Actress Joanna Merlin, who originated the role of Tzeitel in the 1964 Broadway production of “Fiddler on the Roof,” died in Los Angeles on Sunday. She was 92.
Her cause of death was not immediately available.
Merlin, who was born Joanna Ratner in Chicago, also appeared on NBC’s “Law & Order” — but made her mark on the long-running NBC franchise playing tough Judge Lena Petrovsky in its spinoff, “Law & Order: SVU,” in more than 40 episodes starting in 2000.
Merlin taught graduate acting at New York University and, in 1999, established the Michael Chekhov Association (acting workshops), according to Deadline.
One of her students, Julie Benko — who played Fanny Brice in the recent production of “Funny Girl” (when Lea Michelle was off) — posted a tribute to Merlin on Instagram. “She was beyond kind, supporting me both while in school @nyugradacting and continuing to send warm messages after I graduated,” Benko wrote.
Merlin got her start on the big screen as Jethro’s (Eduard Franz) daughter in “The Ten Commandments” (1956) and also appeared in small roles in the movies “Hester Street” and “All That Jazz.” In 1980, she played dance teacher Miss Berg in “Fame.”
In 1960, Merlin appeared in the Broadway production of “A Far Country,” starring Kim Stanley, and then landed her breakthrough role as Tzeitel — one of Tevye’s (Zero Mostel) daughters, along with Hodel and Chava — in “Fiddler on the Roof,” where she sang “Matchmaker, Matchmaker,” one of the show’s most famous songs.
Additionally, she appeared on television shows including “Northern Exposure,” “All My Children” and “The Good Wife.”
“Joanna was an actress, master Chekhov teacher, and former casting director for Harold Prince, Stephen Sondheim, Bernardo Bertolucci, and James Ivory,” NYU’s Tisch Graduate Acting Program announced on Instagram.
“Joanna will be deeply missed at Grad Acting, by the Chekhov community, and by the many people she touched through her artistry.”
