Omar Gooding breaks his silence on his friendship with the late Merlin Santana.
Omar Gooding talks Merlin Santana friendship, fights and more in his first ever conversation about this well-known actor from the 2000s.
In a new sit-down with The Art of Dialogue, Omar Gooding opened up about one of Hollywood’s most painful “what-ifs” — the tragic loss of Merlin Santana, known for his roles in The Steve Harvey Show and The Cosby Show.
Gooding explained how, before the 2002 murder that shocked the culture, he started pulling back from Merlin due to the energy surrounding him — saying his homie was moving in circles that “didn’t feel safe.” The veteran actor didn’t say it with judgment, more like someone who’d seen the warning signs before the fall.
He recalled hearing about the young woman who later confessed to setting Merlin up, which led to his murder in L.A., and admitted the news hit him differently — because he’d seen the shift coming. “It wasn’t hate. It was protection,” Omar said, speaking on why he kept his distance.
Two decades later, the loss still stings — not just for those who knew Merlin personally, but for a generation that grew up watching him become one of the brightest young faces in Black television.
The full interview dives into that brotherhood, survivor’s guilt, and the dark side of fame in early-2000s Hollywood.