“Law & Order” and its spin-offs are known for re-using actors and actresses in different roles. Jerry Orbach, S. Epatha Merkerson and Jeremy Sisto all played different different roles before playing detectives. It made me wondered, has anyone ever acknowledged that on the show or on any of the spin-offs? Sort of, “Hey, Lenny, you look like a lawyer we went up against a few years ago?”
Not to my knowledge, but there are several minor recurring characters. A guy who was the defendant twice, several of the judges… but for those who switch roles, I’ve never seen them lean on the 4th Wall…
L&O also recycles actors in minor roles; if you’re a working actor in NYC, you have a good chance of getting a role, and can show up as several different characters over the years.
I went to see La Cage aux Folles on stage last night; one of the actor bios said, “Has never appeared on Law and Order.”
As I recall Law and Order: Criminal Intent had a recurring criminal character. It was a super-smart woman who managed to outmaneuver them and escape prosecution. She appeared at least twice, more likely three or four times. I don’t remember if they eventually nailed her.
Is that Nicole Wallace, played by Olivia D’Abo? She was on five episodes in all, and on the last one she killed Goren’s brother, and is then killed by Goren’s former mentor.
Casey Novak would really have some explaining to do.
I reviewed the Wikipedia description. Yes, that’s who I was thinking of.
Comedian Larry Miller was in two episodes playing the same character in the original Law & Order. He owned a comedy club and he was accused of shooting his wife and putting her in a coma, but they couldn’t convict him. Then in the next season they found out that his second wife had also been murdered.
I’ve noticed actors in recurrent roles, but I never remember names.
What I’ve also noticed is the use and reuse of sets - probably actual sites rented to production companies. My favorite is the foyer of a very expensive Manhattan townhouse that has a beautiful limestone/marble spiral staircase. Sometimes it’s at the crime scene, sometimes it’s the place where a witness/suspect lives. The detectives are always shown walking down, discussing some detail of the crime.
Estella Warren recurred across L&O and L&O:SVU.
He also had a cameo as himself on SVU (Not listed on IMDB). I think it was the episode where a famous, rich comedian sleeps with little boys while financially colluding with their parents.
ETA: Yes. it’s listed. It was Law & Order, not SVU, although it did have a “loosely modeled on Michael Jackson” child-molestation storyline.
There was a database of the “repeat offenders” that was kept, though the last update was in 2004. It’s interesting to see how it took a few seasons for them to make sure that the judges were always the same name.
At one point, I started noticing the wardrobe repeats. There’s always this one patterned shirt they keep using for different female characters. It amuses me for some reason.
I didn’t see Annie Parisse’s name there. Three years before she was ADA Borgia, she played a stripper named Jasmine.
That was after the updates stopped.
This is always the first one I think of.