15+ Famous Actors Who Appeared On Law & Order Early In Their Careers Will Have You Appreciating The Drama Even More
Cynthia Nixon, Ellen Pompeo, Claire Danes... this long-running crime-drama TV series has helped some major celebrities along the way.
Before they became household names, a surprising number of stars popped up on Law & Order in small, easy-to-miss roles. That makes the long-running franchise feel even bigger, because it was quietly part of so many careers before the fame arrived.
This list pulls together actors who appeared on the original series early on, often as victims, witnesses, or suspects, long before they were leading movies or hit shows. Some of the names are obvious now, but their brief turns on the procedural are still fun to spot in hindsight.
Here are 16 familiar faces who passed through the Law & Order universe early in their careers, and the trivia gets better with every one.
1. Sam Rockwell
In seasons two and three, the Oscar winner played two different characters: a police officer and a member of a family suspected of murdering a Chinese-American student, respectively.
NBC2. Ellen Pompeo
The Grey's Anatomy star made two appearances on Law & Order—in 1996 and 2000—(Grey's Anatomy actors Kate Walsh and Chandra Wilson were also cast in the show.)
NBC3. Adam Driver
Driver debuted on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit in the final season of 2010, playing a lab technician suspected of murdering an escort.
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4. Julia Roberts
The actress made a rare TV appearance in 1999 while dating series actor Benjamin Bratt, portraying a party planner implicated in the death of a powerful businessman.
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5. Jennifer Garner
In a 1996 episode, she played a graduate student who had a romantic encounter with Benjamin Bratt's character.
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6. Sebastian Stan
In 2003, the Pam & Tommy actor played a young man who was taken and raised by his abuser.
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And if you think you’ve seen it all, the secret twins hiding in plain sight will blow your mind.
7. Allison Janney
The Oscar winner made two appearances on Law & Order during her early career, in 1992 and 1994. She played a character who was afraid to testify about a murder for the first time. She reappeared two years later to portray a character who was questioned regarding the assassination of a soap opera actress.
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8. Emmy Rossum
Rossum's first acting role was in a 1997 episode, in which she played a preteen who was the subject of female circumcision.
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9. Samuel L. Jackson
In a 1991 episode, he played the lawyer for a drug dealer accused of rape. Who plays the drug dealer? Continue reading...
10. Philip Seymour Hoffman
The future Oscar winner played a drug dealer who was betrayed by another crook in his first television appearance. His counsel was Samuel L. Jackson.
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11. Claire Danes
Even before her leading role on My So-Called Life, the actress appeared in a 1992 episode alongside future Six Feet Under star Lauren Ambrose as a troubled teen.
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12. Leighton Meester
She played the daughter of a mistreated woman who assists detectives Briscoe and Curtis with a case in a 1999 episode.
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13. Vera Farmiga
In a 1998 episode, she portrayed a character who was involved in a shooting.
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14. Cynthia Nixon
The actress portrayed a woman who shoots two men in a subway during the first season of the show.
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15. Amanda Peet
Peet starred as a woman involved in a mystery case in 1995.
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16. Chandra Wilson
Wilson portrayed Serena Price in a 1992 episode of Law & Order, which aired decades before Grey's Anatomy.
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This is quite a list of A-list actors: Cynthia Nixon, Ellen Pompeo, Claire Danes, Samuel L. Jackson... Quite a few Oscar winners, too.
We can’t say that their appearances on the show significantly contributed to their fame, as those were primarily minor roles. Still, they likely gained a wealth of experience that helped them later on.
Want more shocking drama involving Nancy Guthrie’s abduction case, read Luke Daley’s break of silence.
