| Merlin Santana | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | March 14 1976 New York, New York, U.S. |
| Died | November 9 2002 (aged 26) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
Merlin Santana (March 14, 1976 - November 9, 2002), was a Dominican American television and film actor best known for his role as Romeo Santana on the WB series, The Steve Harvey Show.
Contents |
Biography
Merlin Santana was born in Washington Heights, Manhattan, New York to Dominican parents. Both his mother and father immigrated from the Dominican Republic to find a better life, eventually settling in New York. He attended Acenscion Catholic School in New York. His career in show business began with a push from his mother, who recognized her son's talent and wanted to keep him off the tough streets of New York. He began his career at the age of three as an advertising model for a fast food chain. His first screen appearance was as an extra in the Woody Allen film, The Purple Rose of Cairo. Santana later landed the recurring role of Stanley, the faithful admirer of the young Rudy Huxtable (and romantic rival of Rudy's friend Kenny), on the hit series, The Cosby Show. Merlin was then cast as a sharp-tongued 15-year-old in the short lived sitcom, Getting By, starring Cindy Williams and Telma Hopkins. He also landed roles on Under One Roof, and made appearances in Moesha, Major Dad, and Sister, Sister. In 1996, Merlin landed the role of Romeo Santana on The Steve Harvey Show. In 2002, he appeared in the VH1 tv movie, Play'd: A Hip Hop Story with Toni Braxton. The same year, Santana landed a role in the Eddie Murphy's comedy, Showtime. Merlin's last television acting role was on the UPN series, Half & Half. His last film role was a 2003 comedy, The Blues with fellow Cosby Show alum Deon Richmond.
Death
On November 9, 2002, Merlin was sitting in a parked car when a person approached the car and shot him. Santana died before any help could arrive. News of his death was not reported until the following Monday (November 11, 2002). He was buried on November 18, 2002. Merlin was survived by one daughter. He was 26 years old. Damien Andre Gates was convicted of the first-degree murder of Santana and the attempted murder of another man in the car, and was sentenced to three consecutive life sentences plus 70 years in prison. Brandon Douglas Bynes received 23 year sentence after pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter and assault with a deadly weapon. An officer involved in the case testified that Monique King, reportedly the girlfriend of Gates and aged 15 at the time of Santana's death, falsely claimed that Santana had tried to rape her, which prompted Gates and Bynes to attack the car. King received eight years in juvenile custody.[1]
Filmography
- Major Dad (2 episodes, 1991)
- Law & Order (1 episode, 1991)
- The Cabinet of Dr. Ramirez (1991)
- The Cosby Show (7 episodes, 1991-1992)
- In the Line of Duty: Street War (1992)
- Getting By (1 episode, 1993)
- Sister, Sister (1 episode, 1994)
- Street Gear (1994)
- Hangin' with Mr. Cooper (2 episodes, 1995-1996)
- Harambee! (1996)
- NYPD Blue (1 episode, 1997)
- Moesha (5 episode, 1996-1999)
- Flossin (2001)
- The Steve Harvey Show (1997-2002)
- Showtime (2002)
- JAG (1 episode, 2002)
- Play'd: A Hip Hop Story (2002)
- Half & Half (1 episode, 2002)
- The Blues (2003)
Trivia
- Santana was good friends with Steve Harvey.
- Santana was not related to Juelz Santana, as his parents told the public.
- His favorite rapper was Snoop Dogg.
