"Law & Order" broke records as one of television's longest running scripted series. And although "SVU" has grabbed the baton and continues the life of the franchise with new episodes, there is something about the original that stands out on its own.
You can watch reruns of the groundbreaking legal drama's 20-year run just about every hour of every day on almost every major cable network. In them are countless guest-starring actors playing cops, victims, witnesses, lawyers, suspects and perpetrators. Among those have been very impressive guest stars, some at the very beginning of their careers and some who were already superstar celebrities. Here are 9 of the biggest to ever appear on "Law & Order." These are their stories.
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Season 1, Episode 14
"The Violence of Summer"
1991
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
This episode marks Hoffman's first credited acting performance ever, a year before he would be noticed as the d-bag in "Scent of a Woman." "L&O" would definitely start to show wear as it approached its 20th season, but in 1991 it was at its edgiest and grittiest. Hoffman is very convincing as a thug implicated in a gang rape and shows signs here of the true talent and star he was destined to become.
Samuel L. Jackson
Season 1, Episode 14
"The Violence of Summer"
1991
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Before he was sermonizing in "Pulp Fiction" or chasing mothereffing snakes on mothereffing planes or appearing in just about every other movie ever released, Jackson clocked in a guest stint on "L&O" in the same episode as Hoffman, playing his defense attorney. Jackson did have memorable film roles under his belt before this appearance, but only in supporting roles. His work here is fiery and fierce, as always.
Claire Danes
Season 3, Episode 1
"Skin Deep"
1992
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
In 1999, the "SVU" spinoff began to corner the "L&O" market on kids and sex and murder. But the original series took many a stab at this theme before and after on its own. "Skin Deep" is such an episode and here we are introduced to a 13-year-old Claire Danes as a young girl caught up in seriously adult situations. She's also the center of a shocking twist that would come to define the series.
Juliana Margulies
Season 3, Episode 17
"Conduct Unbecoming"
1993
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
"The Good Wife" was not the first TV pairing between Juliana Margulies and Chris Noth. That distinction goes to the Season 3 episode of "L&O." And before we became accustomed to Margulies in nurse's scrubs or lawyer's suits, she displayed full military attire as a stonewalling officer keeping her lips locked about the implication of colleagues in a fellow female Naval officer's murder. Loose ones sink ships after all.
James Earl Jones
"Profile"
Season 4, Episode 4
1993
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
James Earl Jones has done just about everything in his long career, including a guest starring role on "L&O." In this racially charged episode, a white supremacist is charged with serially murdering his black neighbors and Jones steps in as the man's defense attorney. The celebrated actor's voice alone brings an added credibility to this controversial installment.
Jennifer Garner
"Aftershock"
Season 6, Episode 23
1996
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.![9 guest stars on law & order, jennifer garner]()
In this format-breaking episode, an inmate's execution sets off the narrative detailing the profound effects this event has on our regular pairs of detectives and DAs whom all have witnessed the event. We follow each separately through the remainder of their day and the dramatic personal turns it takes. Here in one of her earliest roles, Garner plays a beautiful woman offering temptation to Benjamin Bratt's Detective Curtis. Its shocking finale would also mark the final episode for longtime player Jill Hennessey as ADA Claire Kincaid.
Julia Roberts
Season 9, Episode 20
"Empire"
1999
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.![9 guest stars on law & order, julia roberts]()
How did "L&O" snag the biggest actress in the world for her guest-starring role in this Season 9 episode? She was dating series regular Benjamin Bratt at the time. The victim here suffers a death-by-Viagra and Julia Roberts is the mistress/witness that can bring his killer to justice. Or does her attempted seduction of Bratt's Detective Curtis come with her own ulterior motives? Either way, the guy gets around.
Ty Burrell
Season 11, Episode 2
"Turnstile Justice"
2000
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.![guest stars on law & order, ty burrell]()
It's not uncommon to see an actor play completely different roles on different episodes of "L&O." One such example is Ty Burrell. Before he was TV's greatest "Modern" dad he took a swing at multiple parts (including an appearance on "SVU") across the series' spectrum of guilt and innocence. His first was "Turnstile Justice" playing a distraught widower who has to plead with the DAs to make those complicit in his wife's death pay.
Chevy Chase
Season 17, Episode 7
"In Vino Veritas"
2006
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.![9 guest stars on law & order, chevy chase]()
A prime example of "L&O's" "ripped from the headlines" narrative influences, here Chevy Chase channels Mel Gibson as a washed up actor whose DUI stop is worsened by his bigoted rant. Everyone's favorite Griswald (and perhaps least favorite co-worker) jumps into this role feet first and leaves you guessing whether or not he's a homicidal anti-Semite or just a regular one.
You can watch reruns of the groundbreaking legal drama's 20-year run just about every hour of every day on almost every major cable network. In them are countless guest-starring actors playing cops, victims, witnesses, lawyers, suspects and perpetrators. Among those have been very impressive guest stars, some at the very beginning of their careers and some who were already superstar celebrities. Here are 9 of the biggest to ever appear on "Law & Order." These are their stories.
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Season 1, Episode 14
"The Violence of Summer"
1991
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
This episode marks Hoffman's first credited acting performance ever, a year before he would be noticed as the d-bag in "Scent of a Woman." "L&O" would definitely start to show wear as it approached its 20th season, but in 1991 it was at its edgiest and grittiest. Hoffman is very convincing as a thug implicated in a gang rape and shows signs here of the true talent and star he was destined to become.
Samuel L. Jackson
Season 1, Episode 14
"The Violence of Summer"
1991
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Before he was sermonizing in "Pulp Fiction" or chasing mothereffing snakes on mothereffing planes or appearing in just about every other movie ever released, Jackson clocked in a guest stint on "L&O" in the same episode as Hoffman, playing his defense attorney. Jackson did have memorable film roles under his belt before this appearance, but only in supporting roles. His work here is fiery and fierce, as always.
Claire Danes
Season 3, Episode 1
"Skin Deep"
1992
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
In 1999, the "SVU" spinoff began to corner the "L&O" market on kids and sex and murder. But the original series took many a stab at this theme before and after on its own. "Skin Deep" is such an episode and here we are introduced to a 13-year-old Claire Danes as a young girl caught up in seriously adult situations. She's also the center of a shocking twist that would come to define the series.
Juliana Margulies
Season 3, Episode 17
"Conduct Unbecoming"
1993
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
"The Good Wife" was not the first TV pairing between Juliana Margulies and Chris Noth. That distinction goes to the Season 3 episode of "L&O." And before we became accustomed to Margulies in nurse's scrubs or lawyer's suits, she displayed full military attire as a stonewalling officer keeping her lips locked about the implication of colleagues in a fellow female Naval officer's murder. Loose ones sink ships after all.
James Earl Jones
"Profile"
Season 4, Episode 4
1993
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
James Earl Jones has done just about everything in his long career, including a guest starring role on "L&O." In this racially charged episode, a white supremacist is charged with serially murdering his black neighbors and Jones steps in as the man's defense attorney. The celebrated actor's voice alone brings an added credibility to this controversial installment.
Jennifer Garner
"Aftershock"
Season 6, Episode 23
1996
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
In this format-breaking episode, an inmate's execution sets off the narrative detailing the profound effects this event has on our regular pairs of detectives and DAs whom all have witnessed the event. We follow each separately through the remainder of their day and the dramatic personal turns it takes. Here in one of her earliest roles, Garner plays a beautiful woman offering temptation to Benjamin Bratt's Detective Curtis. Its shocking finale would also mark the final episode for longtime player Jill Hennessey as ADA Claire Kincaid.
Julia Roberts
Season 9, Episode 20
"Empire"
1999
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
How did "L&O" snag the biggest actress in the world for her guest-starring role in this Season 9 episode? She was dating series regular Benjamin Bratt at the time. The victim here suffers a death-by-Viagra and Julia Roberts is the mistress/witness that can bring his killer to justice. Or does her attempted seduction of Bratt's Detective Curtis come with her own ulterior motives? Either way, the guy gets around.
Ty Burrell
Season 11, Episode 2
"Turnstile Justice"
2000
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
It's not uncommon to see an actor play completely different roles on different episodes of "L&O." One such example is Ty Burrell. Before he was TV's greatest "Modern" dad he took a swing at multiple parts (including an appearance on "SVU") across the series' spectrum of guilt and innocence. His first was "Turnstile Justice" playing a distraught widower who has to plead with the DAs to make those complicit in his wife's death pay.
Chevy Chase
Season 17, Episode 7
"In Vino Veritas"
2006
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
A prime example of "L&O's" "ripped from the headlines" narrative influences, here Chevy Chase channels Mel Gibson as a washed up actor whose DUI stop is worsened by his bigoted rant. Everyone's favorite Griswald (and perhaps least favorite co-worker) jumps into this role feet first and leaves you guessing whether or not he's a homicidal anti-Semite or just a regular one.