Merle Dandridge

Merle Dandridge was born in Japan to a Korean mother and African American father, then raised in Nebraska and schooled in Chicago at Roosevelt University. Dandridge has made an indelible mark on both stage and screen. Most recently, she reprised her role of Marlene, leader of the fireflies in the HBO adaptation of "The Last of Us", based on Naughty Dog's video game of the same name. She can also currently be seen as Chief Ross in ABC's "Station 19," and as Zarina Killebrew in Apple TV+'s "Truth Be Told". Merle starred as Grace Greenleaf in Oprah Winfrey's hit series "Greenleaf" which ran for five seasons. Other television includes HBO's "The Flight Attendant", FX's "Sons of Anarchy," CW's "Starcrossed," and NBC's "The Night Shift."

In the video game space, she is known for Naughty Dog's "The Last of Us" and "The Last of Us Part II" as Marlene, the leader of Fireflies, Evelyn and the Nun in "Uncharted 4: A Thief's End," Legion Commander and Winter Wyvern in "Dota 2," Alyx Vance in "Half-Life 2," and Katherine Collins in "Everybody's Gone To The Rapture" for which she won the 2016 BAFTA for "Best Performer."

Dandridge began her acting career with leading roles on Broadway in Spamalot (Lady of the Lake), Rent (Joanne), Aida (Aida), Tarzan (Kala) and Jesus Christ Superstar. More recently, Merle took on the role of Pharaoh in The Lincoln Center presentation of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. She was also the first woman to play the role of Papa Ge in the Tony Award-winning Broadway revival of Ahrens and Flaherty's Once on This Island, which received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Musical Theater Album. She has toured the U.S. and Europe six times and has been featured in several regional theatre productions, including multiple stints at The Geffen and the Tony-winning Pasadena Playhouse. Most recently, Dandridge returned to the latter in her critically acclaimed and award-winning turn as Desiree Armfeldt in A Little Night Music and followed that up with her L.A. Opera debut opposite Renee Fleming in the Stoppard/Previn two-hander, Penelope, featuring The Emerson String Quartet and Simone Dinnerstein. She has also performed at The Hollywood Bowl, Boston Pops, and at Royal Albert Hall.

Merle serves on the Board of Directors of The Geffen Playhouse and Harvest Home, which provides housing and holistic support to unhoused pregnant women.