20 Actors Who Appeared on "Law & Order" Before They Were Stars
Maj Canton - October 2, 2009
To celebrate Law & Order's 20th season, we selected 20 performers who appeared on L&O when they were relatively unknown and then went on to become Hollywood celebs.
If you watch Law & Order, you know that the program needs an ever-changing list of guest actors since there's a different crime each week. And you also realize that L&O doesn't have many guest stars -- most celeb guests go on Law & Order: SVU instead. With so many performers and a keen eye for casting, L&O has discovered some incredible talent over the years.
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Adam Arkin |
Episode: Self Defense
Airdate: 11/11/1992
Before L&O: A bookie in the series, Tough Cookies (CBS, 1986); a patent attorney in the series, A Year in the Life (NBC, 1987); and a few minor recurring roles.
Breakout Role: Dr. Aaron Shutt on Chicago Hope (CBS, 1994) |
William H. Macy |
Episode: Everyone's Favorite Bagman
Airdate: 10/30/1990
Before L&O: Too many TV appearances to list them all, but he did have a recurring role in Another World way back in 1982.
Breakout Role: Dr. David Morgenstern on ER (NBC, 1994). |
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Chris Cooper |
Episode: Blood Libel
Airdate: 1/3/1996
Before L&O: An abusive husband in the TV movie, Bed of Lies (ABC, 1992); Anthony Blessing in the series pilot, Ned Blessing: The True Story of My Life (CBS, 1992).
Breakout Role: John LaRoche in the movie, "Adaptation," for which he won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. |
Camryn Manheim |
Episode: Life Choice
Airdate: 1/8/1991
Before L&O: Miniscule role in the film, "The Bonfire of the Vanities."
Breakout Role: Ellenor Frutt on The Practice (ABC, 1997). |
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Claire Danes |
Episode: Skin Deep
Airdate: 9/23/1992
Before L&O: A little-known film called "Dreams of Love."
Breakout Role: Angela Chase on My So-Called Life (ABC, 1994). |
Julianna Margulies |
Episode: Conduct Unbecoming
Airdate: 3/10/1993
Before L&O: Played a prostitute in the Steven Seagall film, "Out of Justice," and also did some theater work.
Breakout Role: Nurse Carol Hathaway on ER (NBC, 1994). Good thing her character survived her drug overdose in the pilot. |
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Edie Falco |
Episode: Mother Love
Airdate: 2/24/1993
Before L&O: Small roles, like waitress and cab driver, in a handful of films.
Breakout Role: Carmela Soprano on The Sopranos (HBO, 1999). |
Leighton Meester |
Episode: Disciple
Airdate: 2/24/1999
Before L&O: Not much. She was only 12-years-old when she appeared on Law & Order.
Breakout Role: Blair Waldorf on Gossip Girl (CW, 2007). |
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Jennifer Garner |
Episode: Aftershock
Airdate: 5/22/1996
Before L&O: Minor characters in a TV miniseries and a few TV movies.
Breakout Role: Sydney Bristow on Alias (ABC, 2001) after playing central characters on two short-lived series -- Time of Your Life (Fox, 1999) and Significant Others (Fox, 1998). |
Cynthia Nixon |
Episode: Subterranean Homeboy Blue
Airdate: 9/20/1990
Before L&O: Very busy in film, TV, and theater. Played the daughter of the Presidential candidate in Tanner '88 (HBO, 1988).
Breakout Role: Miranda Hobbes on Sex and the City (HBO, 1998). |
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Lauren Graham |
Episode: D-Girl
Airdate: 3/13/1997
Before L&O: A few episodes as Shelley Jensen, Richard's clingy girlfriend, on Caroline in the City (NBC, 1995).
Breakout Role: Lorelai Gilmore on Gilmore Girls (WB, 2000). |
Ellen Pompeo |
Episode: Savior
Airdate: 3/13/1996
Before L&O: A SoHo bartender and the woman with fire-engine red hair in a L'Oreal commercial.
Breakout Role: Dr. Meredith Grey on Grey's Anatomy (ABC, 2005). |
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Philip Seymour Hoffman |
Episode: The Violence of Summer
Airdate: 2/5/1991
Before L&O: Not much. Law & Order was one of his first gigs worth mentioning after he graduated from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts in 1989.
Breakout Role: Some say "Boogie Nights," others say "Almost Famous." Either way, he slowly made his mark on the big screen. |
Maura Tierney |
Episode: Aria
Airdate: 10/1/1991
Before L&O: One-time appearances in a few TV series, including Family Ties (NBC, 1982), and minor roles in a couple TV movies.
Breakout Role: Lisa Miller in the TV series, NewsRadio (NBC, 1995). |
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Felicity Huffman |
Episode: Helpless
Airdate: 11/4/1992
Before L&O: Bit parts in films, TV movies and series. She even appeared in an Afterschool Special back in 1978.
Breakout Role: Dana Whitaker on Sports Night (ABC, 1998). |
Kate Walsh |
Episode: Navy Blues
Airdate: 10/15/1997
Before L&O: Part of a comedy troupe (Burn Manhattan), mutliple roles in off-Broadway comedies, and a couple indie films
Breakout Role: Nicki Fifer on The Drew Carey Show (ABC, 1995), starting in October 1997. That role put her on the map, but her stint as Dr. Addison Shepherd on Grey's Anatomy (ABC, 2005), and now on Private Practice (ABC, 2007), pushed her over the top. |
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Samuel L. Jackson |
Episode: The Violence of Summer
Airdate: 2/5/1991
Before L&O: Extremely busy -- what else would you expect -- with dozens of jobs but no starring roles yet.
Breakout Role: Jules Winnfield in Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction." |
Isaiah Washington |
Episode: Out of Control
Airdate: 11/12/1991
Before L&O: Theater in New Haven, CT and New York, a few obscure films and a role as a hustler in the movie, "Strictly Business."
Breakout Role: Dr. Preston Burke on Grey's Anatomy (ABC, 2005). |
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Laura Linney |
Episode: Blue Bamboo
Airdate: 10/5/1994
Before L&O: Started on Broadway, then portrayed a teacher in two films and played a drug-addled, pregnant teen in the TV movie, Blind Spot (CBS, 1993).
Breakout Role: Mary Ann Singleton in the Emmy-winning miniseries, Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City (PBS, 1993). |
Chandra Wilson |
Episode: Cradle to Grave
Airdate: 3/31/1992
Before L&O: Won a Theatre World Award for Outstanding Debut Performance in the play, "The Good Times Are Killing Me."
Breakout Role: Dr. Miranda Bailey on Grey's Anatomy (ABC, 2005). |
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Who knew that there was such a strong connection between Law & Order and Grey's Anatomy? Four members of the original cast of Grey's appeared on L&O when they were unknowns.
