Merle Dandridge | |
|---|---|
) Dandridge in September 2019 | |
| Born | May 31, 1975 Okinawa, Japan |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1994–present |
Merle Dandridge (born May 31, 1975) is an American actress and singer. She is best known for performing in Broadway musicals such as Jesus Christ Superstar, Spamalot, Rent, and Once on this Island, as well as her video game roles as Alyx Vance in the Half-Life series and Marlene in The Last of Us and The Last of Us Part II. She has had recurring role on television series such as Sons of Anarchy, The Night Shift, and The Flight Attendant, and began starring as Grace Greenleaf in the drama series Greenleaf in 2016.
Early life
Dandridge was born in Okinawa on May 31, 1975.[1] Her mother was a Korean woman who lived in Okinawa at the time, while her father was an African-American soldier from Memphis, Tennessee. She moved back to the U.S. with her parents due to her father's job, and they lived at Beale Air Force Base in California before settling at Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, Nebraska, where Dandridge spent the majority of her childhood. She attended Papillion La Vista High School and participated in the play production class and theater department there. She then attended the Theatre Conservatory at Roosevelt University (currently called the Chicago College of Performing Arts).[2]
Career
Dandridge began her career appearing in Chicago theatre productions. She has gained a wider audience as the voice of Alyx Vance in the award-winning action game Half-Life 2 and its sequels, Episode One and Episode Two, and also as Marlene in The Last of Us. In 2006, she was cast as Kala in the original Broadway production of Tarzan. Dandridge earned a BAFTA Award for her voiceover performance in the 2015 game Everybody's Gone to the Rapture. On television, she guest starred on NCIS, 24, Criminal Minds, The Newsroom and Drop Dead Diva. In 2012, she was cast in a series regular role as Chief in the NBC drama series Chicago Fire.[3] Dandridge also had the recurring roles in the FX drama series, Sons of Anarchy as Rita Roosevelt, and short-lived The CW teen soap Star-Crossed in 2014. In 2015, she co-starred in the second season of NBC medical drama, The Night Shift as Gwen Gaskin.[4]
In 2015, Dandridge was cast as the lead character in the Oprah Winfrey Network drama series, Greenleaf opposite Lynn Whitfield. She plays the role of Grace Greenleaf, Greenleaf's estranged daughter.[5][6] Dandridge has received critical acclaim for her first leading screen role.[7][8][9]
From November 9, 2017 to January 7, 2018, Dandridge starred as Papa Ge the God of Death in the Broadway musical revival of Once on This Island,[10] at the Circle in the Square Theater.[11][12] She returned to the role of Papa Ge in a limited run from June 18 to August 19, 2018.[13] Along with cast, she received Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album nomination for cast recording.[14] Also in 2018, she had a recurring role in the CBS comedy series Murphy Brown playing the role of a network boss.[15] In 2020, Dandridge was cast in a series regular role in the eight-episode HBO Max thriller drama series The Flight Attendant.[16]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Nothing but the Truth | Celia | |
| 2018 | Resurrect | Alice | Short film |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Angel | Lacey | Episode: "Home" |
| 2003 | The Edge | Agent Angela Wells | Television pilot |
| 2003 | NCIS | Marcy Carruthers | Episode: "Sea Dog" |
| 2005 | Third Watch | Nikki | Episode: "Too Little, Too Late" |
| 2005 | All My Children | Lois | Recurring role |
| 2005 | Guiding Light | Lawyer | Episode: "July 21, 2005" |
| 2007 | I'm Paige Wilson | Gloria | Television pilot |
| 2010 | The Deep End | Jennifer Hutchins | Episode: "An Innocent Man" |
| 2010 | 24 | Kristen Smith | Episode: "Day 8, 12:00am–1:00am" |
| 2010 | Matadors | Brooke Comas | Television pilot |
| 2010 | CSI: Miami | Stacy Garrett | Episode: "Sleepless In Miami" |
| 2011 | Lie to Me | D.A. Jill Ottinger | Episode: "Saved" |
| 2011 | Love Bites | Krista | Episode: "How To..." |
| 2011 | Ringer | Dr. Anabel Morris | Episode: "Shut Up and Eat Your Bologna" |
| 2011–2012 | Sons of Anarchy | Rita Roosevelt | 6 episodes |
| 2012 | Criminal Minds | Agent Lynn Brooks | Episode: "A Family Affair" |
| 2012–2013 | The Newsroom | Maria Guerrero | 2 episodes |
| 2013 | Company Town | Louise | Television pilot |
| 2013 | Nikita | Zoe | Episode: "Inevitability" |
| 2014 | The Mentalist | Lydia Faulk | Episode: "Il Tavolo Bianco" |
| 2014 | Star-Crossed | Vega | 7 episodes |
| 2014 | Drop Dead Diva | Nadine Comer | Episode: "Afterlife" |
| 2014 | Stalker | Dean Lisa Miner | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2014 | NCIS: Los Angeles | CIA Officer Nicole Borders | Episode: "Reign Fall" |
| 2015 | Perception | Robyn Sherman | Episode: "Meat" |
| 2015 | Suits | Leah | Episode: "Intent" |
| 2015 | Rosewood | Charlotte | Episode: "Vitamins and Vandals" |
| 2015–2016 | The Night Shift | Gwen Gaskin | 15 episodes |
| 2016–2020 | Greenleaf | Grace Greenleaf | Lead role |
| 2018 | Murphy Brown | Diana Macomber | Episode: "Three Shirts to the Wind" |
| 2020 | The Flight Attendant | Kim Hammond |
Stage
| Year | Title | Role | Theatre |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Once on this Island | Performer | Chicago |
| 1994 | The Robber Bridegroom | Rosamund | Roosevelt University, Chicago |
| 1994 | As You Like It | Rosalind | Roosevelt University, Chicago |
| 1997 | Balm in Gilead | Ann | Gilead Theatre, Chicago |
| 1997 | The Kentucky Cycle | Performer | Truman College, Chicago |
| 1997 | Company | Kathy | Chicago |
| 1997 | Sweet and Hot | Performer | Theatre Building, Chicago |
| 1998 | Heart and Soul | Andrea | Chicago |
| 1998 | Richard II | Performer | Gilead Theatre Company, Chicago |
| 1998 | Ain't Misbehavin' | European tour | |
| 1998 | Smokey Joe's Cafe | Swing | National tour |
| 2000 | Jesus Christ Superstar | Mary Magdalene | Ford Center for the Performing Arts, Broadway |
| 2001 | Aida | Nehebka | National tour |
| 2002 | Aida | Aida (Replacement) | Palace Theatre, Broadway |
| 2002–2008 | Rent | Joanne Jefferson (replacement) | Nederlander Theatre, Broadway |
| 2003 | Showtune: Celebrating the Words & Music of Jerry Herman | Woman 2 | Pasadena Playhouse, Pasadena |
| 2006–2007 | Tarzan | Kala | Richard Rodgers Theatre, Broadway |
| 2008 | Spamalot | The Lady of the Lake | Shubert Theatre, Broadway |
| 2009–2010 | Rent | Joanne | U.S. tour |
| 2015 | Spamalot | The Lady of the Lake | Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles |
| 2017–2018 | Once on This Island | Papa Ge | Circle in the Square Theatre, Broadway |
Video games
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Half-Life 2 | Alyx Vance | |
| 2006 | Half-Life 2: Episode One | Alyx Vance | |
| 2007 | Half-Life 2: Episode Two | Alyx Vance | |
| 2007 | The Orange Box | Alyx Vance | |
| 2013 | The Last of Us | Marlene | |
| 2013 | Dota 2 | Legion Commander / Winter Wyvern | |
| 2015 | Everybody's Gone to the Rapture | Kate Collins | Won–BAFTA for Best Performer |
| 2016 | Uncharted 4: A Thief's End | Evelyn / Nun | |
| 2020 | The Last of Us Part II | Marlene |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | British Academy Games Awards | Performer | Everybody's Gone to the Rapture | Won | [17] |
| 2019 | Grammy Awards | Best Musical Theater Album | Once on This Island | Nominated | [14] |
| 2021 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series | The Flight Attendant | Pending | [18] |
References
- ^ "Merle Dandridge". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
- ^ Gans, Andrew (October 3, 2008). "DIVA TALK: Chatting with Spamalot's Merle Dandridge Plus Betty Buckley at Birdland". Playbill. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
- ^ "Merle Dandridge Lands Role on NBC Pilot Chicago Fire". Broadway.com. Retrieved 21 June 2016.
- ^ Gelman, Vlada (November 7, 2014). "'The Night Shift' Season 2 Cast — Merle Dandridge as Jordan's Best Friend". TVLine. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
- ^ Petski, Denise (August 24, 2015). "Lynn Whitfield, Merle Dandridge & Desiree Ross Join 'Greenleaf'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
- ^ Obenson, Tambay A. (24 August 2015). "Shadow and Act: Lynn Whitfield, Merle Dandridge and Desiree Ross Cast in OWN's Church Drama, 'Greenleaf'". IndieWire. Archived from the original on 26 August 2015. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
- ^ Ryan, Maureen (17 June 2016). "TV Review: 'Greenleaf'". Variety. Retrieved 21 June 2016.
- ^ Terrero, Nina (June 21, 2016). "Meet Merle Dandridge, the 'Greenleaf' leading lady picked by Oprah". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 21 June 2016.
- ^ Fisher, Luchina (21 June 2016). "5 Reasons to Watch Oprah Winfrey's New Series 'Greenleaf'". ABC News. Retrieved 21 June 2016.
- ^ Hetrick, Adam (January 8, 2018). "Norm Lewis and Tamyra Gray Join Cast of Broadway's Once on This Island January 8". Playbill.
- ^ "Cast and Creative". Once on This Island.com.
- ^ "Once On This Island - Cast". Playbill. Retrieved 2018-03-08.
- ^ Hetrick, Adam (June 18, 2018). "Merle Dandridge Returns to Broadway's Once On This Island". Playbill.
- ^ a b "61st Annual Grammy Awards". Grammy.com. 2018-12-06. Retrieved 2019-02-10.
- ^ Petski, Denise (October 11, 2018). "'Murphy Brown': Merle Dandridge Joins Season 1 Of CBS Revival". Deadline Hollywood.
- ^ Petski, Denise (November 4, 2019). "'The Flight Attendant': Merle Dandridge Joins Kaley Cuoco's HBO Max Series". Deadline Hollywood.
- ^ Nunneley, Stephany (7 April 2016). "Fallout 4 wins Best Game at 2016 BAFTA Game Awards". VG24/7.
- ^ https://variety.com/2021/awards/news/2021-sag-nominations-list-nominees-screen-actors-guild-awards-1234897816/
External links
- Official website
- Merle Dandridge at IMDb
- Merle Dandridge on Twitter