Merle Dandridge mother Kiyoko Sang Pedersen is a Japanese woman married to American man Andrew Dandridge. Merle is the youngest kid of the couple.
Merle is The Last of Us star who received global stardom for her appearance in the TV series. She portrayed the role of Marlene in the action-adventure HBO series created by Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin. She appears alongside actor Pedro Pascal best known from Game of Thrones.
The 47-year-old was born in Okinawa, Japan, on May 31, 1975. Her mom is of Korean and Japanese descent while her dad has an African American heritage.
The Dandridge moved back to the States and lived in Nebraska. Merle was raised in the town and spend most of her time there as a child. She had a knack for acting so, she participated in the play production class and theatre department while attending Papillion La Vista High School.
Merle Dandridge family includes her parents and a sister apart from her marital relationships.
- Mom Kiyoko Sang Pedersen
- Dad Andrew Dandridge
- Older Sister Jen Dandridge
- Ex-husband Christopher Johnston
Her Mom Kiyoko Sang Pedersen Is A Former Nurse
Merle Dandridge mother Kiyoko Sang Pedersen was a nurse by profession. Kiyoko has two children with her partner Andrew Dandridge.
Pedersen was born in 1942 and celebrated her birthday on April 8 every year. She turned 79 years of age in 2023. Dandridge wished her mom a happy birthday via her Instagram on April 8.
The Last of Us actress looks up to her mother as her hero. She shared a brief life history of her mother via Twitter on May 8, 2016, and wrote that her mother survived two World Wars and the loss of two children. The actress further added that her mom learned English while attending nursing school.
Furthermore, the Section 19 actress wished her mom on mother’s day in 2019. She called her mom the only sunshine in her life and makes her happy when the skies are gray before expressing her love.
The 79-year-old got separated from her former partner Andrew sometime after Merle was born. The Gossip Next Door article mentions that Kiyoko later married Dean T. Pedersen belonging to Council Bluffs, Iowa. She still lives in the same town.
Her Dad Andrew Dandridge Is A Retired Army Officer
Merle Dandridge father Andrew Dandridge is a former military man. The veteran currently lives in Cordova, Tennessee.
The Flight Attendant actress shared via Twitter about her dad’s career and wrote that her father started his military career during the civil rights movement.
Andrew was posted in Japan when his daughter Merle was born. Not long after the birth of his second child with Kiyoko, he was called back to the States.
Mr. Dandridge celebrates his birthday in September each year. On Father’s Day in 2017, Merle wished her dad. She wrote that her dad taught her to stand up, stand tall and walk with purpose, before expressing her love for him.
The 80-year-old returned to the States with his family and lived at Beale Air Force Base in California for some time. After that, they relocated to Bellevue, Nebraska, and settled at Offutt Air Force Base.
The Truth Be Told actress shared an adorable photo with her dad on her Instagram on July 24, 2022, during her visit to Tennessee. She simply wrote “Me and Daddy” and added that he was 80 years young.
Merle Dandridge Has A Big Sister
Merle Dandridge siblings include an older sister Jen Dandridge.
Jen celebrates her birthday in June every year. Merle wished her big sister a happy birthday via Instagram on June 25, 2021.
The Greenleaf actress further added that her big sis is her muse and she hangs on her every word. Dandridge added that Jen has overcome so much and she still remains the most tender-hearted and brilliant artist.
Apart from these rare mentions, not much information is available on the part of Jen. She always maintains her distance from the limelight and the media.
Merle Was Previously Married To Christopher Johnston
Merle Dandridge and husband Christopher Johnston were together for eight years until their divorce in 2019.
The Rosewood actress tied the knot with singer, Johnston on May 21, 2011. The wedding ceremony was a closed one with minimal details revealed in the media.
Dandridge filed for divorce with Johnston in 2019. After the news surfaced in the media, it became publicly known that they had already been living separately.
Merle is active on Instagram under @merledandridge with more than 259K followers. You can check her profile to keep yourself updated on her recent activities.
Merle Dandridge Is The On-screen Mother of Desiree Ross
Merle Dandridge daughter Desiree Ross is the on-screen child of the actress. Merle doesn’t have kids in real life.
Although Dandridge is not a real-life mom, she is the on-screen mama of the talented actress Desiree Ross. Merle played the lead character named Grace Greenleaf in the Netflix drama series, Greenleaf.
Likewise, Ross portrays the character named Sophia Greenleaf in the drama series created by Craig Wright. Sophia is the only child of Grace with her ex-partner, Ray Fisher.
On January 12, 2018, the 47-year-old shared a photo with Ross via Instagram and wrote, “Mama and daughter together again.” The two were shooting for the Season 3 of Greenleaf.
The simple answer is No. Merle Dandridge is not related to Dorothy Dandridge.
Merle began to attract a lot of attention from the wider public when she starred in the lead role of Grace Greenleaf in the Netflix series, Greenleaf. Some found her surname to be somewhat familiar.
The audience started to look if the Greenleaf actress is actually related to Dorothy Dandridge. Dorothy is a famous actress and singer from the 50s. She is known for her appearances in the films Porgy and Bess, Island in the Sun, and Carmen Jones.
Late Dorothy was nominated for the Oscar in the Best Actress category for her portrayal of the titular character in the 1954 film Carmen Jones. Dandridge created history by becoming the first black woman to be nominated for an Oscar.
Despite the shared last name, Merle and Dorothy have no direct relationship. The only thing that connects these two people is the fact that they both are fantastic actresses.