Personal Info
Joann Ratner
Joanna Merlin
Acting
Biography
Joanna Merlin (born Joann Ratner; July 15, 1931) was an American actress and casting director who has worked with Stephen Sondheim and starred in the original Broadway production of Fiddler on the Roof. She has written two acting guides and is a faculty member of New York University's graduate acting program. In recent years, she has become known for her recurring role on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Judge Lena Petrovsky.
Joann Ratner, who later took her mother's maiden name, was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Toni Merlin and Harry Ratner, a Jewish grocer. Her family also included her …
Known For
Filmography
Movies
Active Adults
as Miriam
Sarah's Key
as Mrs. Rainsferd
The Wackness
as Grandma Shapiro
The Invasion
as Joan Kaufman
The Jimmy Show
as Emily
Witness Protection
as Cindy's Mother
City of Angels
as Teresa
The Prosecutors
as Jewel
MURDER and murder
as Doris
Two Bits
as Guendolina
TV Shows
Homeland
as Grandma · 1 ep.
The Good Wife
as Loni Goslin · 1 ep.
The Jury
1 ep.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
as Lena Petrovsky · 43 ep.
New York Undercover
1 ep.
In a Child's Name
as Frances Silvano · 2 ep.
Baby Talk
as Gina · 1 ep.
Law & Order
as Defense Attorney Carla Bowman · 2 ep.
Northern Exposure
as Nadine Fleischman · 1 ep.
American Experience
as Family Member (voice) · 1 ep.