Afro-Latino American television actor Merlin Santana gained notoriety for his portrayal of the adolescent Romeo on “The Steve Harvey Show.” His career was enhanced by his roles as Stanley, Rudy Huxtable’s boyfriend in “The Cosby Show,” Marcus Henry in “Under One Roof,” and Marcus Dixon in “Getting By.” He started modeling at the age of three for a fast food chain advertisement after being prodded by his mother into the entertainment industry. He began receiving a number of lucrative offers after becoming well-known for his role as Stanley on “The Cosby Show.” While sitting in a parked automobile in South Los Angeles in 2002, when Santana was only 26 years old, he was shot in the head by a man by the name of Damien Andre Gates. He passed away instantly. Monique King, the girlfriend of Damien Andre Gates, allegedly concocted a false allegation that Santana had approached her sexually, which ultimately led to the murder, according to a detective working the case.
Career of Merlin Santana
Merlin Santana had his first on-screen appearance in 1985’s “The Purple Rose of Cairo” by Woody Allen as an extra at the age of nine. He played Stanley, Rudy Huxtable’s lover, in a recurring role on “The Cosby Show” in 1991 when he was 15 years old. His performance was praised, and his acting talent was acknowledged. He was chosen to play Marcus Dixon in the American sitcom “Getting By,” which debuted on ABC and later moved to NBC, in 1993. However, after a year it was canceled due to poor viewership.
He was hired as Joey, who falls in love with Tia and Tamera, in the television sitcom “Sister, Sister” in November 1994. He made an appearance as Marcus Henry in the brief-lived CBS family drama “Under One Roof” in 1995. He was also chosen to play Ohagi in the 1996 UPN network sitcom series “Moesha.” It was active for over five years.
He also got the part of Romeo on “The Steve Harvey Show” in 1996, which ran for six years on The WB Television Network. He portrayed Jermaine in the 2001 film “Flossin,” and in the 2002 television film “Play’d: A Hip Hop Story” on VH1. His final film, the 2003 comedy “The Blues,” was released before his final television series, “Half & Half” on UPN.
Individual Life of Merlin Santana
On March 14, 1976, Merlin Santana was born in New York City. His parents were Dominican nationals. His mother, Lea Santana, pushed him into show business to keep him away from the rough streets of New York, even though we know nothing about his father.
Murder of Merlin Santana
On November 9, 2002, while riding in a parked car with his best friend and fellow former child actor, Brandon Quintin Adams, Merlin was shot in the head and murdered. They had just left another man’s residence in Los Angeles’ Crenshaw neighborhood. Merlin was instantly killed when a man by the name of Damien Andre Gates fired the shot that pierced his skull and passed through the right front passenger headrest of the car.
It was said that Damien’s girlfriend Monique King had made up the story that Merlin had made sexual overtures toward her, which drove her lover to kill Merlin out of wrath. According to Judge Larry P.
Fidler of the Los Angeles County Superior Court also assisted him in escaping after he shot Santana.
Damien received three consecutive life sentences plus 70 years in prison after being found guilty of first-degree murder and attempting to kill Adams. Damien’s helper Brandon Douglas Bynes was given a 23-year sentence. Second-degree murder and attempted murder were the charges brought against Monique.
She was freed of two murder charges but was sentenced to ten years in a juvenile detention facility. On November 18, 2002, Merlin was laid to rest in Saint Raymond’s Cemetery in The Bronx, New York.
Merlin Santana’s Net Worth
One of the wealthiest and most well-known TV actors is Merlin Santana. The sources we looked at—Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider—estimated Merlin Santana’s net worth to be around $1.5 million.