Since Chicago Med premiered in 2015, S. Epatha Merkerson has always been one of the backbones of the series. The show's main authority figure, her character, Sharon Goodwin, has always managed to exhibit how kind she is, even as she makes the tough calls that can negatively affect her employees. Thanks to how nuanced she is and how talented the actor who portrays her is, it has always been very obvious that Sharon is one of the show's most popular characters by far.
Thankfully for fans who love the character, it has been revealed that Sharon will continue to grow during the show's upcoming season 11 episodes. Before that happens, it is interesting to look at the changes that the character underwent during Chicago Med season 10, which I believe is the show's best season to date. As it turns out, viewers weren't the only people who were captivated by Sharon's season 10 storyline.
S. Epatha Merkerson praised Chicago Med for depicting Sharon's "fear'
S. Epatha Merkerson made an appearance on the One Chicago Podcast in late September, which is hosted by Brian Luce, a Chicago P.D. technical consultant who used to be a Chicago cop in real life. During that podcast appearance, Merkerson discussed the stalking storyline that her Chicago Med character, Sharon Goodwin, went through during that show's 10th season. While discussing how being stalked affected her character, Merkerson expressed how happy she is that fans saw Sharon in a new light. The actor also compared Sharon to the character she used to portray on Law & Order.
"It really shows the fullness of this character that she didn’t come to this job as an administrator, she came as a worker — and her vulnerabilities when she was stalked as a result of a decision she made during that trauma. Just because she’s the boss doesn’t mean she’s not human. She has moments of fear. She has moments where she’s not sure. It was the same with Van Buren [her Law & Order character]. This is a woman of strength, but you have to see when they’re vulnerable. You’ve got to see 100% of the person."
While continuing to discuss the stalking storyline, Merkerson elaborated on what she enjoyed so much about filming it. As the actor explained, she got to do stunts while filming the storyline, and she was proud of herself for doing something like that that was difficult for her.
"The cool thing is, I got to do some stunts, which really, you know, the old broad gets to do the stunts. And I did. I was proud of myself. But that was probably the most difficult because it was a storyline that progressed through the season."
There are good reasons why Merkerson is incredibly respected as an actor. Truly talented, she fully embodies the characters she portrays and somehow manages to never seem like she has made a false choice as an actor. As a result, I have always greatly enjoyed the actor's stellar portrayal of Sharon Goodwin. Still, it is fascinating to learn how much Merkerson has enjoyed Sharon getting new depth and being challenged by portraying the character. The actor's comments on how her character has recently changed make me love Sharon even more than I already did.