Merle Jääger (born 19 October 1965) is an Estonian television, stage and film actress, poet and author who frequently uses the pen name Merca.

[3] Among her graduating classmates were actors Elmo Nüganen, Piret Kalda, Dajan Ahmet, Külli Palmsaar, Raivo E. Tamm, Rain Simmul and Anne Reemann.

[4] Following her graduation from Tallinn State Conservatory, Jääger has been engaged as a stage actress at the Vanemuine theatre in Tartu since 1988, with several lapses.

[3] During her career at the Vanemuine, Jääger has appeared in roles in productions of such varied international authors and playwrights as: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Oscar Wilde, René Highway, Witold Gombrowicz, Jean Anouilh, Biljana Srbljanović, Charlotte Jones, Tom Stoppard, Arthur Miller, Algot Untola, Edward Albee, C. S. Lewis, Jule Styne, Billy Roche, Ödön von Horváth, Brian Friel, the Sherman Brothers, Tim Firth, Anton Chekhov, Robert James Waller, Ingmar Bergman, Velma Wallis, J.

Among her more memorable performances at the Vanemuine in roles by Estonian playwrights and authors include those of: Kauksi Ülle, Eduard Vilde, Oskar Luts, Ilmar Külvet, Bernard Kangro, Kati Vatmann, Madis Kõiv, Andrus Kivirähk, Andra Teede, and Meelis Friedenthal.

Her first significant role was as Hilda in the 1992 two-part Eesti Televisioon (ETV) period drama film Soo, based on the 1914 novel of the same name (originally titled Kirjutatud on…) by Oskar Luts.

Her first significant feature-length film role was that of Lembala, the wife of 13th-century Estonian chieftain Lembitu (played by Ain Mäeots), in the 2005 Kaaren Kaer-directed historical comedy Malev.

[9] In 2019, she appeared as early 20th-century Seto folk singer Hilana Taarka in the Hardi Volmer-directed historical comedy Johannes Pääsukese tõeline elu.

[14] In 1988, she collaborated with Tõnu Trubetsky, singer of the punk rock band Vennaskond, on two poems that were included in his book of poetry Pogo, published by Eesti Raamat.