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Merlin Santana
Born	March 14, 1976 New York, New York,  United States
Died	November 9, 2002 (age 26) Los Angeles, California
Notable roles	* Stanley in The Cosby Show * Marcus Dixon in Getting By * Marcus Henry in Under One Roof * Romeo Santana in The Steve Harvey Show

Merlin Santana (March 14, 1976 - November 9, 2002), was a Dominican-American television and film actor best known for his role as teenager Romeo on The Steve Harvey Show. He also played Rudy's boyfriend Stanley on The Cosby Show. Image File history File links Information_icon. ... For the Lebanese political coalition, see March 14 Alliance. ... 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday. ... New York, NY redirects here. ... NY redirects here. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... November 9 is the 313th day of the year (314th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 52 days remaining. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... Nickname: Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates: State California County Los Angeles County Incorporated April 4, 1850 Government  - Type Mayor-Council  - Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D)  - City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo  - Governing body City Council Area  - City  498. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Getting By was a short-lived American sitcom about two single mothers, one white and one black, who inadvertedly are sold the same house and decide to live there with both of their families. ... Under One Roof was a short-lived 1995 U.S. television series about three generations of an African American family sharing a house in Seattle, Washington. ... The Steve Harvey Show (August 25, 1996—February 24, 2002) aired for six seasons on The WB Television Network. ... For the Lebanese political coalition, see March 14 Alliance. ... 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday. ... November 9 is the 313th day of the year (314th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 52 days remaining. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... Film is a term that encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the motion picture industry. ... The Steve Harvey Show (August 25, 1996—February 24, 2002) aired for six seasons on The WB Television Network. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Biography

Merlin Santana was born in Washington Heights, Manhattan, New York, United States to parents from the Dominican Republic. 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. Washington Heights is a New York City neighborhood in Upper Manhattan. ... Manhattan is a borough of New York City, USA, coterminous with New York County. ... NY redirects here. ... Woody Allen (born Allen Stewart Konigsberg on December 1, 1935) is a three-time Academy Award-winning American film director, writer, actor, jazz musician, comedian, and playwright. ... The Purple Rose of Cairo is a 1985 English language film written and directed by Woody Allen. ...

He later landed the recurring role of Stanley, the faithful admirer of young Rudy Huxtable (and romantic rival of Rudy's friend Kenny), on the hit comedy series "The Cosby Show." Santana was then cast as a sharp-tongued 15-year-old in the comedy series Getting By, starring Cindy Williams and Telma Hopkins. His brother was portrayed by Deon Richmond, who played Kenny on The Cosby Show. Getting By was a short-lived American sitcom about two single mothers, one white and one black, who inadvertedly are sold the same house and decide to live there with both of their families. ... Cindy Williams (born August 22, 1947) is an American actress // Born Cynthia Jane Williams in Van Nuys, California to John and Lillie Williams. ... Telma Hopkins (born October 28, 1948) is an American singer and television actress. ... Deon Richmond (born April 2, 1978 in New York, New York, USA) is an African American actor, best known for his semi-regular childhood role as Rudy Huxtables friend Kenny (nicknamed Bud) on the popular NBC sitcom The Cosby Show. ...

He chose to keep his last name of Santana to represent his Afro-Latino heritage. One episode of The Steve Harvey Show marked the first time when Afro-Latinos communicated in Spanish on a commercial network. The episode was about Romeo being taken out of school by his father.

He played Romeo Santana on The Steve Harvey Show for the WB. This is probably around the same time that he got a tattoo on his chest. He proudly represented the small number of Latino actors in the television industry.

He appeared in the VH1 movie Play'd with Toni Braxton and Rashaan Nall as a rapper and had a role in Eddie Murphy's Showtime. His last television acting role was on Half & Half as a singer. Toni Michelle Braxton (born October 7, 1967 in Severn, Maryland) is a six-time Grammy Award-winning[1] American R&B singer and songwriter who was popular during the 90s. ... Edward Eddie Regan Murphy (born April 3, 1961, Brooklyn, New York City[1]) is an American actor and comedian. ... Showtime is a 2002 comedy/action film starring Robert De Niro, directed by Tom Dey. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

His last film role was Carlos in The Blues with his former television brother, Deon Richmond. It was filmed months before his death. Deon Richmond (born April 2, 1978 in New York, New York, USA) is an African American actor, best known for his semi-regular childhood role as Rudy Huxtables friend Kenny (nicknamed Bud) on the popular NBC sitcom The Cosby Show. ...

Death

On November 9, 2002, Santana died after being shot in the head while sitting in the passenger seat of a friend’s car. He was 26 years old. November 9 is the 313th day of the year (314th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 52 days remaining. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ...

At 2:30 AM that day, Merlin was sitting in a parked car and a person approached the car and shot him (six times, according to one source). He died before any help could arrive. The public did not find out about the shooting until Monday morning. A woman was arrested early on Monday for possible connections to the murder. She was later charged. He was buried on November 18, 2002, and left behind a 7 year old daughter. Allhiphop.com featured a story on the details that may have led to his death. November 18 is the 322nd day of the year (323rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ...

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 years' imprisonment 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]

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.

Juelz Santana (born LaRon Louis James on February 18, 1983) is an American rapper and producer. ... Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. ...

References

1. ^ Findarticles.com file copy of report from Jet (dated May 10, 2004)

External links

• Merlin Santana at the Internet Movie Database