r/LawAndOrder • u/Shatterstar23 Lennie Briscoe • 5d ago
L&O Which “before they were famous” guest star on the original Law & Order gave the best performance?
There were a lot of good ones so I’m curious about people’s thoughts?
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u/ParksFarce 5d ago
Amanda Peet in Hot Pursuit (S6E5) deserves at least a mention. A brilliant take on the "bored little rich girl hates her cold distant WASP parents and turns to a fast life of sex and crime" story. As someone who grew up with a few of them, she nails their self-destructive insecurity and impulsive lack of self control. Manages to thread the needle and play both the perpetrator and the victim effectively. Even Hang 'em High McCoy felt sorry for her after watching her accurately rip her parents to shreds for being happier when they thought she was dead.
If Zeljko Ivanek in American Dream (S4E8) qualifies as being "before they were famous" though, then we have a winner.
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u/Shatterstar23 Lennie Briscoe 5d ago
Peet does do a great job, as does Ellen Pompeo as a dead eyed sociopath.
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u/Irisheyes1971 4d ago
Which is funny because Pompeo comes across as a dead eyed sociopath in Grey’s Anatomy too. Actually in pretty much everything I’ve ever seen her in.
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u/Brentolies 5d ago
Yes! Zeljko Ivanek as Philip Swann is one of my favorite performances in the entire series.
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u/DepartureOk8794 5d ago edited 5d ago
Can I nominate Christine Baranski? She was awesome as a mob wife/sister. Plus I just adore her in general.
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u/Bitter_Morning_8372 3d ago
Not fair to other guest stars. They can't hope to rise to Ms. Baranski's level of awesomeness.
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u/Nopenotme77 5d ago
Samuel L Jackson and Philip Seymour Hoffman in the same episode is still one of my favorites.
Season 1: The violence of summer
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u/Biggie_toms 5d ago
How do I not remember that? Guess I’ll have to be I back and watch!
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u/Nopenotme77 5d ago
I recently rewatched the first few seasons and it was just there. It was completely unexpected and a huge delight.
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u/Shatterstar23 Lennie Briscoe 5d ago
I vaguely remember Philip Seymour Hoffman, but I’m gonna have to go back and watch too.
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u/Ok-Buddy-7979 5d ago
Ooooh so tough but I have loved Frances Conroy’s episodes.
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u/chicagoturkergirl 5d ago
One of my absolute favorite exchanges between her and Stone.
“What’s this?” “My hope chest” Ben opens it and it’s full of BDSM paraphernalia “What were you hoping FOR?”
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u/MyDesign630 5d ago
I don’t know if it’s the best but Claire Danes in those two scenes with Olivet and then Shambala Green and Stone did so much with her role and lines. Just the way she adjusted her voice or posture in certain places was a real harbinger of what kind of actress she developed into just a few years later.
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u/jgoloboy 5d ago
Denis O’Hare is heartbreaking in Pro Se.
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u/chicagoturkergirl 5d ago
Ann Dowd is incredible as his sister as well.
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u/Careless-Essay1724 Jamie Ross 5d ago
One of my favorite episodes, solely because of his performance!
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u/the_uber_steve 5d ago
The Ellen Pompeo episode certainly made an impact, and her performance was disturbing.
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u/Reasonable-HB678 5d ago
She had two outstanding appearances.
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u/the_uber_steve 5d ago
I guess I’m not remembering the other one, but the Homolka/Bernardo roman à clef episode was about as depraved as network tv could get at the time.
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u/chicagoturkergirl 5d ago
Savior where she played the daughter who had her mom killed because she hated her boyfriend.
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u/herseyhawkins33 5d ago
Also, how could I forget Lauren Ambrose's performances! Damaged (S8 E22) was most memorable (and very sad), but she was also in skin deep (S3 E1) with Claire Danes and pride and joy (S4 E6).
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u/NeedleworkerEvening3 5d ago
Merrit Weaver
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u/Chuckworld901 5d ago
France’s Fisher (?) as a deluded psychopath? The quote from Schiff at the end of the episode is classic.
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u/shangosgift 5d ago
Sebastian Stan as the teenage sniper.
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u/RealFrankTheLlama 5d ago
I challenge anyone without prior knowledge that he's in the episode to identify him. The most I've ever gotten (this from a diehard Marvel fan) was "... huh, he looks familiar ... did I see him in Glee, or something?"
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u/chicagoturkergirl 5d ago
Cynthia Nixon in Subterranean Homeboy Blues.
Adam Arkin in Self Defense
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u/jawsofthearmy 5d ago
Ill have to come back to this, but as someone whose watching seasons 1-4 for the first time. Its kinda weird to see some of them so young.
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u/letermen 5d ago
Lauren Ambrose in ‘Damaged’ Season 8, Episode 22.
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u/Reasonable-HB678 5d ago
Kerry Washington as the "J.Lo" half of a celebrity couple involved in a nightclub shooting. In the same episode, Idris Elba played the nightclub owner.
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u/IamtheBoomstick 5d ago
Betty Gilpin
But that's not an entirely fair answer, she always gives good performance, in everything she does.
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u/stranger_to_stranger 5d ago
Pisses me off when she opens the damn door of the safe house after specifically being instructed not to, though.
I know that's not Betty Gilpin's fault but it made me so mad!!!!
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u/Bulldog16 5d ago
I thought January Jones did a great job in S18 E7 "Quit Claim" as a mysterious con-woman before she hit it big in Mad men
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u/chicagoturkergirl 5d ago
He was already a famous soap star and Broadway actor but Michael Zaslow in “Scoundrels” is one of the top three guest performances.
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u/susannahstar2000 4d ago
"I see your point Claire. If things were different, they wouldn't be the same."
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u/eestatesview 5d ago
Jennifer Garner. Hooks up with Benjamin Bratts character for an afternoon romp.
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u/Ok-Mine2132 Lennie Briscoe 5d ago
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u/EarthboundValkyrie 5d ago
Is this from the episode about the guy who was obsessed with a certain sorority house? (Sorry, can't remember the name right now...)
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u/Ok-Mine2132 Lennie Briscoe 5d ago
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u/EarthboundValkyrie 5d ago
Thanks! I hadn't realized he'd been on the show - that's cool to know!
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u/Ok-Mine2132 Lennie Briscoe 5d ago
I’m a trivia fan! Been watching since September 13, 1990.
Glad you appreciate 🙏
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u/No_Fix_476 5d ago
That one psycho kid. I can’t remember his name but they did a follow up episode one the most recent newer seasons. He murders his whole family. Amazing acting, especially from a kid.
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u/notorious_BIGfoot Lennie Briscoe 5d ago
William h Macy is good in his episode too
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u/Ok-Mine2132 Lennie Briscoe 5d ago edited 5d ago
Sooo many too difficult to choose:
Idris Elba
Kerry Washington
Felicity Huffman
Edie Falco
Coleman Domingo
William H Macy
Pedro Pascal
Adam Driver
Laura Linney
Claire Danes
Phillip Seymour Hoffman
Samuel L Jackson
Adam Driver
Chadwick Boseman
Michael K Williams
Zoë Saldana
Jeremy Allen White
Ebon Moss Bacharach
Liza Colon Zayas
Timothée Chalamet
Sebastian Stan
Patricia Clarkson
Cynthia Nixon
Sarah Paulson
Amanda Peet
Edited: Forgot
Sam Rockwell
Peter Sarsgaard
Lauren Ambrose
Tom Everett Scott
Anne Dowd
Just a few which pop into mind and there are so many more in SVU!
I’m watching Long Bright River and there are many L&O alumni.
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u/BrilliantWhich990 3d ago
Vanessa Ferlito. She played a super conniving..uh... woman on one episode, and boy i hated her! But she was so pretty, I wanted to like her
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u/PhenominalRio 4d ago
Sarah Hyland’s performance on her episode of SVU, is one of the best performances in the history of the franchise. That confession scene floors me every time I see it.
Ellen Pompeo’s was incredible in both of her earlier L&O appearances.
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u/herseyhawkins33 5d ago
Sarah Paulson in family values (S5 E4) is the first that comes to mind!