S. Epatha Merkerson Joins Yaya DaCosta In Lead Roles For NBC Spin-off Series ‘Chicago Med’Posted by Wilson Morales
February 12, 2015
Source: Deadline
S. Epatha Merkerson is the latest actress to be added in a lead role for ‘Chicago Med,’ a spinoff from procedural franchise, Chicago Fire.
The Emmy winner joins Yaya DaCosta, who was previously announced, in the ensemble medical drama which will be introduced in Episode 19 of Chicago Fire this season.
The site reports that Merkerson will play Sharon Goodwin, the head of the hospital where the show is set. Although she doesn’t love the politics that go into running a hospital and doesn’t suffer fools, she is damn good at keeping the doors open. DaCosta plays Maggie Seaver, an attractive nurse who begins to date Chicago Fire‘s Kelly (Taylor Kinney), with whom she has a history dating back to high school.
For Merkerson, the Michigan gets to reunite with Med’s executive producer, Dick Wolf, for whom she spent 16 years on his longtime series ‘Law & Order’ as Lieutenant Anita Van Buren. Her 391 episodes on the series were more than any other cast member. She recently appeared on an episode of BET’s Being Mary Jane. In 2013, she had a recurring role opposite Meagan Good on NBC’s short-lived drama series, Deception.
The Chicago Med episode/planted sponoff is being conceived and written by Chicago Fire creators/executive producers Derek Haas and Michael Brandt, executive producer Matt Olmstead and executive producer Wolf, whose company Wolf Films produces the Chicago Fire/Chicago PD franchise for Universal TV.
