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Joanna Merlin (born JoAnn Delores Ratner; July 15, 1931 – October 15, 2023) was an American actress and casting director who worked with Stephen Sondheim and starred in the original Broadway theatre production of Fiddler on the Roof. She wrote two acting guides and was a faculty member of New York University's graduate acting program. From 2000 to 2011, she was known for her recurring role on as Judge Lena Petrovsky.
Merlin first acted on stage at age 11, joining a community theatre production, Too Many Marys. Merlin's family moved to Los Angeles when she was fifteen. She attended UCLA, though did not graduate, and later studied under Michael Chekhov, learning his world-renowned acting technique. She was described as the last student of Chekhov who was still alive and teaching.
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 Captain) Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay), in its first spin-off . In the latter role, she appeared in 43 episodes, across 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.
Merlin died from myelodysplastic syndrome at the Los Angeles home of her daughter, Rachel, on October 15, 2023, at the age of 92.
Career
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 .
Personal life and death
After a marriage to Martin Lubner in the 1950s ended in divorce, Merlin was married to David Dretzin from 1965 until his death in 2006, from an injury sustained in a car accident. They had two daughters: Rachel, a documentary filmmaker; and Julie Dretzin, an actress.
Filmography
Film
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 Soup for One Allan's Mother 1982 Love Child Mrs. Sturgis 1983 Baby It's You Mrs. Rosen 1984 The Killing Fields Sydney Schanberg's Sister 1985 Year of the Dragon Casting Director 1986 Big Trouble in Little China Casting Director 1987 Prince of Darkness Bag Lady 1987 The Last Emperor Casting Director 1988 Mystic Pizza Mrs. Araújo 1990 Mr. and Mrs. Bridge Casting Director 1991 Class Action Estelle Ward 1992 The Lover Casting Director 1993 Little Buddha Tibetan Casting: New York 1993 M. Butterfly Casting Consultant 1993 Mr. Wonderful Loretta 1995 Jefferson in Paris Casting Director 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 Beautiful Hills of Brooklyn Producer, Co-writer and the role of Jesse Sylvester 2008 The Wackness Grandma Shapiro 2010 Sarah's Key Mme. Rainsferd 2017 Active Adults Miriam
Television
1960 CBS Repertoire Workshop Musya Episode: "The Seven Who Were Hanged" 1962 Naked City Gloria Werminski Episode: "King Stanislaus and the Knights of the Round Stable" 1963 The Defenders Katy Martinez Episode: "The Bagman" 1964 East Side/West Side Lucia Lopez Episode: "It's War, Man" 1967 The Winter's Tale Paulina TV movie 1978 The Last Tenant Mrs. Farelli TV movie 1980 Nurse Nan Riley TV movie 1981 ABC Afterschool Specials Inez Marin Episode: "Starstruck" 1982 Another World Dr. Emily Cole Soap Opera
Unknown episodes1983 Unknown TV movie 1986 Amazing Stories Marie / Wealthy Lady Episode: "Gather Ye Acorns" 1989 CBS Schoolbreak Special Marian Rosenberg Episode: "A Matter of Conscience" 1990 Murder in Black and White Dr. Bromberg TV movie 1991 L.A. Law Assistant District Attorney Ellen Kennedy Episode: "Pump it up" 1991 A Marriage: Georgia O'Keeffe and Alfred Stieglitz Dolly Stieglitz TV movie 1991 In a Child's Name Frances Silvano TV movie 1992 Baby Talk Unknown Episodes: "Scenes from a Marriage" 1992–1993 Law & Order Carla Bowman 2 episodes 1993 Rose Profaci TV movie 1993 Northern Exposure Nadine Fleischman Episode: "Birds of a Feather" 1995 Everyman Casting Advisor 1996 The Prosecutors Unknown TV movie 1996–1997 New York Undercover Carmella McNamara 4 episodes 1997 All My Children Judge Brauer Soap Opera
Unknown episodes1994–1998 Law & Order Deirdre Powell 3 episodes 1999 Black and Blue Ann Benedetto TV movie 1999 Witness Protection Mrs. O'Connor, Cindy's Mother TV movie 2004 The Jury Jackie Ochs Episode: "Too Jung to Die" 2008 The American Experience Family Member 2010 Frontline Herself Episode: Digital Nation" 2011 The Good Wife Loni Goslin Episode: "In Sickness" 2000–2011 Judge Lena Petrovsky 43 episodes 2013 Homeland Grandma Lois Episode: "Tin Man Is Down"
Stage
1961 Becket Gwendolyn 1961 A Far Country Replacement Performer 1964 Fiddler on the Roof Tzeitel 1970 Company Casting Director 1971 Follies Casting Director 1973 A Little Night Music Casting Director 1973 Shelter Gloria 1976 Pacific Overtures Casting Director 1978 On the Twentieth Century Casting Director 1979 Evita Casting Director 1979 Sweeney Todd Casting Director 1981 Merrily We Roll Along Casting Director 1982 A Doll's Life Casting Director 1987 Into The Woods Casting Director 2014 Absence Helen Bastion
Awards and nominations
1988 Casting Society of America Artios Award Best Casting for a Feature Film, Drama The Last Emperor 2009 Strasbourg International Film Festival Award Best Actress Beautiful Hills of Brooklyn
External links
Categories: 1931 Births, 2023 Deaths, 20th-century American Actresses, 20th-century American Jews, 21st-century American Actresses, 21st-century American Jews, Actresses From Chicago, Actresses From Los Angeles, American Casting Directors, American Film Actresses, American People Of Russian-jewish Descent, American Stage Actresses, American Television Actresses, Deaths From Cancer In California, Deaths From Myelodysplastic Syndrome, Jewish American Actresses, Tisch School Of The Arts Faculty, University Of California, Los Angeles Alumni, American Women Casting Directors
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