Merle Dandridge

Merle Dandridge was born in Okinawa, Japan, on May 31, 1975, to a Korean mother and African American father. The family later settled in Bellevue, Nebraska, where Dandridge spent most of her childhood and attended Papillion La Vista High School. She continued her education at the Theatre Conservatory at Roosevelt University (now the Chicago College of Performing Arts) in Chicago, preparing for a versatile career in entertainment. Her early career began in Chicago theatre productions before she moved to New York, making her Broadway debut shortly after.

Dandridge has established a significant presence across various mediums. On Broadway, she has taken on leading roles in notable productions such as ‘Spamalot’ (Lady of the Lake), ‘Rent’ (Joanne), ‘Aida’ (Aida), ‘Tarzan’ (Kala), and ‘Jesus Christ Superstar.’ Notably, she was the first woman to play Papa Ge in the Tony Award-winning Broadway revival of ‘Once on This Island’ and received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Musical Theater Album for her participation. Her stage work also includes performances at the Hollywood Bowl and with the Boston Pops. In video games, Dandridge is known for voicing Alyx Vance in ‘Half-Life 2’ and Marlene in ‘The Last of Us’ franchise, roles she reprised in the HBO television adaptation of ‘The Last of Us.’ She earned a BAFTA for ‘Best Performer’ in 2016 for “Everybody’s Gone To The Rapture.”

On television, Dandridge has held prominent roles, including Grace Greenleaf in Oprah Winfrey’s ‘Greenleaf,’ which ran for five seasons. She currently appears as Chief Ross in ABC’s ‘Station 19’ and Zarina Killebrew in Apple TV+’s ‘Truth Be Told.’ Other television credits include recurring roles in FX’s ‘Sons of Anarchy,’ CW’s ‘Starcrossed,’ NBC’s ‘The Night Shift,’ and HBO’s ‘The Flight Attendant.’ Dandridge is also involved in philanthropic efforts, serving on the Board of Directors for The Geffen Playhouse and Harvest Home, which supports unhoused pregnant women.