Editing Merlin Santana

{{Short description|American actor (1976–2002)}}
{{Use American English|date=December 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{more citations needed|date=August 2015}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Merlin Santana
| image              = Merlin Santana.webp
| image_size         = 240px
| alt                = 
| caption            = Santana in 2002
| birth_name         = 
| birth_date         = {{birth date|1976|3|14}}
| birth_place        = [[Manhattan]], New York, U.S.
| death_date         = {{death date and age|2002|11|9|1976|3|14}}
| death_place        = [[Los Angeles]], California, U.S.
| death_cause        = [[Gunshot wound]]
| resting_place      = [[Saint Raymond's Cemetery, Bronx|Saint Raymond's Cemetery]]<br>The Bronx, New York, U.S.
| occupation         = {{hlist|Actor|rapper}}
| years_active       = 1990–2002
| children           = 1
}}

'''Merlin Santana''' (March 14, 1976 – November 9, 2002) was an American actor and rapper. Beginning his career in the early 1990s, Santana was best known for his roles as Rudy Huxtable's boyfriend Stanley on ''[[The Cosby Show]]'', Marcus Dixon on ''[[Getting By]]'', Marcus Henry in ''[[Under One Roof (1995 TV series)|Under One Roof]]'' and Romeo Santana on [[The WB]] sitcom ''[[The Steve Harvey Show]]'' (1996{{dash}}2002). He was also known for his recurring role as Ohagi on the [[UPN]] sitcom ''[[Moesha]]''.

On November 9, 2002, Santana was shot dead in [[Los Angeles]] by 19-year-old Damien Andre Gates, ordered by Gates' girlfriend Monique King, who falsely accused Santana of making sexual advances towards her.

==Early life==
Born in [[Washington Heights, Manhattan|Washington Heights]], New York City to parents from the [[Dominican Republic]], Santana's career in show business began with a push from his parents, who wanted to keep him off the tough streets of New York.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vibe.com/news/news_headlines/2006/11/merlin_santana_death/ |title=Remembering Merlin Santana On His 4-Year Death Anniversary |last=Josephs |first=Tasheka |date=November 9, 2006 |publisher=Vibe |access-date=September 15, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090825202529/http://www.vibe.com/news/news_headlines/2006/11/merlin_santana_death/ |archive-date=August 25, 2009 }}</ref> 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]]''.

==Acting career==
In 1991, Santana landed a recurring role on ''[[The Cosby Show]]'' as Stanley, the boyfriend of [[Rudy Huxtable]] and the rival of Rudy's friend Kenny ([[Deon Richmond]]). He was then cast as Marcus Dixon in the short-lived sitcom, ''[[Getting By]]'', starring [[Cindy Williams]] and [[Telma Hopkins]]. Deon Richmond was cast as his brother Darren, due to their interaction on ''The Cosby Show''.

In November 1994, Santana appeared on ''[[Sister, Sister (TV series)|Sister, Sister]]'' as Joey, who falls in love with Tia and Tamera ([[Tia Mowry|Tia]] and [[Tamera Mowry]]) at Rocket Burger.

In 1995, Santana was cast as Marcus Henry in the short-lived [[Columbia Broadcasting System|CBS]] family drama ''[[Under One Roof (1995 TV series)|Under One Roof]]'', co-starring with [[James Earl Jones]], [[Joe Morton]] and [[Vanessa Bell Calloway]]. Between 1996 and 1999, he played the role of Ohagi on ''[[Moesha]]''.

In 1996, he landed the role of Romeo Santana on ''[[The Steve Harvey Show]]''. In 2001, he played the role of Jermaine in the movie ''Flossin''. In 2002, he appeared in the [[VH1]] [[Television movie|TV movie]], ''Play'd: A Hip Hop Story'' with [[Toni Braxton]]. That same year, Santana had a role in the [[Eddie Murphy]] comedy ''[[Showtime (film)|Showtime]]''. His last television acting role was on the [[UPN]] series, ''[[Half & Half]]'', while his last film role was in the 2003 comedy film, ''The Blues'' with Deon Richmond.

==Murder and burial==
On November 9, 2002, Santana was murdered while sitting in a car in [[Los Angeles]].<ref>{{cite news |title='Steve Harvey Show' actor shot to death |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2002-11-11-0211110231-story.html |access-date=August 14, 2021 |work=[[Chicago Tribune]] |date=November 11, 2002}}</ref> Santana and his friend, actor [[Brandon Adams (actor)|Brandon Adams]], had just left an acquaintance's home in the [[Crenshaw District]] when Damien Andre Gates, 19 at the time, fired the shot that entered through the trunk of the vehicle in which Santana was a passenger. The bullet penetrated the right-front passenger headrest and entered Santana's head, killing him.

Santana was buried at [[Saint Raymond's Cemetery (Bronx)|Saint Raymond's Cemetery]] in [[The Bronx, New York|The Bronx]] borough of New York City.
He was survived by his daughter, Melinda.

=== Trial and allegations against Gates===
In 2003, Gates was convicted of the [[first-degree murder]] of Santana and the [[attempted murder]] of Adams and was sentenced to three consecutive [[life sentence]]s plus 70 years in prison.

Brandon Douglas Bynes, who was 23 at the time and was with Gates during the shooting, received a 23-year sentence after pleading guilty to [[voluntary manslaughter]] and [[assault]] with a deadly weapon.

An [[LAPD]] officer involved in the case testified that Monique King, reportedly Gates's girlfriend, only aged 15 at the time, falsely claimed that Santana made sexual advances towards her, which prompted the attack.

In January 2004, King was found guilty of second-degree murder and attempted murder,<ref>{{cite news|last=Blankstein|first=Andrew|title=Teenage Girl Convicted for Role in Actor's Killing|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-mar-17-me-king17-story.html|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=March 17, 2004|access-date=May 13, 2022}}</ref> but was acquitted on two murder charges, receiving ten years in juvenile custody as a result of Santana's death.<ref name=jet>{{cite journal|date=May 10, 2004|title=Three Sentenced in Shooting Death of TV Actor Merlin Santana|journal=Jet|publisher=Johnson Publishing Company|volume=105|issue=19|page=18|issn=0021-5996}}</ref>

==Filmography==

===Film===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
| 1991
| ''[[The Cabinet of Dr. Ramirez]]''
| Newsboy
|
|-
| 1992
| ''[[In the Line of Duty: Street War]]''
| Mikie
| TV movie
|-
| 2000
| ''The Smoker''
| -
| Short
|-
| 2001
| ''Flossin''
| Jermaine
|
|-
|rowspan="2"| 2002
| ''[[Showtime (film)|Showtime]]''
| Hector
|
|-
| ''[[Play'd: A Hip Hop Story]]''
| Mayhem
| TV movie
|-
| 2003
| ''The Blues''
| Goya
| Final film role; Posthumous release
|}

===Television===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
|rowspan="2"| 1991
| ''[[Major Dad]]''
| Marvin
| Recurring Cast: Season 2
|-
| ''[[Law & Order]]''
| Roneld Griggs
| Episode: "Mushrooms"
|-
| 1991–92
| ''[[The Cosby Show]]''
| Stanley
| Guest: Season 7, Recurring Cast: Season 8
|-
| 1993–94
| ''[[Getting By]]''
| Marcus Dixon
| Main Cast
|-
| 1994
| ''[[Sister, Sister (TV series)|Sister, Sister]]''
| Joey
| Episode: "Joey's Choice"
|-
|rowspan="2"| 1995
| ''[[Under One Roof (1995 TV series)|Under One Roof]]''
| Marcus Henry
| Main Cast
|-
| ''Street Gear''
| Derick Davis
| Main Cast
|-
| 1995–96
| ''[[Hangin' with Mr. Cooper]]''
| Calvin
| Recurring Cast: Season 4
|-
| 1996–99
| ''[[Moesha]]''
| Ohagi
| Recurring Cast: Season 1, Guest: Season 4
|-
| 1996–2002
| ''[[The Steve Harvey Show]]''
| Romeo Santana
| Main Cast
|-
| 1997
| ''[[NYPD Blue]]''
| Warren
| Episode: "A Draining Experience"
|-
|rowspan="2"| 2002
| ''[[JAG (TV series)|JAG]]''
| Seaman Aubrey McBride
| Episode: "Port Chicago"
|-
| ''[[Half & Half]]''
| Dante Aldente
| Episode: "The Big Pimpin' Episode"
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Portal|Biography}}
* {{IMDb name|0763332}}
* {{Find a Grave|6919127}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Santana, Merlin}}
[[Category:1976 births]]
[[Category:2002 deaths]]
[[Category:2002 murders in the United States]]
[[Category:20th-century African-American male actors]]
[[Category:20th-century American male actors]]
[[Category:21st-century African-American male actors]]
[[Category:21st-century American male actors]]
[[Category:African-American male child actors]]
[[Category:American child models]]
[[Category:American male child actors]]
[[Category:American male film actors]]
[[Category:American male television actors]]
[[Category:Murdered actors]]
[[Category:American murder victims]]
[[Category:American people of Dominican Republic descent]]
[[Category:Burials at Saint Raymond's Cemetery (Bronx)]]
[[Category:Deaths by firearm in California]]
[[Category:Deaths from bleeding]]
[[Category:Hispanic and Latino American male actors]]
[[Category:Male actors from Manhattan]]
[[Category:People murdered in Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Rappers from New York City]]