Lieutenant Anita Van Buren is a fictional character on NBC's long-running police procedural and legal drama television series Law & Order, portrayed by S. Epatha Merkerson. Van Buren appeared in 390 episodes of Law & Order. By episode count, she is the longest-running character on the original show. Van Buren appeared in 392 episodes within the franchise (390 of Law & Order, the Law & Order: Criminal Intent episode "Badge" and the Law & Order: Trial by Jury episode "Skeleton") and Exiled: A Law & Order Movie, and is the fourth longest-running regular character in the Law & Order franchise, behind Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay), Fin Tutuola (Ice-T), and Donald Cragen (Dann Florek), and the fifth longest-running character in the Law & Order universe, behind Benson (478 episodes in Law & Or