10 Big Stars Who Appeared On The Original Law & Order
Law and order was one of the longest-running dramas on television, airing for 20 years before ending in 2010. The show subsequently spawned several spin-offs, and a revival of the series is set to air this year.
Law and order also featured a huge amount of supporting characters from its long run and featured many well-known celebrities in some of their early credited roles. Whether already established or completely unknown at the time, the show saw a massive amount of star power pour through the courthouse doors.
Sarah Paulson
Now a household name for works like American Horror Story, Glass, and bird boxSarah Paulson appeared on Law and order in 1994 when he first appeared on screen. In the episode “Family Values”, Paulson plays Maggie Conner, a young girl accused of murdering her stepmother and having an affair with her stepfather.
In the end, it is revealed that the stepfather was the real killer and that he had manipulated Maggie into encouraging the crime and taking the fall. Paulson puts on an impressive performance during the episode, especially for her first-ever acting role.
Idris Elbe
Just a year before his career kicked off ThreadIdris Elba starred in another legendary police drama from the Law and order episode, “Dawg night.” Playing the manager of a nightclub where a drug dealer is shot dead, Elba becomes the police’s prime suspect during their investigation. After intense questioning, it is revealed that he was in fact not involved, and Elba’s short stint on the show is over.
It’s a far cry from the award-winning roles he would play later in his career, but appearing on such a popular show certainly didn’t hurt the rising star’s resume.
Phillip Seymour Hoffmann
The late Phillip Seymour Hoffman received many accolades and even an Oscar during his illustrious acting career, but in 1991 he made his acting debut in the Law and order episode, “The Violence of Summer”. Hoffman plays one of three co-defendants accused of raping a journalist.
It’s not a particularly glamorous role, and Hoffman is to co-star as part of a group of muggers in the episode. Nonetheless, Hoffman still puts in a solid performance, but surprisingly, he’s not even the biggest star to appear in the episode.
Samuel L. Jackson
Appearing in the same episode as Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Samuel L. Jackson plays the defense attorney for the three rapists at the center of the case. Before movies like pulp Fiction and the mcu catapulted him into stardom, Jackson was relatively unknown at the time of his Law and order appearance.
However, he makes the most of his screen time, showing off his acting talent and bringing the same kind of peculiar intensity for which he would later become famous. Obviously the role was good, as Jackson became one of the highest paid actors in Hollywood.
Zoe Saldana
Zoe Saldana has the unique honor of appearing on two Law and order shows, both the original and SVU. His role in SVU had a decent amount of substance, but her appearance on the main show in 1999 put her in a very minor supporting role with little to do in the overall story.
Even so, Saldana must have been impressed, as she reprized the character in a later episode, although this time she was uncredited. In the years that followed, the Avatar The actress has become one of Hollywood’s biggest names, starring in some of cinema’s biggest franchises.
Sebastian Stan
One of many actors who made their debut Law and orderSebastian Stan appeared on the show in his second credited role in 2003. Stan played a young boy who was raised to have an incredibly unhealthy relationship with his father, which resulted in him going on a shootout to stop his father from shoot. of his employment in a construction company.
However, in a major plot twist, it is revealed that the man he thought was his father (played by equally famous face Ty Burrell) had in fact kidnapped him at a young age and raised him. like his. The role helped Stan land a role on Gossip Girl and finally the mastodon of mcu.
Jim Gaffigan
Even edging out Zoe Saldana, comedian Jim Gaffigan actually has five different appearances across the Law and order franchise. First appearance on the original Law and order in 1998, Gaffigan also appeared on SVU and two episodes of Criminal intent before returning to the original.
In most of his episodes, Gaffigan is a far cry from his lovable stand-up persona, with one of his characters being an accomplice to murder and another being a convicted sex offender. While he might not be as famous as some of the show’s other guest stars, Gaffigan’s appearances are still quite notable in Law and order the story.
julia robert
Julia Roberts was already well established as an acclaimed actress when she appeared in the Law and order episode Empire. Roberts plays a woman with evidence in the death of a prominent millionaire with eyes on Detective Rey Curtis. Her affection for Curtis ends up putting him in a dangerous position and threatening the whole affair.
Considering that at the time, Roberts and series lead Benjamin Bratt were a proper celebrity couple that many fans didn’t know at the time, they managed to build some compelling chemistry in the episode, and Roberts was even nominated for an Emmy for her part.
Adam Driver
Another successful star to appear early in his career, Adam Driver appeared in the final season of Law and order in 2010, as well as an episode of SVU. Driver stars as a medical student accused of murder in one of his first on-screen roles.
Driver is now well known for movies like Marriage Story, BlacKkKlansman, and of course his interpretation of Kylo Ren in Disney’s star wars trilogy. Perhaps his killer role in the episode is what set him up to become a fan favorite. star wars scoundrel.
James Earl Jones
Believe it or not, the man behind Mufasa’s voice and Darth Vader himself has even made his way into Law and order famous courthouse. Already famous for his role as the Dark Lord of the Sith, Jones was no stranger to the screen by appearing on the show in 1993.
Jones plays a controversial lawyer who defends a serial killer targeting people of color. He brings the kind of gravity to the role that only he can and portrays a legitimately interesting character. Despite having relatively little screen time, Jones proves to be one of the show’s biggest guest stars.
