On the 24 (and counting!) seasons of the Dick Wolf-produced series “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” there have been hundreds of incredible guest stars of varying levels of fame. From Cynthia Nixon to John Stamos, Carol Burnett to Martin Short, and Bradley Cooper to Aaron Tveit, the show’s guest stars seem to make up a bottomless pit of stardom. And though there’s no telling what actors—including maybe you—will grace the “SVU” set on future seasons, we can look back and remember the memorable guest star performances of the past. Here are some of the greatest actors to visit the world of “Law & Order: SVU.”
Elizabeth Banks
Actor-director Banks, known for “The Hunger Games,” “Zack and Miri Make a Porno,” and “The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” gave a memorable performance on the third season of “SVU.” On “Sacrifice,” Banks portrays a desperate mother who turns to porn to pay for her daughter’s medical bills.
Bonus guest star: “Saved by the Bell” star Mark-Paul Gosselaar plays Banks’ husband.
Julie Bowen
On the Season 10 episode “Trials,” “Modern Family” star Bowen plays the wife of a man who is discovered to have committed several sexual assaults over the years.
Abigail Breslin
At the age of 9, this Oscar-nominated actor guest starred on the Season 6 premiere, “Birthright,” along with “Back to the Future” mom Lea Thompson. Breslin plays a girl that Thompson’s character is convinced is her daughter.
James Brolin
Brolin guest starred as a famed astronaut on the Season 10 episode “Lunacy.” His character helps the detectives investigate the murder of a fellow astronaut.
Carol Burnett
Giving an incredibly memorable performance, Burnett portrays former dancer Birdie Sulloway on the Season 10 episode “Ballerina.” Burnett is suspected to have killed her husband, and it’s revealed she has a sexual relationship with her “nephew,” Chet.
Bonus guest star: Chet is played by Matthew Lillard of “Scream” and “Scooby-Doo” fame. Zoinks!
Ty Burrell
Bowen’s “Modern Family” husband, Burrell, guest starred on the Season 3 episode “Execution.” Burrell’s character is the attorney of a murder suspect already awaiting his execution on death row.
Ellen Burstyn
Burstyn won an Emmy for her role as Detective Elliot Stabler’s (Christopher Meloni) mother, Bernadette, on the Season 10 episode “Swing.” She delivered a performance equally as chilling as her turn in Darren Aronofsky’s film “Requiem for a Dream.”
Bobby Cannavale
Joining John Ritter on Season 3’s episode “Monogamy” is none other than Bobby Cannavale, who plays a construction worker who had an affair with a married woman. Cannavale has also appeared as different characters on “Law & Order” and “Law & Order: Criminal Intent.”
Sarita Choudhury
On the Season 22 episode “In the Year We All Fell Down,” Choudhury of “Homeland” and “And Just Like That…” fame portrays restaurant owner Vanessa Blake, who takes customers hostage after experiencing multiple losses during the pandemic.
Gary Cole
After “Office Space,” Cole appeared on the fifth season of “SVU” as the father of a college student murdered by his fraternity brothers. On the episode “Brotherhood,” his character represents his son’s killers, believing they didn’t do it.
Bonus guest star: Tennis legend Serena Williams plays a college basketball player.
Bradley Cooper
On the Season 6 episode “Night”—alongside Angela Lansbury and Alfred Molina—Cooper plays a scheming lawyer who represents Molina’s character.
Laverne Cox
“Orange Is the New Black” star Cox appeared on the Season 9 episode “Closet,” as the manager of a gym who works with a murder suspect.
Adam Driver
Before he was Adam Sackler on HBO’s “Girls,” Kylo Ren in the “Star Wars” franchise, and a multi-award nominee, Driver guest starred on the Season 13 episode “Theatre Tricks.” Driver portrayed the obsessive Jason Roberts, a stalker who films an actress’ onstage sexual assault.
Hilary Duff
Even the star of “Lizzie McGuire” and “How I Met Your Father” appeared on “SVU.” On the Season 10 episode “Selfish,” Duff plays an irresponsible young mother who is suspected of killing her baby.
Clea DuVall
DuVall plays Mia Latimer, the wife of an abusive husband, on the Season 10 episode “Persona.” Her character is helped by her neighbor, a woman who’s been harboring her own secrets about her past.
Bonus guest stars: Brenda Blethyn (“Vera”) and Mike Farrell (“M*A*S*H”) play Mia’s neighbors.
Fionnula Flanagan
“The Others” star Flanagan portrays the mother of a wrongfully accused man on the Season 5 episode “Escape.”
Pam Grier
“Jackie Brown” star Grier has appeared on “SVU” twice as attorney Claudia Williams. She can be seen on the Season 4 episodes “Disappearing Acts” and “Pandora.”
Kathy Griffin
Griffin appeared on the Season 11 episode “P.C.,” playing the militant leader of a lesbian rights group who helps detectives in the investigation of the murder of a group member.
Bonus guest star: Sutton Foster plays a group member who is also attacked.
Melissa Joan Hart
Hart appeared on the ninth season of “SVU.” On the episode “Impulsive,” Hart takes on the role of a teacher accused of being involved with one of her students.
Jennifer Love Hewitt
On the Season 12 episode “Behave,” Hewitt plays a victim who has been sexually assaulted by the same man for years. Though terrified, her character cooperates in the investigation and prosecution of her attacker.
Carol Kane
Oscar nominee Kane has been on “SVU” twice as one of Detective John Munch’s (Richard Belzer) ex-wives. Kane can be seen on the Season 10 episode “Zebras,” as well as the Season 15 episode “Wonderland Story.”
Angela Lansbury
Lansbury portrays the mother of a sexual assault suspect (Molina) on the Season 6 episode “Night.”
John Larroquette
On the Season 11 episode “Anchor,” Larroquette plays a high-profile lawyer who represents immigrants being targeted by a serial killer.
Jerry Lewis
Lewis appeared in a memorable role as Munch’s uncle on the Season 8 episode “Uncle.” Lewis’ character suffers from serious psychological issues and has been living on the streets for months.
Kyle MacLachlan
There’s no doubt MacLachlan can play creepy really well. (If you don’t understand why, watch his performances on “Twin Peaks” and “Desperate Housewives.”) In his first appearance on “SVU,” on the Season 6 episode “Conscience,” MacLachlan plays a psychiatrist and the father of a murdered child. MacLachlan also guest starred on the Season 13 episode “Blood Brothers,” portraying a wealthy ambassador with a serious secret.
Marlee Matlin
Oscar winner Matlin has guest starred on “SVU” twice as Dr. Amy Solwey. On the Season 5 episode “Painless,” her character assists people pursuing euthanasia. On the Season 6 episode “Parts,” Amy is found to be involved in a black-market organ ring.
Eric McCormack
On the Season 11 episode “Sugar,” McCormack plays an internet entrepreneur who runs an arrangement-based dating website. McCormack’s character is the main suspect for the murder of a young girl who used his online service.
Rose McGowan
On the Season 12 episode “Bombshell,” McGowan plays a woman suspected of murder who’s also a member of a swingers club.
Anne Meara
Meara of “All My Children” fame is on what is easily one of the most chilling episodes of “SVU.” On the sixth season episode “Scavenger,” Meara plays the mother of a serial killer who sends the detectives on a scavenger hunt all over the city to find his victims. She also guest starred on the Season 14 episode “Dreams Deferred,” with Patricia Arquette playing her daughter.
Debra Messing
On the Season 12 episode “Pursuit,” “Will & Grace” star Messing plays the host of a “To Catch a Predator”–like show who is being stalked by the person she believes kidnapped her sister 25 years earlier.
Alfred Molina
On the episode “Night,” Molina plays a man accused of committing sexual assault. Lansbury stars as his character’s mother.
Bebe Neuwirth
On one of the series’ very first episodes, “...Or Just Look Like One,” Neuwirth plays a business executive who runs a modeling agency. When two underage models are attacked, Neuwirth’s character is questioned by the detectives.
Cynthia Nixon
On the ninth season premiere, “Alternate,” Nixon plays a woman with multiple personalities. Her character develops a scary obsession with Stabler—and things become complicated when her parents are found murdered.
Connor Paolo
Paolo of TV series “Gossip Girl” and “Revenge” plays two separate characters on different episodes of “SVU.” On Season 4’s “Juvenile,” the actor portrays a middle school boy accused of sexually assaulting a woman; and on Season 7’s “Web,” Paolo plays a teenager who runs a child pornography website.
Rhea Perlman
On the Season 9 episode “Unorthodox,” Pearlman has a small part as the lawyer of a young boy who has been sexually assaulted. The episode deals with a culture clash between the Orthodox Jewish community and secular authorities.
Rosie Perez
Perez plays the mother of a boy who was sexually assaulted by his stepfather on Season 11’s “Hardwired.” Wracked by grief and guilt, her character nearly jeopardizes the entire investigation.
Lou Diamond Phillips
On the Season 7 episode “Fault,” Phillips’ character is a serial pedophile who kidnaps two children and has the detectives chasing after him.
Bill Pullman
Pullman guest starred on the Season 9 episode “Closet” about a professional football quarterback who is outed during a murder investigation. Pullman plays a newspaper editor who is dating Benson.
John Ritter
“Three’s Company” star Ritter appeared on the Season 3 episode “Monogamy,” portraying a psychiatrist and the husband of a pregnant woman who was attacked.
Bob Saget
“Full House” star and comedian Saget joined the “SVU” cast for one episode during Season 8. On “Choreographed,” Saget plays the jealous husband of a woman discovered to have had a tracking chip implanted in her.
Zoe Saldana
Before she was a green-hued alien in “Guardians of the Galaxy” and a blue-hued alien in “Avatar,” Saldana was part of the “SVU” guest cast as the daughter of a man wrongfully convicted of murder on Season 5’s “Criminal.”
Fred Savage
Kevin Arnold of “The Wonder Years” grew up—and got scary! On the Season 4 episode “Futility,” Savage is one of the most terrifying guest stars of the “SVU” roster, playing a man accused of sexually assaulting several women in his neighborhood.
Pablo Schreiber
Schreiber portrays one of the most hated characters in the “SVU”-verse: serial rapist and murderer William Lewis on Seasons 14 and 15. Schreiber previously had a minor role on “Haystack” on the show’s eighth season.
George Segal
On the Season 5 episode “Abomination,” “Just Shoot Me!” star Segal plays a bigoted psychologist and the father of a gay man whose partner is found dead. (This episode has one of the best lines in “SVU” history from assistant district attorney Casey Novak, played by Diane Neal. Totally worth the watch!)
Chloë Sevigny
Sevigny portrays a woman who is attacked in her home while on a video call with her husband on the Season 13 episode “Valentine’s Day.” Her character hides information from the detectives, making the case incredibly complicated.
Amanda Seyfried
Before “Mamma Mia!” and “The Dropout,” Seyfried guest starred on “SVU” as a missing teenager found sexually assaulted and beaten on the Season 6 episode “Outcry.” Seyfried’s character recants her statement accusing her attacker, but the detectives continue to investigate.
Charles Shaughnessy
On the Season 8 episode “Recall,” “The Nanny” star Shaughnessy portrays a man suspected of committing several sexual assaults.
Martin Short
Short guest starred on “SVU” on the sixth season episode “Pure.” Short plays a psychic who volunteers to help the detectives when a teenager is kidnapped—but his character isn’t exactly telling the truth about where he gets his information.
Tom Skerritt
Known for his work in movies such as “Alien” and “Top Gun,” and for the series “Picket Fences,” Skerritt appears on the Season 5 episode “Poison.” He plays a judge who has a pattern of wrongfully incarcerating innocent women.
Jaclyn Smith
Smith, one of the original Charlie’s Angels, guest starred on the Season 11 episode “Bedtime.” She plays a woman who was sexually assaulted decades prior, and whose case is reviewed when a copycat surfaces.
Brittany Snow
Snow guest starred on “SVU” on its seventh season. On the episode “Influence,” Snow plays an unstable girl who commits a crime while she’s off her prescribed medication.
Bonus guest stars: Peter Riegert (“Animal House,” “The Mask”) appears as defense attorney Chauncey Zeirko, and Norman Reedus (“The Walking Dead,” “The Boondock Saints”) plays a rock star with strong opinions on psychotherapy.
John Stamos
On the Season 12 episode “Bang,” Stamos plays a man discovered to be a reproductive abuser. His character has over 20 children with different unsuspecting women.
Sharon Stone
During the eleventh season of “SVU,” Stone guest starred on four episodes, playing assistant district attorney Jo Marlowe, who was also Stabler’s former partner.
Lea Thompson
Thompson plays a mother convinced she’s found her kidnapped daughter (Breslin) years later on “Birthright.” Initially, detectives don’t believe her—but her intuition leads to the discovery of an embryo-stealing fertility doctor.
Aaron Tveit
Before “Les Misérables” and “Graceland,” Tveit guest starred on two episodes of “SVU.” Tveit has roles on the Season 11 episode “Beef” as a victim’s boyfriend and on the Season 13 episode “Personal Fouls” as a man who accuses his former coach of sexual assault.
Bonus guest star: “The Wonder Years” patriarch plays Dan Lauria the coach.
Blair Underwood
Underwood delivers a chilling performance as a stalker husband on the Season 8 episode “Burned.” Underwood’s character escalates into violence toward his wife as they get divorced.
James Van Der Beek
Van Der Beek plays an online predator and sperm donor father who tries to have sexual relationships with the children he fathered on the Season 13 episode “Father Dearest.”
Milo Ventimiglia
Appearing on the same episode, “Escape,” as Flanagan, Ventimiglia (“This Is Us,” “Heroes”) plays a young sexual assault victim. The episode gets pretty heated, complete with a hostage situation.
Robin Williams
Williams plays a manipulative man accused of impersonating a police officer and then instructing a fast-food manager to sexually assault an employee. The Season 9 episode, “Authority,” is based on Stanley Milgram’s experiment on obedience to authority.
Rainn Wilson
Before Wilson played Dwight Schrute on “The Office,” he appeared on the “SVU” Season 4 episode “Waste.” The episode follows the case of a comatose woman who is found to be seven weeks pregnant. Wilson plays a janitor in the hospital housing the patient.
Rita Wilson
On the Season 12 episode “Delinquent,” Wilson plays the mother of a teenage predator who accuses Stabler of sexual assault.
Henry Winkler
On the Season 3 episode “Greed,” the “Happy Days” star plays the lying husband of a woman found sexually assaulted and beaten. Eventually, it is discovered that Winkler’s character is not who he says he is.
