Merle Dandridge facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Merle Dandridge
Dandridge in September 2019
Born	(1975-05-31) May 31, 1975 (age 50) Okinawa, Japan
Nationality	American
Occupation	Actress singer
Years active	1994–present

Merle Dandridge, born on May 31, 1975, is a talented American actress and singer. She is well-known for her amazing performances in Broadway musicals. She has also voiced characters in popular video games. On television, she has played leading roles and appeared in many series.

About Merle Dandridge

Merle Dandridge is famous for her work on stage and screen. She has starred in big Broadway shows like Jesus Christ Superstar and Rent. She is also the voice of Alyx Vance in the Half-Life 2 video game series. Another famous voice role is Marlene in The Last of Us games and TV show.

Early Life and Education

Merle Dandridge was born in Okinawa, Japan. Her mother is Korean, and her father is African-American. Her family moved to the U.S. because of her father's job. They lived in California before settling in Bellevue, Nebraska.

Merle spent most of her childhood in Bellevue. She went to Papillion La Vista High School. There, she was very active in the play production class and theater department. After high school, she studied at the Theatre Conservatory at Roosevelt University in Chicago. This school is now called the Chicago College of Performing Arts.

Merle's Acting Career

Merle Dandridge started her acting journey in Chicago theater. She became widely known for her voice acting in video games. She voiced Alyx Vance in the award-winning game Half-Life 2 and its follow-ups. She also voiced Marlene in The Last of Us.

In 2006, she joined the original Broadway cast of Tarzan as Kala. Merle won a BAFTA Award for her voice work. This was for the 2015 game Everybody's Gone to the Rapture.

On television, she has appeared in many shows. These include NCIS, 24, and Criminal Minds. From 2016 to 2020, she played the main character, Grace Greenleaf, in the Oprah Winfrey Network drama series Greenleaf. Critics praised her performance in this leading role.

Merle also had important roles in other TV series. She was Rita Roosevelt in Sons of Anarchy. She played Gwen Gaskin in The Night Shift. In 2020, she starred as Kim Hammond in The Flight Attendant on HBO Max.

In 2022, Merle began playing Natasha Seo-Yeon Ross in the ABC action series Station 19. She also returned to her role as Marlene in the 2023 TV show based on The Last of Us video game. In February 2025, she took over the role of Persephone in the Broadway show Hadestown.

Broadway Musicals

Merle Dandridge has a strong background in Broadway. She has performed in several famous musicals:

• Jesus Christ Superstar (as Mary Magdalene)
• Rent (as Joanne Jefferson)
• Tarzan (as Kala)
• Spamalot (as The Lady of the Lake)
• Once on This Island (as Papa Ge)

She was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album for her work on the Once on This Island cast recording.

Merle's Acting Roles

Merle Dandridge has acted in many different projects.

Film Roles

Television Roles

Video Game Roles

Awards and Recognitions

Merle Dandridge has been recognized for her talent.