Merle Dandridge

Here is a detailed profile of Merle Dandridge, the American actress and singer:

Biography & Early Life

• Full Name & Birth: Merle Dandridge was born May 31, 1975 in Okinawa, Japan.

• Ethnic Background: Her mother is of Korean (and Japanese) descent, and her father is African American.

• Upbringing: After her birth, her family moved back to the United States. They lived at Beale Air Force Base in California before settling in Bellevue, Nebraska, where she spent much of her childhood.

• Education: In Nebraska she attended Papillion La Vista High School, participating in theater. Later, she earned a scholarship to study theatre at Roosevelt University’s Theatre Conservatory (Chicago College of Performing Arts).

Career Overview

Merle Dandridge’s career spans stage, television, film, and video games. She is known for her versatility and presence in both performance and voice roles.

Stage & Musical Theatre

• She has been active on Broadway and national tours, with credits including Jesus Christ Superstar, Tarzan, Rent, Spamalot, Aida, and Once on This Island.

• In Once on This Island, she performed as Papa Ge in a Broadway revival (2017–2018).

• She has also appeared in Tarzan in the original Broadway production, and replaced leads in Rent.

Television & Film

• One of her most prominent TV roles was as Grace Greenleaf in the Oprah Winfrey Network drama Greenleaf, which aired from 2016 to 2020.

• Other TV appearances include recurring roles or guest spots in shows such as Sons of Anarchy, The Night Shift, The Flight Attendant, Station 19, Truth Be Told, Murphy Brown, and The Last of Us (as Marlene).

• In film, her credits are more limited but include roles in Nothing but the Truth (2008) and Block Party (2022).

Voice & Video Game Work

• She is especially known in gaming circles as the voice of Alyx Vance in Half-Life 2 (and its sequels) (2004 and onward).

• She also voiced Marlene in The Last of Us game and reprised that role in the HBO series adaptation.

• Her performance in Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture won her a BAFTA Award – Performer in 2016.

Personal Life & Other Activities

• Married Life: She was married to Christopher Johnston from 2011 until their divorce in 2019.

• Board Service & Philanthropy: She serves on the Board of Directors of the Geffen Playhouse and is involved with Harvest Home, an organization that provides housing and support to pregnant women experiencing homelessness.

• Public Recognition: Her performance in Greenleaf was widely praised. The show’s first season, in particular, was lauded for her naturalistic portrayal of a woman navigating family, faith, and identity.