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 Half-Life 2 and Marlene in The Last of Us franchise. She played the leading role of Grace Greenleaf in the Oprah Winfrey Network drama series, Greenleaf (2016–2020). She's had recurring roles on television series such as Sons of Anarchy and The Night Shift and starred as Kim Hammond in the first season of HBO Max comedy-drama series The Flight Attendant in 2020. In 2022, Dandridge began starring as Natasha Seo-Yeon Ross in the ABC action series Station 19. She reprised her role as Marlene in the 2023 television adaptation of The Last of Us.
Merle Dandridge | |
|---|---|
 Dandridge in September 2019 | |
| Born | May 31, 1975 Okinawa, Japan |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1994–present |
Early life
editDandridge was born in Okinawa on May 31, 1975.[1] Dandridge's mother is Korean and her father is African-American.[2] 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).[3]
Career
editDandridge 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 2022, she was cast in a series regular role as Chief in the ABC drama series Station 19.[4] 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.[5]
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.[6][7] Dandridge has received critical acclaim for her first leading screen role.[8][9][10]
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,[11] at the Circle in the Square Theater.[12][13] She returned to the role of Papa Ge in a limited run from June 18 to August 19, 2018.[14] Along with cast, she received Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album nomination for cast recording.[15] Also in 2018, she had a recurring role in the CBS comedy series Murphy Brown playing the role of a network boss.[16] In 2020, Dandridge was cast in a series regular role in the eight-episode HBO Max thriller drama series The Flight Attendant.[17] In 2021, she was cast to reprise her role as Marlene from the critically acclaimed game The Last of Us, in the HBO series of the same name.[18]
Acting credits
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Nothing but the Truth | Celia | |
| 2018 | Resurrect | Alice | Short film |
| 2022 | Block Party | Crystal Maitland |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Angel | Lacey | Episode: "Home" |
| 2003 | The Edge | Agent Angela Wells | Television pilot |
| 2003 | NCIS | Marcy Carruthers | Episode: "Seadog" |
| 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 | 60 episodes |
| 2018 | Murphy Brown | Diana Macomber | 5 episodes |
| 2020 | The Flight Attendant | Kim Hammond | 8 episodes |
| 2021 | Truth Be Told | Zarina Killebrew | 20 episodes |
| 2022–2024 | Station 19 | Fire Chief Natasha Ross | Recurring (season 5) Series regular (seasons 6–7) 38 episodes |
| 2023 | The Last of Us | Marlene | 2 episodes |
| 2023–2024 | Alice's Wonderland Bakery | The Silver Queen | Voice; 6 episodes |
| 2024 | Secret Level | TBA (voice) | Anthology series |
Stage
edit| 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 |
| 2023 | A Little Night Music | Desirée Armfeldt | Pasadena Playhouse, Pasadena |
Video games
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Half-Life 2 | Alyx Vance | |
| 2006 | Half-Life 2: Episode One | ||
| 2007 | Half-Life 2: Episode Two | ||
| 2007 | The Orange Box | ||
| 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 | |
| 2021 | Hitman 3 | Civilian Female 03 | |
| 2023 | Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical | Aphrodite |
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | British Academy Games Awards | Performer | Everybody's Gone to the Rapture | Won | [19] |
| 2019 | Grammy Awards | Best Musical Theater Album | Once on This Island | Nominated | [15] |
| 2021 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series | The Flight Attendant | Nominated | [20] |
References
edit- ^ "Merle Dandridge". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
- ^ CAAM (June 20, 2016). "Merle Dandridge on "Blasian" Identity and Oprah Winfrey Network's new summer original series "Greenleaf"". CAAM Home. Archived from the original on February 26, 2022. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
- ^ Gans, Andrew (October 3, 2008). "DIVA TALK: Chatting with Spamalot's Merle Dandridge Plus Betty Buckley at Birdland". Playbill. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
- ^ "Merle Dandridge Lands Role on NBC Pilot Chicago Fire". Broadway.com. Archived from the original on August 10, 2016. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
- ^ Gelman, Vlada (November 7, 2014). "'The Night Shift' Season 2 Cast — Merle Dandridge as Jordan's Best Friend". TVLine. Archived from the original on August 31, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
- ^ Petski, Denise (August 24, 2015). "Lynn Whitfield, Merle Dandridge & Desiree Ross Join 'Greenleaf'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 26, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
- ^ Obenson, Tambay A. (August 24, 2015). "Shadow and Act: Lynn Whitfield, Merle Dandridge and Desiree Ross Cast in OWN's Church Drama, 'Greenleaf'". IndieWire. Archived from the original on August 26, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
- ^ Ryan, Maureen (June 17, 2016). "TV Review: 'Greenleaf'". Variety. Archived from the original on June 20, 2016. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
- ^ Terrero, Nina (June 21, 2016). "Meet Merle Dandridge, the 'Greenleaf' leading lady picked by Oprah". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
- ^ Fisher, Luchina (June 21, 2016). "5 Reasons to Watch Oprah Winfrey's New Series 'Greenleaf'". ABC News. Archived from the original on March 13, 2019. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
- ^ Hetrick, Adam (January 8, 2018). "Norm Lewis and Tamyra Gray Join Cast of Broadway's Once on This Island January 8". Playbill. Archived from the original on February 20, 2018. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
- ^ "Cast and Creative". Once on This Island.com. Archived from the original on August 4, 2017. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
- ^ "Once On This Island – Cast". Playbill. Archived from the original on March 9, 2018. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
- ^ Hetrick, Adam (June 18, 2018). "Merle Dandridge Returns to Broadway's Once On This Island". Playbill. Archived from the original on August 24, 2018. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
- ^ a b "61st Annual Grammy Awards". National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. December 6, 2018. Archived from the original on December 7, 2018. Retrieved February 10, 2019.
- ^ Petski, Denise (October 11, 2018). "'Murphy Brown': Merle Dandridge Joins Season 1 Of CBS Revival". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 21, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
- ^ Petski, Denise (November 4, 2019). "'The Flight Attendant': Merle Dandridge Joins Kaley Cuoco's HBO Max Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 4, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
- ^ Goldberg, Lesley (May 27, 2021). "'Last of Us' Game Star to Reprise Role in HBO Series (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 27, 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
- ^ Nunneley, Stephany (April 7, 2016). "Fallout 4 wins Best Game at 2016 BAFTA Game Awards". VG24/7. Archived from the original on April 8, 2016. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
- ^ Oganesyan, Natalie; Moreau, Jordan (February 4, 2021). "2021 SAG Awards: The Complete Nominations List". Variety. Archived from the original on February 5, 2021. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
