It’s been more than three decades since NBC’s long-lived police
procedural drama aired. Since its debut back in 1990,
Dick Wolf’s Law & Order has become one of the longest-running scripted American primetime series. Currently in its 23rd season, the drama series has expanded itself into a successful franchise, which includes highly popular spin-off series like Law & Order: SVU, Law & Order: Organized Crime, and more.
The original series focused on crime cases around New York City and followed the now-popular trend of having numerous guest stars appearing in multiple episodes. Although the franchise has a lucrative list of celebrities making cameos, one drama has lent almost half of its cast to the procedural drama more than any other. It would surprise fans to know that several Grey’s Anatomy stars have appeared in the Law & Order franchise, including some who got a shot at stardom after making the cameo.
Jesse Williams Kick Started His Acting Career on Law & Order
Appearance in Law & Order Franchise
Law & Order Season 16, Episode 17 (America, Inc)
Appearance in Grey’s Anatomy
Season 6-17
Appeared As
Kwame
Actor Jessie Williams made a brief appearance in Law & Order before his role as Jackson Avery in Grey’s Anatomy
Fans today may remember Jesse Williams by his titular Grey’s Anatomy role, but before he was the blue-eyed plastic surgeon, Jesse made a brief appearance on Law & Order. The actor played Dr. Jackson Avery on Grey’s Anatomy for a whopping 12 seasons after first appearing in Season 6. Before his golden days in the medical drama, Jesse received his first acting credit in the opening of Law & Order’s episode America Inc.
In this episode, the actor is one of the four people watching a football game on TV in a hotel room when a bullet shoots through a TV without warning from the next room. It turned out that a military contractor was found dead in the next room, which put the team, especially McCoy, up against the military and State Department in a complex case.
Sara Ramirez Was Top-Notch In Her Law & Order Role
sara ramirez playing a victim in law & order svu season 4
Appearance in Law & Order Franchise
Law & Order: SVU Season 4, Episode 1 (Chameleon)
Appearance in Grey’s Anatomy
Season 2-12
Appeared As
Lisa Perez (Chantilly)
Ramirez skillfully played the role of a prostitute who was assaulted by an ex-convict.
Before she slayed her role as the beloved Dr. Callie Torres on Grey’s Anatomy, Ramirez wowed fans with her acting potential as a worker at a party. In this episode, the SVU team chased an ex-convict who was involved in the sexual harassment of several prostitutes. Ramirez played a sex worker named Chantilly who worked underground and called SVU when she alleged that a serial rapist tried to assault her.
Although, at first, it seemed that she made the whole story up, later, Chantilly got involved in a really complex case when one of her colleagues turned up dead. Despite it being a brief role, Ramirez proved why she deserved to play an ambitious surgeon in Grey’s Anatomy.
Sarah Drew Played a Completely Opposite Role in Law & Order
sarah drew playing becca in Law & Order: SVU season 8
Appearance in Law & Order Franchise
Law & Order: SVU Season 8, Episode 18 (Responsible)
Appearance in Grey’s Anatomy
Season 6-14
Appeared As
Becca Rice
Drew played a character completely opposite to her optimistic and “do-no-wrong” persona of April Kepner.
Denny Duquette in Grey’s Anatomy
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April Kepner was introduced to the Grey’s Anatomy fandom as Little Miss Sunshine and someone who could do no wrong. That’s why she was immediately disliked by the “original five,” who believed themselves to be dark, twisty, and selfish. It’s safe to say that fans would be completely surprised by Drew’s role in SVU since it contradicts her famous “Kepner” persona. Ironically, Drew’s character starts out the same as April Kepner – the more innocent member of the gang.
However, when a teen is found dead after excessive drinking, the team is forced to look beyond the obvious. As the case unraveled, it was revealed that Becca had more to hide behind her dorky glasses. In a world of wild partying where teenagers were victims of alcohol abuse, Becca turned out to be someone far more guilty than the rest.
Kate Walsh Perfectly Played Her Complex Character
kate walsh playing kristen in law & order
Appearance in Law & Order Franchise
Law & Order Season 8, Episode 3 (Navy Blues)
Appearance in Grey’s Anatomy
Season 1-19 (mostly recurring and guest appearances)
Appeared As
Kristen Blair
Kate Walsh’s iconic entry as Addison Montgomery into Meredith and Derek’s budding romance will forever be the most memorable television scene of all time. Despite being “that woman,” Addison’s sparkling personality quickly turned her into a fan-favorite Grey’s Anatomy character. However, before her adorning role as a successful neonatal surgeon, Walsh was one of the few actors from the medical drama to appear in Law & Order. Fans can catch the talented actress as a potential witness at a crime scene in L&O’s Season 8.
Walsh played Lieutenant Kristen Blair, who also happened to have an affair with the victim. As McCoy and Ross dug deeper into the murder, they soon found that maybe not all but some fingers were pointing to Blair being a potential suspect. Walsh was particularly impressive in this brief yet impactful role as a pseudo-victim who was almost uncrackable.
Kim Raver Was Phenomenal as Grief-Stricken Mother
kim raver playing a brief role in law & order
Appearance in Law & Order Franchise
Law & Order Season 6, Episode 22 (Homesick)
Appearance in Grey’s Anatomy
Season 6 – present
Appeared As
Wendy Karmel
Kim Raver perfectly channeled the devastation of a mother who lost her child but is forced to confront her negligence.
Split Images of SVU characters
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Kim Raver might have been in and out of Grey’s Anatomy, but she absolutely won the fandom with her attractive personality as Teddy Altman. The gorgeous Kim Raver also made a guest appearance in Law & Order, like her many Anatomy colleagues, in a heartbreaking episode involving a minor’s death. Raver played a working mother who prioritized her career and was rarely at home to look after her five-month-old baby.
Raver was exceptional in depicting the frustration and grief of a mother who just lost her child and was also under suspicion of child neglect. Fans can draw many parallels between Teddy and Raver’s character in the procedural drama. However, Teddy may have been many things, but she was never neglectful of her responsibilities.
T.R Knight Is Unrecognizable in Police Procedural
Appearance in Law & Order Franchise
Law & Order: Criminal Intent Season 3, Episode 10 (F.P.S) and SVU Season 13, Episode 4 (Double Strands)
Appearance in Grey’s Anatomy
Season 1 – 6 (guest appearances in Seasons 15 and 17)
Appeared As
Gabriel Thomas and Neil Colby
Knight played completely opposite roles in Law & Order than his soft-spoken and sensitive surgeon in Grey’s Anatomy.
George O’Malley was and is one of the most lovable characters in Grey’s Anatomy. His sensitive and soft-hearted personality was the biggest win in an environment where everyone was ruthless and overly ambitious. It’s safe to say that George was sort of unlucky in his ventures in Seattle Grace as well as the matters of the hearts. So, one might think that his Law & Order roles might have brought something different to the table for him.
However, when the actor appeared in Criminal Intent, he still got the shorter end of the stick by being the sob story of the episode, who later turned into a full-fledged suspect. Knight also appeared in an SVU episode where a DNA sample from a rape victim was matched to his character, and he spent the entire episode proving his innocence.
Greg Germann Appeared in Multiple Episodes
derek strauss as an attorney in a court in law and order svu
Appearance in Law & Order Franchise
Law & Order: SVU Season 14, Episode 17 (Undercover Blue), Season 15, Episode 11 (Amaro’s One Eighty), Season 15, Episode 21 (Post-Mortem Blues), Season 18, Episode 13 (Genes)
Appearance in Grey’s Anatomy
Season 14 – 17
Appeared As
Defense Attorney Derek Strauss
Germann was exceptional and relentless as a prosecutor just like his character in Grey’s Anatomy.
Greg Germann joined Grey’s Anatomy quite later in the series as an attending neurosurgeon at the Catherine Fox Foundation. He had a lucrative career and was also involved in an awkward love triangle with Teddy Altman and Owen Hunt. Germann guest starred in multiple episodes in the original drama’s spin-off seriesLaw & Order: Special Victims Unit as a defense attorney. He appeared in four episodes starting from Season 14 in 2013, where he prosecuted Cassidy in a possible rape case.
Germann stayed true to his arrogant persona from Grey’s Anatomy and portrayed a character that was so good that fans couldn’t help but love to hate him. He was ruthless as a special prosecutor who handles police-related cases and almost obliterated Brian Cassidy on the stand. He even tried to indict Amaro and then Benson as a murder suspect. Despite only being a guest star, Germann’s Straus gave hell to the SVU team.
Isaiah Washington’s Role Intrigued Fans in the Procedural Drama
isaiah washington trying to escape in law and order
Appearance in Law & Order Franchise
Law & Order Season 2, Episode 8 (Out of Control) and Law & Order: Los Angeles Season 1, Episode 19 (Carthay Circle)
Appearance in Grey’s Anatomy
Season 1 – 3
Appeared As
Derek Hardy
Washington is famously known for his role as Preston Burke in Grey’s Anatomy.
Isaiah Washington is a renowned name in the Grey’s Anatomy universe. The actor played the role of the insanely talented Head of Cardio, Dr. Preston Burke, at Seattle Grace Hospital. He was one of the original cast members and would’ve stayed on for a long time if it weren’t for his involvement in a behind-the-scenes controversy. When the actor appeared in Law & Order, he was already a popular personality in the television world. Fortunately, fans got to witness his talents as a complex character in the procedural drama.
Washington played one of the suspects involved in the brutal murder of a woman in Season 2 and then went on to appear in the episode of the spinoff series. Washington played the kind of character that kept the audience wondering whether he did it or not. It’s safe to say that despite it being for a brief time, the actor did justice in representing the complexity of his roles.
Chandra Wilson Gave Fans a Teaser of Her Titular Role in Law & Order
chandra wilson talks to a detective in law and order
Appearance in Law & Order Franchise
Law & Order Season 2, Episode 18 (Cradle to Grave), SVU Season 4, Episode 8 (Waste), Season 7, Episode 3 (911)
Appearance in Grey’s Anatomy
Season 1 – Present
Appeared As
Nurse Jenkins and Serena Price
Chandra Wilson appeared in Law & Order a few times before her titular role as Miranda Bailey.
Raul Esparza and the cast of Law and Order: SVU
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She has been called many names, but that doesn’t change the fact that Miranda Bailey is Grey’s Anatomy’s most dedicated and stealthy surgeon. No one can even come close to her dry humor, sarcasm and mean face, and the fans certainly can’t imagine her as a vulnerable character. However, before she was bullying interns, the actress playing the beloved character made several guest appearances across the Law & Order franchise.
Wilson is barely recognizable as Serena Price in Cradle to Grave as an investigation goes on regarding a baby found frozen to death. Ironically, Wilson came back to star as a guest in 2002 as the smart-mouthed Nurse Jenkins when she gets involved in the case of a woman who was found pregnant despite being in a coma. Her role as the nurse now feels like a brief trailer for what the actress was going to become in the famed medical drama, and fans are glad that Wilson decided to extend the role in Grey’s Anatomy.
Ellen Pompeo Appeared in Different Roles Before Her Grey’s Anatomy Days
Appearance in Law & Order Franchise
Law & Order Season 6, Episode 16 (Savior), Season 10, Episode 15 (Fools For Love)
Appearance in Grey’s Anatomy
Season 1 – 20
Appeared As
Jenna Weber and Laura Kendrick
Before the fans knew her the great Meredith Grey, Ellen Pompeo made surprise appearances in Law & Order.
After more than 18 years, it’s almost impossible for Grey’s Anatomy fans to see actress Ellen Pompeo as someone other than Meredith Grey. It feels like she was born to play the role, and when an actor commits to a character for as long as she did, fans tend to forget their side appearances in other projects. Before she was one of the finest surgeons in television history, Pompeo received her first acting credit in Law & Order Season 6 as Jenna Weber in 1996.
She played the role of a young girl who was accused of murdering her mother and brother. Pompeo diligently played her character as a survivor of a brutal attack, and her exceptional performance landed her another role in 2000 in Season 10. Both the characters she played were very complex and required a lot of convincing since, as the investigation unfolded, she became more of a suspect than a victim. It’s refreshing for the fans to see Pompeo in an attire other than the surgical scrubs.
Richard Webber, Meredith Grey and Miranda Bailey posing on Greys Anatomy TV Show Poster
Grey’s Anatomy
A drama centered on the personal and professional lives of five surgical interns and their supervisors.