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Joanna Merlin picture

Joanna Merlin

Acting
Known For

92 Years Old

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.

Born

Chicago, Illinois, USA on 16th July 1931

Died

15th October 2023

All Credits

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Image
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Lena Petrovsky
Law & Order Image
Law & Order
Defense Attorney Carla Bowman
Law & Order Image
Law & Order
Deirdre Powell
The Good Wife Image
The Good Wife
Loni Goslin
Amazing Stories Image
Amazing Stories
Marie
Northern Exposure Image
Northern Exposure
Nadine Fleischman
American Experience Image
American Experience
Family Member (voice)
New York Undercover Image
New York Undercover
L.A. Law Image
L.A. Law
A.D.A. Ellen Kennedy
Naked City Image
Naked City
Gloria Werminski
The Jury Image
The Jury
The Ten Commandments Image
The Ten Commandments
Jethro's Daughter
City of Angels Image
City of Angels
Teresa Messinger
The Invasion Image
The Invasion
Joan Kaufman
Another World Image
Another World
All That Jazz Image
All That Jazz
Nurse Pierce
Jacobo Timerman: Prisoner Without a Name, Cell Without a Number Image
Jacobo Timerman: Prisoner Without a Name, Cell Without a Number
Mystic Pizza Image
Mystic Pizza
Mrs. Arujo
Prince of Darkness Image
Prince of Darkness
Bag Lady
The Killing Fields Image
The Killing Fields
Schanberg's Sister
Fame Image
Fame
Miss Berg
Murder in Black and White Image
Murder in Black and White
Dr. Bromberg
Sarah's Key Image
Sarah's Key
Mrs. Rainsferd
In a Child's Name Image
In a Child's Name
Frances Silvano
Baby It's You Image
Baby It's You
Mrs. Rosen
The Wackness Image
The Wackness
Grandma Shapiro
Witness Protection Image
Witness Protection
Cindy's Mother
Two Bits Image
Two Bits
Guendolina
Mr. Wonderful Image
Mr. Wonderful
Loretta
Class Action Image
Class Action
Estelle Ward
Love, Honor & Obey: The Last Mafia Marriage Image
Love, Honor & Obey: The Last Mafia Marriage
Rose Profaci
Hester Street Image
Hester Street
Jake's Landlady
Nurse Image
Nurse
Nan Riley
MURDER and murder Image
MURDER and murder
Doris
Weddings and Babies Image
Weddings and Babies
Josie
The Jimmy Show Image
The Jimmy Show
Emily
Active Adults Image
Active Adults
Miriam
The Power and the Glory Image
The Power and the Glory
Love Child Image
Love Child
Mrs. Sturgis
The Prosecutors Image
The Prosecutors
Jewel
Baby Talk Image
Baby Talk
Gina
The Last Tenant Image
The Last Tenant
Mrs. Farelli
Starstruck Image
Starstruck
Inez Marin