# Law & Order: Any Acknowledged Repeat Offenders? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 28, 2011, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/law-order-any-acknowledged-repeat-offenders/601033 "2011-10-28T01:48:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jormungandr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@Jormungandr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jormungandr)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2011, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/law-order-any-acknowledged-repeat-offenders/601033/1 "2011-10-28T01:48:50Z")
“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?” ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2011, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/law-order-any-acknowledged-repeat-offenders/601033/2 "2011-10-28T13:30:41Z")
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… ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2011, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/law-order-any-acknowledged-repeat-offenders/601033/3 "2011-10-28T14:57:46Z")
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.” ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2011, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/law-order-any-acknowledged-repeat-offenders/601033/4 "2011-10-28T15:10:02Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2011, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/law-order-any-acknowledged-repeat-offenders/601033/5 "2011-10-28T16:21:32Z")
> [@Gary\_T](#): > > 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. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2011, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/law-order-any-acknowledged-repeat-offenders/601033/6 "2011-10-28T16:30:17Z")
> [@Jormungandr](#): > > “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?” Casey Novak would _really_ have some explaining to do. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2011, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/law-order-any-acknowledged-repeat-offenders/601033/7 "2011-10-28T16:35:02Z")
> [@LurkMeister](#): > > 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. I reviewed the [Wikipedia description](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Law_%26_Order:_Criminal_Intent_characters#Nicole_Wallace). Yes, that’s who I was thinking of. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2011, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/law-order-any-acknowledged-repeat-offenders/601033/8 "2011-10-28T18:45:19Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2011, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/law-order-any-acknowledged-repeat-offenders/601033/9 "2011-10-29T01:45:05Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2011, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/law-order-any-acknowledged-repeat-offenders/601033/10 "2011-10-29T01:52:41Z")
Estella Warren recurred across L&O and L&O:SVU. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2011, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/law-order-any-acknowledged-repeat-offenders/601033/11 "2011-10-29T04:25:06Z")
> [@Morbo](#): > > 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. 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](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0629428/), not SVU, although it did have a “loosely modeled on Michael Jackson” child-molestation storyline. ---
**Author:** ![tumbleddown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tumbleddown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tumbleddown)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2011, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/law-order-any-acknowledged-repeat-offenders/601033/12 "2011-10-29T04:58:08Z")
There was a database of the “repeat offenders” that was kept, though [the last update was in 2004](http://www.podengo.com/apocrypha/repeatoffender.html). It’s interesting to see how it took a few seasons for them to make sure that the judges were always the same name. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2011, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/law-order-any-acknowledged-repeat-offenders/601033/13 "2011-10-29T05:07:50Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Gil\_M](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d07c76/32.png) [@Gil\_M](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gil_M)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2011, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/law-order-any-acknowledged-repeat-offenders/601033/14 "2011-10-29T11:43:48Z")
> [@tumbleddown](#): > > There was a database of the “repeat offenders” that was kept, though [the last update was in 2004](http://www.podengo.com/apocrypha/repeatoffender.html). It’s interesting to see how it took a few seasons for them to make sure that the judges were always the same name. I didn’t see Annie Parisse’s name there. Three years before she was ADA Borgia, she played a stripper named Jasmine. ---
**Author:** ![tumbleddown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tumbleddown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tumbleddown)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2011, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/law-order-any-acknowledged-repeat-offenders/601033/15 "2011-10-29T18:42:11Z")
> [@Gil\_M](#): > > 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. ---
**Author:** ![planetcory](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/planetcory/32/1032_2.png) [@planetcory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/planetcory)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2011, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/law-order-any-acknowledged-repeat-offenders/601033/16 "2011-10-29T18:45:23Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Casey Novak would _really_ have some explaining to do. This is _always_ the first one I think of.