of people in the Midwest that is different from LA and New York. It is nice to be in Chicago. I am really liking it.
WCT: Did you always want to be an actress?
SEM: I started out in dance and wanted to be in some form of entertainment. I had done it junior high school and high school but became serious in college. I have a bachelor of fine art in theater.
WCT: You appeared in almost 400 episodes of Law & Order.
SEM: Something like that, maybe 390. I was on 17 seasons and the show ran 20. It was definitely over 305. [Laughs]
WCT: Do you ever tire of doing TV shows?
SEM: No. Each script is so different and you deal with some issue that you may not have known about before. I think that keeps it alive. There are different actors coming on as guests so I get to work with a different kind of energy as well. I love doing television. I would say theater first then television are where I feel most comfortable.
WCT: How has diversity changed in your career throughout TV?
SEM: It is important that we see it and it has happening. Do I think there is room for more? Yes.
WCT: LGBT characters have certainly evolved.
SEM: Absolutely. That is something that has changed since I first started. You never saw that before on television. While things are changing, I think you would agree with me that there is always room for improvement.
WCT: Chicago Med is finishing out this season?
SEM: Yes, and we are picked up for a second season already, which is great. I will be in Chicago another year. I'm looking forward to it.
WCT: Is it hard to speak some of the jargon on the show?
SEM: Luckily, I don't have to do a lot of that; that is for the younger brains. They are amazing how they pick up the language of medicine. It is extraordinary how they pick it up so quickly.
WCT: There are crossovers with the other Chicago shows. Are you getting to know other casts?
SEM: Our pilot was in the Chicago Fire episode and I have done a Chicago P.D. episode. We are shooting Chicago Justice as well.
WCT: This is so great for Chicago.
SEM: It really is, and [it's] bringing a lot of work in Chicago. That is what Dick Wolf did in New York. He brought a lot of work to the city when it was leaving the city.
Chicago is now Hollywood Midwest.
WCT: With winning so many awards, was there one that meant a lot to you?
SEM: They were all really special because I had no idea that I was heading in that direction so each one had a special meaning.
WCT: Are you doing more theater during a break from Chicago Med?
SEM: I would love to! I did something in 2014. It is important for me to go back onstage whenever I can. It had been a long span between the two shows. I was happy to get back into it.
WCT: We have a big theater community in Chicago that you could be a part of.
SEM: You do have a huge theater community. I have worked at the Goodman, with The Piano Lesson, and I have worked at the Steppenwolf, but that was in New York. It is great to see a viable community for actors here in Chicago!
WCT: How has having diabetes affected you?
SEM: I have teamed up with Merck and the American Diabetes Association to encourage people with type 2 diabetes like me to know what their A1C is. This is a simple test that is taken to see how one is managing their diabetes over a two-month period. As a diabetic, I take my blood sugar twice a day. That only tells me what is happening at that moment. The A1C allows a doctor to come up with a treatment plan that is individualized.
Sometimes, we only think of high blood sugar with diabetes, but it can also mean low blood sugar. There are 30 million people suffering with diabetes and a third of them are not at their goal. That is why it is important to have this dialogue. There is a website, AmericasDiabetesChallenge.com, with information on symptoms and complications.
