# NYPD Blue casting oddities **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 30, 2006, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nypd-blue-casting-oddities/350479 "2006-03-30T00:15:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**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:** [March 31, 2006, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nypd-blue-casting-oddities/350479/21 "2006-03-31T00:52:54Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > As long as we’re hijacking this thread into L&O territory, I thought Jamie Ross was killed in a car crash driving Briscoe home after he got drunk in a bar, then came back playing her own sister or something. But per _her_ IMDB listing she’s been on L&O: Trial by Jury playing the same character? You may be thinking of two other incidents involving _Law & Order_. ADA Claire Kincaid (played by the drop-dead-gorgeous Jill Hennessy) was written out of the show by having the character killed in a car accident, and the acress’ identical-twin sister Jacqueline had played the same character once (uncredited) when Jill was unavailable. ---
**Author:** ![DxZero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@DxZero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DxZero)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2006, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nypd-blue-casting-oddities/350479/22 "2006-03-31T01:28:00Z")
On the L&O front, I give to you…[this actor.](http://imdb.com/name/nm0926086/) Notice, between 3 different L&O show, he’s played 10 different characters. And some of them were major ones. ---
**Author:** ![Barely\_Adequate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/58956e/32.png) [@Barely\_Adequate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barely_Adequate)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2006, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nypd-blue-casting-oddities/350479/23 "2006-03-31T01:46:14Z")
Actually, there are so many instances of recurring guest appearances in different roles on “Law & Order”, that there is a website devoted to the subject: [http://www.podengo.com/apocrypha/repeatoffender.html](http://www.podengo.com/apocrypha/repeatoffender.html) ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2006, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nypd-blue-casting-oddities/350479/24 "2006-03-31T03:13:23Z")
You know, I knew there must be a site like that out there. Looks like there are WAY more casting overlaps than I’ve ever noticed. The record seems to be five. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2006, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nypd-blue-casting-oddities/350479/25 "2006-03-31T03:16:08Z")
. . . or, scrolling . . . seven! ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2006, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nypd-blue-casting-oddities/350479/26 "2006-03-31T07:41:26Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > We could look at every episode and recognize actors’ names from other shows, but who would remember details of the part(s) they played in Blue, or if multiple roles in Blue were oddities? That’d take an incredible memory, or multiple viewings. For me, it’s the latter. I just love the show. By the way, for fans out there, Season Three was finally released on DVD about a month ago. I got it as soon as it came out, and i’ve just about finished watching it again. I hope they don’t wait so long to release Season Four. For “before they were famous” (or at least, before they REALLY made it) appearances:[ul][li]Anyone remember Adam Goldberg (_Saving Private Ryan_, among others), who played the idealistic reporter in the Season 3 episode about the shootout at the basketball game? This was the episode where Sipowicz and Brother Kwazi cross paths.[/li][li]How could we forget Debra Messing (_Will and Grace_) as Donna Abbandando’s sister in Season 2?[/li][li]Giovanni Ribisi as a tough kid who hassles the daughter of Bobby’s friend at the school across the street from the precinct house (Season 2).[/ul][/li] And for multiple appearances: I had to look up the actor’s name, but [John Finn](http://www.tv.com/john-finn/person/11138/summary.html) has played three different roles. [ul][li]He was Jimmy “Socks” Matloe in the episode about the shooting at the Brooklyn candy store where Andy worked as a kid (Season 2).[/li][li]He was the corrupt internal affairs guy in the Season 4/Season 5 carryover storyline where Bobby was suspended while helping the FBI uncover corruption.[/li][li]And just a couple of weeks ago i watched a Season 8 episode where he plays an alcoholic whose daughter is murdered, and who is a suspect in her death. After he is cleared, Andy offers to take him to an AA meeting. When i saw this one, i remembered the two earlier appearances. That’s what multiple viewings will do for you![/ul][/li] And for NYPD Blue/Law and Order crossovers:[ul][li]Christopher Meloni (L&O:SVU) has an ongoing role on as Diane Russell’s undercover target, Jimmy Leary.[/ul][/li] When we watch other TV shows, i constantly recognize people who have made guest appearances on NYPD Blue, and my wife gets sick of me saying things like “That guy played a murderer in season 4 or 5 of NYPD Blue.” ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2006, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nypd-blue-casting-oddities/350479/27 "2006-03-31T07:46:14Z")
Oh, and another NYPD Blue/L&O casting i forgot: Richard Brooke’s, who plays ADA Paul Robinette in early season of Law and Order, makes an appearance on NYPD Blue as a police captain whose wife (also a police officer) is killed on the job. Can’t remeber the season now, but i’m pretty sure it was during the Rick Shroeder years. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2006, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nypd-blue-casting-oddities/350479/28 "2006-03-31T09:14:31Z")
[QUOTE=mhendo] [li]Giovanni Ribisi as a tough kid who hassles the [del]daughter[/del] \*\*[son]\*\*of Bobby’s friend at the school across the street from the precinct house (Season 2).[/list][/li][/QUOTE] . . . the son played by the kid from _Little Man Tate,_ and Danny Masterson playing Giovanni’s running buddy. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2006, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nypd-blue-casting-oddities/350479/29 "2006-03-31T14:12:53Z")
Oops. Son, of course. I was thinking “female” when i was thinking about Bobby’s friend, and it came out as daughter. And i forgot about Danny Masterson. I don’t know the _Little Man Tate_ kid from anything except NYPD Blue. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2006, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nypd-blue-casting-oddities/350479/30 "2006-03-31T20:53:08Z")
For some reason I misremembered that Steve Burns (Steve from _Blue’s Clues_) was once on NYPD Blue. Looking at his IMDB entry I see that was wrong. He was on Law and Order and Homicide. Which is still pretty odd. In one of them I think he played the killer. The pawprints gave him away. ---
**Author:** ![medstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@medstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medstar)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2006, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nypd-blue-casting-oddities/350479/31 "2006-04-01T02:13:19Z")
What’s a “skell”? ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2006, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nypd-blue-casting-oddities/350479/32 "2006-04-01T03:39:36Z")
“Skel” is slang, pretty much synonymous with “scumbag” but can more specifically refer to junkies or vagrants. Often a suspect, but not necessarily. Online sources offer up a couple of different possible sources. One is that it’s short for “skeleton” (based on what longterm junkies look like). Another is that it comes from the German word “schelm” meaning “rascal.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nypd-blue-casting-oddities/350479.md?page=1)