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Merle Dandridge

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Merle Dandridge
Dandridge in September 2019
Born (1975-05-31) May 31, 1975 (age 49)
Okinawa, Japan
NationalityAmerican
Occupations
  • Actress
  • singer
Years active1994–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 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.

Early life

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Dandridge 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

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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 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

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
2008 Nothing but the Truth Celia
2018 Resurrect Alice Short film
2022 Block Party Crystal Maitland

Television

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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 Liz Mutton (voice) Episode: "Spelunky: Tally"

Stage

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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

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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 Also provided motion capture
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

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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

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  1. ^ "Merle Dandridge". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ "Merle Dandridge Lands Role on NBC Pilot Chicago Fire". Broadway.com. Archived from the original on August 10, 2016. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ 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.
  8. ^ Ryan, Maureen (June 17, 2016). "TV Review: 'Greenleaf'". Variety. Archived from the original on June 20, 2016. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
  9. ^ Terrero, Nina (June 21, 2016). "Meet Merle Dandridge, the 'Greenleaf' leading lady picked by Oprah". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
  10. ^ 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.
  11. ^ 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.
  12. ^ "Cast and Creative". Once on This Island.com. Archived from the original on August 4, 2017. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  13. ^ "Once On This Island – Cast". Playbill. Archived from the original on March 9, 2018. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
  14. ^ 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.
  15. ^ 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.
  16. ^ 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.
  17. ^ 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.
  18. ^ 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.
  19. ^ 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.
  20. ^ 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.
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