Joanna Merlin

Joanna Merlin

Known for: Acting
Biography: 1931-07-15
Deathday: 2023-10-15 (92 years old)

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Biography

Joanna Merlin (born Joann Ratner; July 15, 1931) was an American actress and casting director who has worked with Stephen Sondheim and starred in the original Broadway production of Fiddler on the Roof. She has written two acting guides and is a faculty member of New York University's graduate acting program. In recent years, she has become known for her recurring role on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Judge Lena Petrovsky.


Joann Ratner, who later took her mother's maiden name, was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Toni Merlin and Harry Ratner, a Jewish grocer. Her family also included her older sister Harriet Glickman (1926-2020) who would go on to gain recognition for having helped persuade Charles Schulz to add a black character to his Peanuts strip. Merlin first acted on stage at age 11, joining a community theatre production, Too Many Marys. Merlin graduated from UCLA and later studied under Michael Chekhov, learning his world-renowned acting technique. She has been described as the last student of Michael Chekhov who is still alive and teaching.


Merlin made her first screen appearance in Cecil B. DeMille's film The Ten Commandments in 1956. Five years later, she made her Broadway debut in Becket before playing Tzeitel in Harold Prince's production of Fiddler on the Roof. She left the cast of Fiddler on the Roof before the end of its tour to take care of her two small children but Harold Prince gave her the opportunity to become involved in casting with a more flexible schedule. Company was the first musical for which Merlin served as the casting director. She was also in charge of casting for such plays as Follies, Evita and Sweeney Todd.


In 1986, she served as casting director for the John Carpenter film, Big Trouble in Little China.


After making appearances in several feature films, including the movie Fame, in which she played Miss Olivia Berg, a classical dance teacher; Merlin appeared in the NBC crime drama Law & Order in 1992 as a defense attorney. Like many actors from that show, she went on to play other characters in the Law & Order franchise - another defense attorney in the original show and a more recurring role as Judge Lena Petrovsky, a judge who was very stern, by-the-book, and has scolded or sanctioned, at various times, ADAs Casey Novak (Diane Neal) and Alexandra Cabot (Stephanie March) and Detective (now Lieutenant) Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay), in its first spin-off Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. In the latter role, she appeared in every season between the years 2000 and 2011.


In 2001, Joanna Merlin wrote Auditioning: An Actor-Friendly Guide and in 2007, shared her knowledge of the theatre industry in the instructional video Master Classes in the Michael Chekhov Technique. She teaches in New York University's graduate acting program at the Tisch School of the Arts and in 1999, founded the Michael Chekhov Association where she teaches acting workshops.


Source: Article "Joanna Merlin" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.

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Filmography

all 48

Movies 35

TV Shows 13

Voice 1

Miriam
Active Adults

Active Adults (2017)

Movie
Mrs. Rainsferd
Sarah's Key

Sarah's Key (2010)

Movie
Loni Goslin
The Good Wife

The Good Wife (2009)

TV
6.01
Grandma Shapiro
The Wackness

The Wackness (2008)

Movie
Family Member
The Lobotomist

The Lobotomist (2008)

Movie
Joan Kaufman
The Invasion

The Invasion (2007)

Movie
6
The Jury

The Jury (2004)

TV
Emily
The Jimmy Show

The Jimmy Show (2002)

Movie
Cindy's Mother
Witness Protection

Witness Protection (1999)

Movie
Lena Petrovsky
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999)

TV
6.19
Teresa Messinger
City of Angels

City of Angels (1998)

Movie
5.75
Jewel
The Prosecutors

The Prosecutors (1996)

Movie
Doris
MURDER and murder

MURDER and murder (1996)

Movie
Guendolina
Two Bits

Two Bits (1995)

Movie
Casting
Jefferson in Paris

Jefferson in Paris (1995)

Movie
New York Undercover

New York Undercover (1994)

TV
1
Loretta
Mr. Wonderful

Mr. Wonderful (1993)

Movie
Rose Profaci
Love, Honor & Obey: The Last Mafia Marriage

Love, Honor & Obey: The Last Mafia Marriage (1993)

Movie
Frances Silvano
In a Child's Name

In a Child's Name (1991)

TV
Estelle Ward
Class Action

Class Action (1991)

Movie
Casting
Into the Woods

Into the Woods (1991)

Movie
Gina
Baby Talk

Baby Talk (1991)

TV
Casting
Mr. & Mrs. Bridge

Mr. & Mrs. Bridge (1990)

Movie
Deirdre Powell / Defense Attorney Carla Bowman
Law & Order

Law & Order (1990)

TV
5.78
Northern Exposure

Northern Exposure (1990)

TV
6
Dr. Bromberg
Murder in Black and White

Murder in Black and White (1990)

Movie
Mrs. Arujo
Mystic Pizza

Mystic Pizza (1988)

Movie
Family Member (voice)
American Experience

American Experience (1988)

TV
3.5
Bag Lady
Prince of Darkness

Prince of Darkness (1987)

Movie
4.33
Casting
The Last Emperor

The Last Emperor (1987)

Movie
7.67
A.D.A. Ellen Kennedy
L.A. Law

L.A. Law (1986)

TV
6
Casting
Big Trouble in Little China

Big Trouble in Little China (1986)

Movie
6.2
Marie
Amazing Stories

Amazing Stories (1985)

TV
5.33
Schanberg's Sister
The Killing Fields

The Killing Fields (1984)

Movie
1
Jacobo Timerman: Prisoner Without a Name, Cell Without a Number

Jacobo Timerman: Prisoner Without a Name, Cell Without a Number (1983)

Movie
Mrs. Rosen
Baby It's You

Baby It's You (1983)

Movie
Mrs. Sturgis
Love Child

Love Child (1982)

Movie
Inez Marin
Starstruck

Starstruck (1981)

Movie
Miss Berg
Fame

Fame (1980)

Movie
6
Nan Riley
Nurse

Nurse (1980)

Movie
Nurse Pierce
All That Jazz

All That Jazz (1979)

Movie
10
Mrs. Farelli
The Last Tenant

The Last Tenant (1978)

Movie
Jake's Landlady
Hester Street

Hester Street (1975)

Movie
Another World

Another World (1964)

TV
The Power and the Glory

The Power and the Glory (1963)

Movie
Josie
Weddings and Babies

Weddings and Babies (1960)

Movie
Gloria Werminski
Naked City

Naked City (1958)

TV
Jethro's Daughter
The Ten Commandments

The Ten Commandments (1956)

Movie
4.25

Ratings

Average 6.1
Based on 1.14 Million movie and tv ratings over time
1956
1983
1990
1987
2017
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Joanna MerlinJoanna Merlin

Information

Known For
Acting

Gender
Female

Birthday
1931-07-15

Deathday
2023-10-15 (92 years old)

Birth Name
Joann Ratner

Birth Place
Chicago, United States of America

Relationships
Martin Lubner (1950-01-01 - 1955-01-01)

Citizenships
United States of America

Also Known As
Joann Ratner


This article uses material from Wikipedia.
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