MelbourneStar (talk | contribs) m →EMTs and Hospital personel: Linda Emond as Dr. Emily Sopher (2004-2009)- Appeared in 4 episodes. I have put her under "EMTs and Hospital personel" but she may need to be classified under a new heading (?)... |
Hammersoft (talk | contribs) rm per character images in violation of WP:NFLISTS |
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===John Munch=== |
===John Munch=== |
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[[File:John Munch - SVU.png|thumb|Sergeant [[John Munch]] ([[Richard Belzer]])]] |
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{{main|John Munch}} |
{{main|John Munch}} |
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*Portrayed by [[Richard Belzer]] |
*Portrayed by [[Richard Belzer]] |
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===Elliot Stabler=== |
===Elliot Stabler=== |
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[[File:Elliot Stabler - SVU.png|thumb|Detective [[Elliot Stabler]] ([[Christopher Meloni]])]] |
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{{main|Elliot Stabler}} |
{{main|Elliot Stabler}} |
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*Portrayed by [[Christopher Meloni]] |
*Portrayed by [[Christopher Meloni]] |
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Elliot Stabler is a detective in [[Manhattan]]'s 16th Precinct, also known as the Special Victims Unit, which investigates [[Sex and the law|sex crime]]s. A former Marine and a dedicated detective, he has a 97 percent closure rate,<!-- Season 8 ep Haystack --> but his dedication can turn to obsession and cause him to take cases personally. At the start of the series he is married with four children. He separates from his wife Kathy during the series, and she files for divorce, but they reconcile after she becomes pregnant with his fifth child. He is a devout [[Roman Catholic Church|Catholic]] whose faith sometimes complicates the cases he works on. His partner is Olivia Benson, with whom he generally has a good working relationship, but it is not without tension and friction. |
Elliot Stabler is a detective in [[Manhattan]]'s 16th Precinct, also known as the Special Victims Unit, which investigates [[Sex and the law|sex crime]]s. A former Marine and a dedicated detective, he has a 97 percent closure rate,<!-- Season 8 ep Haystack --> but his dedication can turn to obsession and cause him to take cases personally. At the start of the series he is married with four children. He separates from his wife Kathy during the series, and she files for divorce, but they reconcile after she becomes pregnant with his fifth child. He is a devout [[Roman Catholic Church|Catholic]] whose faith sometimes complicates the cases he works on. His partner is Olivia Benson, with whom he generally has a good working relationship, but it is not without tension and friction. |
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[[File:Olivia Benson Season 11.JPG|thumb|Detective [[Olivia Benson]] ([[Mariska Hargitay]])]] |
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===Olivia Benson=== |
===Olivia Benson=== |
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{{main|Olivia Benson}} |
{{main|Olivia Benson}} |
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*Portrayed by [[Ice-T]] |
*Portrayed by [[Ice-T]] |
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*Episodes: "Wrong is Right" – ''present'' |
*Episodes: "Wrong is Right" – ''present'' |
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[[File:Fin - SVU.png|thumb|Detective [[Fin Tutuola]] ([[Ice-T]])]] |
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Odafin "Fin" Tutuola is a detective in the Manhattan Special Victims Unit. He was raised in [[Harlem]] and he served in the [[United States Army]], where he saw [[Operation Gothic Serpent|combat]] in [[Mogadishu]].<ref>Episode E2318, "Rooftop", October 19, 2001</ref><ref>Episode 10007, "PTSD", December 2, 2008</ref> A former undercover [[narcotic]]s detective, Tutuola replaced [[Monique Jeffries]] after she left the squad in 2000. He transferred out of narcotics after his partner was shot. He initially has a rocky relationship with his colleagues in SVU, especially his partner John Munch and [[Olivia Benson]]. He sees the world in [[black-and-white|black and white]], with all criminals equally deserving of [[prison]] regardless of extenuating circumstances. He also keeps a tight rein on his emotions, refusing to talk about his problems or to admit that the grisly nature of his work often affects him. He rarely talks about his personal life, not revealing he has a son to his fellow detectives until the sixth season. As the series progresses, he becomes closer with Munch and saves Benson from being raped. However, he also begins clashing more frequently with fellow detective Elliot Stabler. As of the Season 8 episode "Screwed", he is assigned [[Chester Lake (Law & Order)|Chester Lake]] as his new partner. After Lake kills a suspect, Stabler accuses Tutuola of tipping him off before he is taken into custody, and checks his phone records. Tutuola admits he called Lake, but says he did not expect him to run. Stabler quasi-apologizes for not trusting him, but Tutuola dismisses his apology because he believes Stabler will always be the same "bulldog". Afterwards, he requests a transfer from the squad, however the man in charge of transfers is a former colleague of Tutuola's who holds a grudge against him. Tutuola resolves himself to being "stuck" and his captain, [[Don Cragen]], orders him to investigate a case with Stabler, who he calls a "headcase" and "cranky-balls". In more recent episodes, Tutuola has again warmed to Stabler. In 2009's "Solitary", when a suspect injures Stabler, Tutuola nearly throttles the suspect for attacking his "friend". |
Odafin "Fin" Tutuola is a detective in the Manhattan Special Victims Unit. He was raised in [[Harlem]] and he served in the [[United States Army]], where he saw [[Operation Gothic Serpent|combat]] in [[Mogadishu]].<ref>Episode E2318, "Rooftop", October 19, 2001</ref><ref>Episode 10007, "PTSD", December 2, 2008</ref> A former undercover [[narcotic]]s detective, Tutuola replaced [[Monique Jeffries]] after she left the squad in 2000. He transferred out of narcotics after his partner was shot. He initially has a rocky relationship with his colleagues in SVU, especially his partner John Munch and [[Olivia Benson]]. He sees the world in [[black-and-white|black and white]], with all criminals equally deserving of [[prison]] regardless of extenuating circumstances. He also keeps a tight rein on his emotions, refusing to talk about his problems or to admit that the grisly nature of his work often affects him. He rarely talks about his personal life, not revealing he has a son to his fellow detectives until the sixth season. As the series progresses, he becomes closer with Munch and saves Benson from being raped. However, he also begins clashing more frequently with fellow detective Elliot Stabler. As of the Season 8 episode "Screwed", he is assigned [[Chester Lake (Law & Order)|Chester Lake]] as his new partner. After Lake kills a suspect, Stabler accuses Tutuola of tipping him off before he is taken into custody, and checks his phone records. Tutuola admits he called Lake, but says he did not expect him to run. Stabler quasi-apologizes for not trusting him, but Tutuola dismisses his apology because he believes Stabler will always be the same "bulldog". Afterwards, he requests a transfer from the squad, however the man in charge of transfers is a former colleague of Tutuola's who holds a grudge against him. Tutuola resolves himself to being "stuck" and his captain, [[Don Cragen]], orders him to investigate a case with Stabler, who he calls a "headcase" and "cranky-balls". In more recent episodes, Tutuola has again warmed to Stabler. In 2009's "Solitary", when a suspect injures Stabler, Tutuola nearly throttles the suspect for attacking his "friend". |
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==Medical experts== |
==Medical experts== |
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===George Huang=== |
===George Huang=== |
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[[File:George Huang - SVU.png|thumb|Dr.[[George Huang (Law & Order)|George Huang]] ([[B.D. Wong]])]] |
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{{main|George Huang (Law & Order)}} |
{{main|George Huang (Law & Order)}} |
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*Portrayed by [[B.D. Wong]] |
*Portrayed by [[B.D. Wong]] |
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*Portrayed by [[Tamara Tunie]] |
*Portrayed by [[Tamara Tunie]] |
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*Episodes: "Noncompliance" – ''present'' |
*Episodes: "Noncompliance" – ''present'' |
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[[File:Melinda Warner - SVU.png|thumb|Dr.[[Melinda Warner]] ([[Tamara Tunie]])]] |
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Dr. Warner is the NYC [[medical examiner]]. She served as a doctor in the [[U.S. Air Force]] during the [[Gulf War]]. She is married and has a teenaged daughter. Though originally a recurring character she more recently became a regular cast member, and was most prominently featured in the episodes "Blast" and "Harm", the former seeing her becoming directly involved, through a series of circumstances, in the efforts to rescue an eight-year-old kidnapping victim who has just been diagnosed with [[leukemia]], and the latter seeing her testifying against another physician who is accused of helping the military to develop torture techniques. She is well liked by most of the SVU staff, though briefly goes against Stabler when he accuses her of botching a DNA test on Benson, expected to absolve her of a homicide (the DNA is later discovered to have been intentionally doctored to make Benson look guilty). |
Dr. Warner is the NYC [[medical examiner]]. She served as a doctor in the [[U.S. Air Force]] during the [[Gulf War]]. She is married and has a teenaged daughter. Though originally a recurring character she more recently became a regular cast member, and was most prominently featured in the episodes "Blast" and "Harm", the former seeing her becoming directly involved, through a series of circumstances, in the efforts to rescue an eight-year-old kidnapping victim who has just been diagnosed with [[leukemia]], and the latter seeing her testifying against another physician who is accused of helping the military to develop torture techniques. She is well liked by most of the SVU staff, though briefly goes against Stabler when he accuses her of botching a DNA test on Benson, expected to absolve her of a homicide (the DNA is later discovered to have been intentionally doctored to make Benson look guilty). |
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==ADAs== |
==ADAs== |
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===Alexandra Cabot=== |
===Alexandra Cabot=== |
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[[File:ADA Alexandra Cabot.jpg|thumb|Assistant District Attorney [[Alexandra Cabot]] ([[Stephanie March]])]] |
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{{main|Alexandra Cabot}} |
{{main|Alexandra Cabot}} |
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*Portrayed by [[Stephanie March]] |
*Portrayed by [[Stephanie March]] |
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===Kim Greylek=== |
===Kim Greylek=== |
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*Portrayed by [[Michaela McManus]] |
*Portrayed by [[Michaela McManus]] |
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[[File:ADA Kim Greylek.jpg|thumb|Assistant District Attorney Kim Greylek ([[Michaela McManus]])]] |
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*Episodes: "Trials" – "Lead" |
*Episodes: "Trials" – "Lead" |
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*Portrayed by [[Christine Lahti]] |
*Portrayed by [[Christine Lahti]] |
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*Episodes: "Unstable" – "Hammered", "Turmoil", "Gray", "Pursuit" |
*Episodes: "Unstable" – "Hammered", "Turmoil", "Gray", "Pursuit" |
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[[File:EADA Sonya Paxton.jpg|thumb|Executive Assistant District Attorney Sonya Paxton ([[Christine Lahti]])]] |
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Sonya Paxton was ''SVU''s [[Executive Assistant District Attorney|Executive ADA]] who temporarily replaced [[Alexandra Cabot]] for five episodes in the 11th season, starting with the season premiere ("Unstable"). Paxton was sent down by [[Jack McCoy]] to 'clean house' in the 'he-said, she-said unit' due to too many convictions being overturned. However, things started out rocky as she butts heads with the ''SVU'' team, particularly [[Eliot Stabler|Detective Stabler]]. In the second episode of Season 11 ("Sugar") she and he get into a heated argument after Paxton calls the suspect's lawyer after he declines his right to counsel twice. In the fourth episode of the season ("Hammered"), when a man drinks heavily and goes home and murders a woman he met at a bar, the defense blames [[alcoholism]] for the murder during the trial. Intending to use a computer-generated video mockup of the crime, Paxton accidentally plays a version in which the defendant's face is superimposed onto the attacker. The following morning, she arrives 45 minutes late to a mistrial hearing, appearing distraught and blaming a "[[fender bender]]". [[Barry Moredock|Judge Moredock]] asked if she would need medical help, but the defendant pointed out that she was drunk. Judge Moredock ordered Benson to come with a [[breathalyzer]], which revealed her blood alcohol level was .082, resulting in a [[mistrial]]. The Judge ordered Paxton to seek treatment, prompting her temporary departure. She later appears in the episode "Turmoil", meeting Cabot outside the courtroom and telling her to watch out for Benson and Stabler, because they are only loyal to each other. |
Sonya Paxton was ''SVU''s [[Executive Assistant District Attorney|Executive ADA]] who temporarily replaced [[Alexandra Cabot]] for five episodes in the 11th season, starting with the season premiere ("Unstable"). Paxton was sent down by [[Jack McCoy]] to 'clean house' in the 'he-said, she-said unit' due to too many convictions being overturned. However, things started out rocky as she butts heads with the ''SVU'' team, particularly [[Eliot Stabler|Detective Stabler]]. In the second episode of Season 11 ("Sugar") she and he get into a heated argument after Paxton calls the suspect's lawyer after he declines his right to counsel twice. In the fourth episode of the season ("Hammered"), when a man drinks heavily and goes home and murders a woman he met at a bar, the defense blames [[alcoholism]] for the murder during the trial. Intending to use a computer-generated video mockup of the crime, Paxton accidentally plays a version in which the defendant's face is superimposed onto the attacker. The following morning, she arrives 45 minutes late to a mistrial hearing, appearing distraught and blaming a "[[fender bender]]". [[Barry Moredock|Judge Moredock]] asked if she would need medical help, but the defendant pointed out that she was drunk. Judge Moredock ordered Benson to come with a [[breathalyzer]], which revealed her blood alcohol level was .082, resulting in a [[mistrial]]. The Judge ordered Paxton to seek treatment, prompting her temporary departure. She later appears in the episode "Turmoil", meeting Cabot outside the courtroom and telling her to watch out for Benson and Stabler, because they are only loyal to each other. |
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===Jo Marlowe=== |
===Jo Marlowe=== |
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[[File:ADA Jo Marlowe.jpg|thumb|Assistant District Attorney Jo Marlowe ([[Sharon Stone]])]] |
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*Portrayed by [[Sharon Stone]] |
*Portrayed by [[Sharon Stone]] |
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*Episodes: "Torch" – "Shattered" |
*Episodes: "Torch" – "Shattered" |
Revision as of 19:21, 22 March 2011
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, a spin-off of the crime drama Law & Order, follows the detectives who work in the "Special Victims Unit" of the 16th District New York City Police Department's, a unit that focuses on crimes involving rape, sexual assault and child molestation, as well as any crime loosely connected with any of the three, such as domestic violence, kidnapping and child abandonment. Since its debut in September 1999, the series has generally shown four detectives working the unit, though at times, five, under the leadership of Captain Don Cragen. The unit also has a prosecutor assigned from the DA's office, and frequently interacts with specific medical examiners and the unit's psychiatrist George Huang.
Two of the regular characters have appeared in two other NBC series: Captain Don Cragen (Florek), who was on the first three seasons of Law & Order and Sergeant John Munch (Belzer), formerly a Baltimore detective on Homicide: Life on the Street. This character also made appearances on Law & Order, Law & Order: Trial by Jury, Arrested Development, The Beat, The X-Files and the HBO series The Wire.
Creation and conception
The characters of Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler were named for creator Dick Wolf's children. Wolf's third child, daughter Sarina, had a character named for her, Benson's mother was named Serena, as well as former ADA Serena Southerlyn on the original Law and Order and Det. Serena Stevens on Law & Order: Criminal Intent.
Main characters
Season | Senior Detective | Junior Detective | Sergeant | Senior Detective | Junior Detective | Junior Detective | Captain | Psychiatrist | Medical Examiner | Assistant District Attorney |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni) |
Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) |
Vacant | John Munch (Richard Belzer) |
Brian Cassidy (Dean Winters)* |
Monique Jeffries (Michelle Hurd) |
Don Cragen (Dann Florek) |
Emil Skoda (J. K. Simmons)* |
Elizabeth Rodgers (Leslie Hendrix)* |
Various |
2 | Odafin Tutuola (Ice-T) |
Dr. Melinda Warner (Tamara Tunie)*** |
Alexandra Cabot (Stephanie March) | |||||||
Vacant | ||||||||||
Dr. George Huang (B. D. Wong)*** | ||||||||||
3 | ||||||||||
4 | ||||||||||
5 | Casey Novak (Diane Neal) | |||||||||
6 | ||||||||||
7 | ||||||||||
8 | Dani Beck (Connie Nielsen)* | |||||||||
9 | John Munch (Richard Belzer) |
Odafin Tutuola (Ice-T) |
Chester Lake (Adam Beach) |
Vacant | ||||||
10 | Vacant | Kim Greylek (Michaela McManus) | ||||||||
11 | Alexandra Cabot (Stephanie March)** | |||||||||
12 | Various |
*Recurring character
** Denotes a character who only appeared in the opening credits when in that episode.
*** Previously recurring
Police
Donald Cragen
- Portrayed by Dann Florek
- Episodes: "Payback" – present
Donald Cragen is the Captain of the Special Victims Unit. A former homicide detective, he is portrayed as a somewhat stern but understanding father figure to the detectives who work under him and he gives them a great deal of leniency because he trusts their ability to get results, although he had an early habit of haranguing them about the weaknesses of their investigations. He was an alcoholic for much of his early career, but goes sober after pulling his service revolver on a taxi driver in a drunken rage. He has remained sober since, even after the death of his wife in a plane crash. Florek originally portrayed the character from 1990 to 1993 in the original Law & Order series. In that series, Cragen was investigated by internal affairs for corruption. During the investigation to prove his innocence, he discovered that he was being framed by his former captain and mentor, whom he turns in. He has maintained bitter relations with the police bureaucracy ever since. He is later transferred out of the Anti-Corruption Task Force before transferring to the newly formed Special Victims Unit.
John Munch
- Portrayed by Richard Belzer
- Episodes: "Payback" – present
John Munch was a detective and now a Sergeant, in the Manhattan Special Victims Unit. A conspiracy theorist and dedicated detective Munch is first partnered with Brian Cassidy (Dean Winters), whom he thinks of as a kind of younger brother, alternately poking fun at him and imparting (often questionable) advice on life and women. When Cassidy leaves the precinct in 2000[1], Munch is briefly partnered with Monique Jeffries (Michelle Hurd),[2] and then with Odafin Tutuola (Ice-T).[3] He and the gruff, uncompromising Tutuola get off to a rough start, but gradually came to like and respect each other.
The character was first created for the NBC police drama Homicide: Life on the Street, where he worked as a homicide detective with the Baltimore Police Department. The character was based on Jay Landsman, a central figure in David Simon's true crime book Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets, a documentary account of the homicide unit's operation over one year.[4] After the series cancellation in 1999, the character was transferred to Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, having appeared within the original Law & Order in cross-over episodes. Within the series, it is eventually said he left Baltimore after his wife cheated on him with a friend. Munch has been the only fictional character played by a single actor to appear on eight different television shows: Homicide: Life on the Street, Law & Order, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Law & Order: Trial by Jury, The X-Files, Arrested Development, The Beat and The Wire.
Elliot Stabler
- Portrayed by Christopher Meloni
- Episodes: "Payback" – present
Elliot Stabler is a detective in Manhattan's 16th Precinct, also known as the Special Victims Unit, which investigates sex crimes. A former Marine and a dedicated detective, he has a 97 percent closure rate, but his dedication can turn to obsession and cause him to take cases personally. At the start of the series he is married with four children. He separates from his wife Kathy during the series, and she files for divorce, but they reconcile after she becomes pregnant with his fifth child. He is a devout Catholic whose faith sometimes complicates the cases he works on. His partner is Olivia Benson, with whom he generally has a good working relationship, but it is not without tension and friction.
Olivia Benson
- Portrayed by Mariska Hargitay
- Episodes: "Payback" – present
Olivia Benson is a detective in the Manhattan Special Victims Unit, which investigates sex crimes and abuse. She is primarily partnered with Elliot Stabler. She is tough, empathetic,[5] and completely dedicated to her job, to the point that she is seen as having no personal life. Her dedication sometimes wreaks havoc on her emotional state as she empathizes with victims of sexual assault, having been the child of rape and later the victim of sexual assault while undercover. She has allowed her compassion for victims of abuse to sometimes cloud her professional judgment and impede her ability to remain impartial. Hargitay has received both a Golden Globe and an Emmy Award for her portrayal of Benson.
Brian Cassidy
- Portrayed by Dean Winters
- Episodes: "Payback" – "Disrobed"
Brian Cassidy was a detective in the SVU during the series' first season. The youngest and least experienced member of the precinct, he has a genuine desire to put rapists and child molesters in prison, but lacked the professional detachment necessary to deal with the often grisly sex crimes. He often has trouble concealing his anger and revulsion toward the cases he investigates and this created friction between him and his colleagues, made worse when they poke fun at his relative lack of sophistication. A genuinely talented and driven police detective, he makes a real effort to learn from the other members of the precinct, particularly Munch, whom he thinks of as a sort of older brother/mentor figure. He has a brief affair with Olivia Benson, and has trouble dealing with her after the relationship ends. Cassidy was written out of the show midway through the first season. Cragen sends him to interview a young girl who was repeatedly raped and brutalized, causing Cassidy to realize that he cannot emotionally handle the types of crimes that a SVU detective must deal with on a daily basis. Cragen then offers to assist Cassidy with a transfer to another department, narcotics.
Monique Jeffries
- Portrayed by Michelle Hurd
- Episodes: "Payback" – "Runaway"
Monique Jeffries was a police detective with Manhattan's 16th Precinct, which investigates sex crimes, and one of the initial detectives in the SVU unit. Earlier in the series, she is partnered with various detectives, including Brian Cassidy. Initially, she is only seen at headquarters, doing research and showing up in court for various cases to represent the department. After Cassidy's departure near the end of the first season, she partners with Munch and begins going actively on investigations. Shortly after this, she is physically and emotionally shaken when a car explodes while she is pursuing a fleeing suspect. Survival of the incident leaves her feeling "restless", and she has a one night stand with a man she recognized as a suspect in a previous sexual assault case the unit had investigated. After she confesses this to a department psychiatrist, who is working for a commission investigating problems in various police units, she is taken off active duty and ordered to receive treatment. Captain Don Cragen, feeling she has become "reckless" and "a danger" to herself supports the decision. Finding desk duty intolerable, she cleans out her desk and leaves her gun and badge on the desk of Captain Cragen. In the second season, it is revealed that she was eventually reinstated and transferred to the Vice Unit.
Fin Tutuola
- Portrayed by Ice-T
- Episodes: "Wrong is Right" – present
Odafin "Fin" Tutuola is a detective in the Manhattan Special Victims Unit. He was raised in Harlem and he served in the United States Army, where he saw combat in Mogadishu.[6][7] A former undercover narcotics detective, Tutuola replaced Monique Jeffries after she left the squad in 2000. He transferred out of narcotics after his partner was shot. He initially has a rocky relationship with his colleagues in SVU, especially his partner John Munch and Olivia Benson. He sees the world in black and white, with all criminals equally deserving of prison regardless of extenuating circumstances. He also keeps a tight rein on his emotions, refusing to talk about his problems or to admit that the grisly nature of his work often affects him. He rarely talks about his personal life, not revealing he has a son to his fellow detectives until the sixth season. As the series progresses, he becomes closer with Munch and saves Benson from being raped. However, he also begins clashing more frequently with fellow detective Elliot Stabler. As of the Season 8 episode "Screwed", he is assigned Chester Lake as his new partner. After Lake kills a suspect, Stabler accuses Tutuola of tipping him off before he is taken into custody, and checks his phone records. Tutuola admits he called Lake, but says he did not expect him to run. Stabler quasi-apologizes for not trusting him, but Tutuola dismisses his apology because he believes Stabler will always be the same "bulldog". Afterwards, he requests a transfer from the squad, however the man in charge of transfers is a former colleague of Tutuola's who holds a grudge against him. Tutuola resolves himself to being "stuck" and his captain, Don Cragen, orders him to investigate a case with Stabler, who he calls a "headcase" and "cranky-balls". In more recent episodes, Tutuola has again warmed to Stabler. In 2009's "Solitary", when a suspect injures Stabler, Tutuola nearly throttles the suspect for attacking his "friend".
Danielle Beck
- Portrayed by Connie Nielsen
- Episodes: "Clock" – "Cage"
Detective Danielle "Dani" Beck was Detective Olivia Benson's temporary replacement in season 8, while Benson was on an undercover assignment (Mariska Hargitay was on maternity leave). Off to a rocky start at first, she and Stabler eventually gained a mutual respect for one another. A turning point in their relationship occurred when they shared a passionate kiss after celebrating a case at a bar, although post-kiss nothing more than increased sexual chemistry was ever implied. Following a case involving child abuse in which a traumatized adopted girl, whom Beck had been caring for, attempted to burn down her apartment and kill them both, Beck said to Stabler she could not stand working in the Special Victims Unit anymore unless he asked her to stay. Stabler reluctantly said he could not make that decision for her, so Dani decided it would be best to return to her old post at the Warrants squad. Hargitay returned to her role as Benson in the following episode.
Chester Lake
- Portrayed by Adam Beach
- Episodes: "Outsider" – "Cold"
Detective Chester Lake transferred to the Manhattan SVU from the Brooklyn Special Victims Unit at the end of the eighth season and was partnered with Detective Fin Tutuola. He is of Native American ancestry, specifically Mohawk, and speaks proudly of his ancestors. He also used to compete as an amateur mixed martial artist under the name "Naptime", but had to quit after tearing his ACL. In the final episode of the ninth season, Lake begins attending meetings of individuals in Philadelphia who share information on "cold" murder cases. He later shoots and kills a fellow police officer, who was suspected of raping two illegal immigrant girls ten years ago, killing one. Lake disappears while his fellow detectives investigate. They are able to prove Lake killed the other cop in self defense after he was shot at himself by a second NYPD officer with a history of brutality. Lake is found, wounded, and taken to the hospital. The second officer, however, is released after the jury deadlocks. The officer is killed the same night and Lake is found standing over the body and makes no denial to his fellow SVU detectives. He is arrested and last seen in the series sitting handcuffed in a police car. It was confirmed on April 18, 2008 that Beach would not be returning to the series to reprise the role in the subsequent season.[8]
Medical experts
George Huang
- Portrayed by B.D. Wong
- Episodes: "Pique" – present
Dr. Huang is an FBI forensic psychiatrist and criminal profiler, specializing in studying sexual predators and their victims. Though he is liked and respected by the SVU detectives and they generally defer to his professional judgment, his diagnoses sometimes hinder prosecutions, particularly where he finds mental illness, making defendants either not fully responsible for their crimes, or not fit to stand trial. He frequently observes interrogations of suspects, advising detectives on how to best interact to obtain a confession. Very little is known about Huang's personal life, other than that he is gay (as is Wong in real life), which he noted in "Hardwired", has a sister (noted in "Inheritance"), and that he speaks Cantonese.
Melinda Warner
- Portrayed by Tamara Tunie
- Episodes: "Noncompliance" – present
Dr. Warner is the NYC medical examiner. She served as a doctor in the U.S. Air Force during the Gulf War. She is married and has a teenaged daughter. Though originally a recurring character she more recently became a regular cast member, and was most prominently featured in the episodes "Blast" and "Harm", the former seeing her becoming directly involved, through a series of circumstances, in the efforts to rescue an eight-year-old kidnapping victim who has just been diagnosed with leukemia, and the latter seeing her testifying against another physician who is accused of helping the military to develop torture techniques. She is well liked by most of the SVU staff, though briefly goes against Stabler when he accuses her of botching a DNA test on Benson, expected to absolve her of a homicide (the DNA is later discovered to have been intentionally doctored to make Benson look guilty).
Emil Skoda
- Portrayed by J.K. Simmons
- Episodes from: 2000–2001
Dr. Skoda is a psychiatrist who works with the New York Police Department. In addition to his own private practice, he often testifies for the prosecution as an expert witness on whether a defendant is legally sane to stand trial. He also profiles suspects and offers advice to the district attorneys regarding witnesses' and suspects' mental state.
Elizabeth Rodgers
- Portrayed by Leslie Hendrix
- Episodes from: 1999–2000
Dr. Elizabeth Rodgers was SVU's medical examiner until Dr. Warner replaced her. Dr. Elizabeth Rodgers is now often seen as the Medical Examiner for Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Law & Order.
Dr. Rebecca Hendrix
- Portrayed by Mary Stuart Masterson
Dr. Rebecca Hendrix is a former police officer who was at the police academy with Detective Benson.[9] She left the force to become a psychiatrist. She appears for three episodes in the series' sixth season, to replace series regular B.D. Wong while he was performing in Broadway's Pacific Overtures.[10] Within the series, it is said that Wong's character George Huang is on special assignment with the FBI back in Washington. Masterson reprises the role in the seventh season episode "Ripped" and in season eight's "Philadelphia". Mike Barry of Anton News stated that Masterson was "best known" for playing the role between 2004 and 2007.[11]
ADAs
Alexandra Cabot
- Portrayed by Stephanie March
- Episodes: "Wrong is Right" – "Witness"
Cabot first appears in the SVU episode "Wrong Is Right", when she is hired to work with SVU as their permanent ADA. She survived an assassination attempt by a drug cartel's hitman and then entered the Witness Protection Program. She returned to testify against her assassin and she had returned to the DA's office in season 10. She also appeared in the short-lived Law & Order spinoff Conviction. Cabot was absent for the first four episodes of the 11th season to do some training in Albany in order to return to work with the SVU detectives by the fifth episode ("Hardwired") after EADA Sonya Paxton entered court-ordered alcohol rehab. She left SVU in the season 11 episode "Witness" to work for the International Criminal Court to seek justice for rape victims in the Congo.
Casey Novak
- Portrayed by Diane Neal
- Episodes: "Serendipity" – "Cold", "Reparations"
Casey Novak was SVU's Assistant District Attorney (Seasons 5–9), who replaced ADA Alex Cabot. Although she quickly loses her innocence when dealing with sex crimes, she still shows uneasiness when dealing with the gray areas of human involvement, preferring the letter of the law to the messiness of each individual reality. Nonetheless, Novak has a 71 percent success rate in the cases she prosecutes, whereas the average for prosecutors is 44 percent. After initial hesitation, she becomes particularly close to Stabler as they bond over being Catholic and a love for sports. It is revealed that in her final year of law school, Novak was engaged to a man (Charlie) who suffered from schizophrenia. She ended the relationship when his symptoms became so severe she felt she could no longer be intimate with him. In 2002, Charlie attacked her in her home during a psychotic episode. She convinced the police not to press charges, but ended the relationship. He eventually became homeless, and was found dead as a "John Doe" in the spring of 2007. She developed a deep compassion for the mentally ill afterward, but still feels guilty for not being able to help him. She states that she is a big supporter of the U.S military. She says that her father was an M60 Door Gunner on a Huey during the Vietnam War. His helicopter crashed three times and he received a Purple Heart. In her final year as the SVU ADA, she grew increasingly more reckless and unsure in her prosecution. It is implied that friend and former boss Liz Donnelly aided in her disbarment, leading to her replacement by Kim Greylek.
Novak will return to SVU for one episode ("Reparations") in Season 12, which is to air in Spring 2011. [12][13][14]
Kim Greylek
- Portrayed by Michaela McManus
- Episodes: "Trials" – "Lead"
Kim Greylek was the SVU's Assistant District Attorney who replaced Casey Novak at the beginning of Season 10 after the latter was disbarred for violating Brady rules. Greylek previously worked in the U.S. Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women in Washington, D.C. where she had the nickname of "The Crusader." A dogged prosecutor, she pushed the detectives to make cases for the sake of politics in favor of pursuing actual offenders. She can be unrelenting, threatening to charge a defendant with a hate crime for raping two women and of having a teenage boy charged with assaulting a police officer so he can be tested for HIV. After appearing in only 14 episodes, the character was written out of the series as having left the unit to return to Washington. Greylek was replaced by former unit ADA Alexandra Cabot.
Sonya Paxton
- Portrayed by Christine Lahti
- Episodes: "Unstable" – "Hammered", "Turmoil", "Gray", "Pursuit"
Sonya Paxton was SVUs Executive ADA who temporarily replaced Alexandra Cabot for five episodes in the 11th season, starting with the season premiere ("Unstable"). Paxton was sent down by Jack McCoy to 'clean house' in the 'he-said, she-said unit' due to too many convictions being overturned. However, things started out rocky as she butts heads with the SVU team, particularly Detective Stabler. In the second episode of Season 11 ("Sugar") she and he get into a heated argument after Paxton calls the suspect's lawyer after he declines his right to counsel twice. In the fourth episode of the season ("Hammered"), when a man drinks heavily and goes home and murders a woman he met at a bar, the defense blames alcoholism for the murder during the trial. Intending to use a computer-generated video mockup of the crime, Paxton accidentally plays a version in which the defendant's face is superimposed onto the attacker. The following morning, she arrives 45 minutes late to a mistrial hearing, appearing distraught and blaming a "fender bender". Judge Moredock asked if she would need medical help, but the defendant pointed out that she was drunk. Judge Moredock ordered Benson to come with a breathalyzer, which revealed her blood alcohol level was .082, resulting in a mistrial. The Judge ordered Paxton to seek treatment, prompting her temporary departure. She later appears in the episode "Turmoil", meeting Cabot outside the courtroom and telling her to watch out for Benson and Stabler, because they are only loyal to each other.
Sonya came back from her alcohol rehabilitation and served as an Executive ADA in the ninth episode ("Gray") of the 12th season to prove to the DA that she hasn't lost her 'many ways'. In the seventeenth episode ("Pursuit"), she returns again to help out an old friend (Debra Messing) who starts receiving personal threats. She was murdered during the episode while investigating the identity of the stalker. While he was attacking her she was able to obtain his DNA by biting him which ultimately helped solve the case.
Jo Marlowe
- Portrayed by Sharon Stone
- Episodes: "Torch" – "Shattered"
Jo Marlowe is drafted by Jack McCoy in the Season 11 episode "Torch" after ADA Alexandra Cabot leaves to help rape victims in the Congo ("Witness"). She also was Elliot Stabler's partner approximately four years before Benson.[15] SVUs Executive Producer Neal Baer describes her character as “a funny adrenaline junkie who loves to be in the middle of everything and shares a past with Stabler. She’s been married before and has a lot of secrets.”[16] In the episode "Shattered", she reveals that she was diagnosed with an "aggressive" type of cancer and had a bilateral radical mastectomy a year before joining the SVU squad.[17]
Gillian Hardwicke
- Portrayed by Melissa Sagemiller
- Episodes: "Branded" – Spectacle
Replacement for Mikka Von, she premieres mid-season. Hardwicke is a Brooklyn ADA who transfers to Manhattan SVU due to her great admiration for detectives Benson and Stabler. It is known that Hardwicke has had some previous experience with Benson, stating she did something for her and her family. She has a 92% conviction rate (SVU: Branded).
Supporting characters
Other Police officers outside of SVU
- Joel de la Fuente as Technical Assistance Response Unit Technician Ruben Morales (2002–present)
- Donnetta Lavinia Grays as Officer Ramirez (2003-2007)
- William H. Burns as Officer Robbins (2004–2006)
- John Schuck as Chief of Detectives Muldrew (2004–present)
Crime Scene Unit Technicians
Full title: New York City Police Department Crime Scene Unit Forensic Technician Officers
- Caren Browning as Captain Judith Siper (1999–present)
- Welly Yang as Georgie (1999–2003)
- Lou Carbonneau as Harry Martin (2000–2002)
- Daniel Sunjata as Burt Trevor (2000–2004)
- Jordan Gelber as David Layton (2001–2003)
- Mike Doyle as Ryan O'Halloran (2003–2009)
- Paula Garcés as Millie Vizcarrondo (2005)
- Noel Fisher as Dale Stuckey (2009)
- James Chen as Adrienne ‘Andy’ Sung (2011)
Assistant US Attorneys
- Pam Grier as Claudia Williams (2003-2004)
- Robert Montano as Raul Menedez (2005)
- Jayne Atkinson as Marion Springer (2007)
- Gloria Reuben as Christine Danielson (2007-2011)
Manhattan District Attorneys
- Steven Hill as Adam Schiff (2000, crossing over from Law & Order)
- Dianne Wiest as Nora Lewin (2000-2002, crossing over from Law & Order)
- Fred Dalton Thompson as Arthur Branch (2002–2007, crossing over from Law & Order)
- Sam Waterston as Jack McCoy (2007–present, crossing over from Law & Order)
Executive Assistant District Attorneys
- Sam Waterson as Jack McCoy (2000; later became District Attorney)
- Judith Light as Elizabeth "Liz" Donnelly (2002-2006; later became a judge)
- Christine Lahti as Sonya Paxton (2009-2011)
- Teddy Sears as Garrett Blaine (2010)
Assistant District Attorneys
- Angie Harmon as Abbie Carmichael (1999–2000, crossing over from Law & Order)
- Liam Craig as David Goreman (1999–2001)
- Reiko Aylesworth as Erica Alden (2000)
- Jenna Stern as Kathleen Eastman (2000)
- Marisol Nichols as Natina Amador (2003)
- Bebe Neuwirth as Tracey Kibre (2005, crossing over from Law & Order: Trial by Jury)
- Nick Basta as "Brinkman" (2007)
- Albert Jones as "Fritz" (2007-2009)
- Lizette Carrion as Kristen Torres (2008-2009)
- Melinda McGraw as Samantha Copeland (2009)
- Gretchen Egolf as Kendra McGill (2009-2010)
- Sharon Stone as Jo Marlowe (2010)
- Francie Swift as Sherry West (2010)
- Paula Patton as Mikka Von (2010)
- Melissa Sagemiller as Gillian Hardwicke (2010-2011)
Defense Attorneys
- Ned Eisenberg as Roger Kressler (1999–2009)
- Liz Larsen as Regal (2000-2002)
- Jill Marie Lawrence as Cleo Conrad (2001–2008)
- CCH Pounder as Carolyn Maddox (2001–present)
- Peter Hermann as Trevor Langan (2002–present)
- Illeana Douglas as Gina Bernardo (2002-2003)
- John Cullum as Barry Moredock (2003–2007; later became a judge)
- Beverly D'Angelo as Rebecca Balthus (2003–2008)
- Michael Boatman as Dave Seaver (2003–present)
- David Thornton as Lionel Granger (2003–2010)
- Viola Davis as Donna Emmett (2003–2008)
- Peter Riegert as Chauncey Zierko (2004–2007)
- Barry Bostwick as Oliver Gates (2004–2007)
- Annie Potts as Sophie Devere (2005–2009)
- Alex Kingston as Miranda Pond (2008–2010)
- Jeri Ryan as Patrice Larue (2009–2010)
Trial Judges
- Peter Francis James as Judge Kevin Beck (2000)
- Doris Belack as Judge Margaret Barry (2000–2001, crossing over from Law & Order)
- Leslie Ayvazian as Judge Susan Valdera (2000–2002)
- Tom O'Rourke as Judge Mark Seligman (2000–2006)
- Harvey Atkin as Judge Alan Ridenour (2000–2010)
- Joanna Merlin as Judge Lena Petrovsky (2000–present)
- David Lipman as Judge Arthur Cohen (2002–2009)
- Sheila Tousey as Judge Danielle Larsen (2003–2004)
- Peter McRobbie as Judge Walter Bradley (2003–present, crossing over from Law & Order)
- Audrie J. Neenan as Judge Lois Preston (2003–present)
- Marlo Thomas as Judge Mary Clark (2004)
- William Whitehead as Judge Philip Wyler (2004)
- Philip Bosco as Judge Joseph Terhune (2004–2006)
- Patricia Kalember as Judge Karen Taten (2004–present)
- Tom Skerritt as Judge Oliver Taft (2005)
- Judith Light as Judge Elizabeth "Liz" Cara Donnelly (2006–present)
- Peter Gerety as Judge Peter Harrison (2007–2008)
- John Cullum as Judge Barry Moredock (2007–present)
- John Henry Cox as Judge Gregory Trenton (2007–present)
- Swoosie Kurtz as Judge Hilda Marsden (2009)
- Alan Dale as Judge Joshua Koehler (2009)
- Lindsay Crouse as Judge D. Andrews (2009-present)
- Kate Nelligan as Judge Sylvia Quinn (2010)
EMTs and Hospital personel
- Joselin Reyes as Paramedic Martinez (2003–2007)
- Elizabeth Flax as Emergency Room Nurse Carey Hutchins (2003-2010)
- Linda Emond as Dr. Emily Sopher (2004-2009)
- Stephen Gregory as Emergency Room Doctor Kyle Beresford (2004-present)
The Stabler family
- Isabel Gillies as Kathy Stabler (1999–present)
- Erin Broderick as Maureen Stabler (1999–present)
- Holiday Segal as Kathleen Stabler (1999–2001)
- Allison Siko as Kathleen Stabler (2002–present)
- Jeffrey Scaperrotta as Richard "Dickie" Stabler (1999–present)
- Patricia Cook as Elizabeth Stabler (1999–present)
- Ellen Burstyn as Bernadette Stabler (Elliot's mother) (2009)
Minor characters
Dean Porter
- Portrayed by Vincent Spano.
FBI Agent Dean Porter, worked with Benson as her handler during her stint undercover in an eco-terrorist group during season 8. He has also worked with the squad on several federal cases ("Savant", "Screwed", "Florida", "Infiltrated", and "Spooked").
Simon Marsden
- Portrayed by Michael Weston.
Simon Marsden is Detective Benson's half-brother and caused extensive trouble throughout season 8 for Olivia and the entire squad.
Ed Tucker
- Portrayed by Robert John Burke.
Ed Tucker is a detective in Internal Affairs who usually comes to question the SVU detectives whenever there is an allegation of misconduct. He has been mocked by Stabler every time he has shown up at the unit, and has an ongoing feud with Captain Cragen. Tucker was introduced as a Sergeant, and later promoted to Lieutenant.
Dana Lewis
- Portrayed by Marcia Gay Harden.
An FBI agent, first introduced in the episode "Raw" while working undercover to bring down a white supremacist group. Agent Lewis specializes in undercover work, often working under assumed identities for weeks or even months at a time. Her family (husband and child) are currently living in Europe to protect them from criminals who attempt to retaliate against her. One of these criminals, the leader of the aforementioned supremacist group, ordered a fellow inmate to attack and rape her ("Penetration"). Elliot Stabler has been injured each time she has worked with them, though she was only responsible for one of these.
Sister Peg
- Portrayed by Charlayne Woodard.
Sister Peg was Catholic Nun who lived and worked in New York City. Most of her work involved helping and protecting prostitutes. As such, she sometimes came into contact with Manhattan SVU Detectives Elliot Stabler and Olivia Benson.
References
- ^ Law & Order: Special Victims Unit episode "Disrobed"
- ^ Law & Order: Special Victims Unit episode "Limitations"
- ^ Law & Order: Special Victims Unit episode "Honor"
- ^ Simon, David (1991, 2006). Homicide, A Year on the Killing Streets. New York: Owl Books. p. hoto insert section.
{{cite book}}
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(help) - ^ Kukoff, David (2006). Vault Guide to Television Writing Careers. Vault, Inc. p. 71. ISBN 1581313713.
- ^ Episode E2318, "Rooftop", October 19, 2001
- ^ Episode 10007, "PTSD", December 2, 2008
- ^ "TV.com: More cast departures for crime procedurals". Retrieved 2008-05-18.
- ^ "Mary Stuart Masterson Reprises Role as Dr. Rebecca Hendrix on 'SVU'". The Futon Critic. 2005-10-10.
- ^ Levin, Gary (2004-12-06). "'Law & Order' stays orderly". USA Today. Retrieved 2004-12-06.
- ^ Barry, Mike. "Films Are the Stars". www.antonnews.com. Retrieved 2008-07-11.
- ^ http://www.tvline.com/2011/03/law-order-svu-scoop-diane-neal-returns/
- ^ http://www.daemonstv.com/2011/03/01/diane-neal-heads-back-to-law-order-svu/
- ^ http://www.tvguide.com/News/John-Stamos-SVU-1030332.aspx
- ^ "Torch". Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Season 11. April 28, 2010. 2:45–2:50 minutes in. NBC.
Jo Marlow: Eliot frigging Stabler. What's it been 10 years? Eliot: Closer to 15.
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- ^ "Shattered". Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Season 11. May 19, 2010. 35:25–35:50 minutes in. NBC.
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