Birth Place: Chicago, IL, USA
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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 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.
Merlin taught 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 taught acting workshops.
[1956]The Ten Commandments Jethro's Daughter
[1958]Weddings and Babies Josie
[1975]Hester Street Jake's Landlady
[1979]All That Jazz Nurse Pierce
[1980]Fame Miss Berg
[1982]Love Child Mrs. Sturgis
[1982]Soup for One Allan's Mother
[1983]Baby It's You Mrs. Rosen
[1984]The Killing Fields Schanberg's Sister
[1987]Prince of Darkness Bag Lady
[1988]Mystic Pizza Mrs. Arujo
[1991]Class Action Estelle Ward
[1993]Mr. Wonderful Loretta
[1995]Two Bits Guendolina
[1996]MURDER and murder Doris
[1998]City of Angels Teresa Messinger
[2001]The Jimmy Show Emily
[2003]Just Another Story Sadie
[2007]The Invasion Joan Kaufman
[2008]The Wackness Grandma Shapiro
[2010]Elle s'appelait Sarah Mme Rainsferd
[2017]Active Adults Miriam
Another World Vivian Cory, Dr. Emily Cole
Law & Order Defense Attorney Deirdre Powell
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Judge Lena Petrovsky
New York Undercover Carmella McNamara
Joanna Merlin has appeared on Broadway in 7 shows.
Joanna Merlin has not appeared in the West End