Law & Order: Trial by Jury
NBC (ended 2005)
Cast & Crew
EDIT
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Bebe Neuwirth
A.D.A. Tracey Kibre
New Jersey native Bebe Neuwirth is a dancer by trade, having been trained in the craft since the age of five. On 1976 she graduated from Princeton High School in Princeton, NJ. Then, in 1976 she went to the The Juilliard School and got a Major in dance. Married Paul Dorman in 1984 and then got divorce. She won two Tony awards, one for her role as Nicki in the 1987 revival of Sweet Charity in and for her role as Velma Kelly in the 1997 Ann Reinking revival of Chicago, and has been nominated for many other awards. She is 5'4" tall. Perhaps best known as the stern intellectual psychologist Lilith from the TV series Cheers. Bebe is a trained dancer. She made her Broadway debut understudying the lead role of Cassie, in A Chorus Line. She then took over the other female lead Sheila (which she reprised in Los Angeles.) This was followed by a stint in Bob Fosse's Dancin'. Followed by a chorus role in a revival of Little Me starring James Coco. She was selected by Fosse for the key role of Nickie (and was Debbie Allen's understudy) in the 1986 revival of Sweet Charity. This garnered her her first Tony award. After the end of Cheers, she returned to Broadway to star in the revival of Damn Yankees. (She should have won another Tony for this but wasn't even nominated! Her performance of What Lola Wants was incredible.) While in Los Angeles, she and Anne Reinking teamed up to do a revival of Chicago in Long Beach. This production eventually evolved to the Broadway production that is still running. She won her second Tony. She returned to the show in December 2006 but in the role of Roxie instead of Velma.moreless -
Jerry Orbach
D.A. Investigator Lennie Briscoe (Episodes 1-2)
On Broadway, Orbach starred in hit musicals including "Carnival," "Promises, Promises" (for which he won a Tony Award), "Chicago" and "42nd Street."
Earlier, he was in the original cast of the off-off-Broadway hit "The Fantasticks," playing the narrator. The show went on to run for more than 40 years.
Lights on Broadway marquees were expected to be dimmed for one minute at curtain time Wednesday night in Orbach's memory.
Among his film appearances were roles in "Dirty Dancing," "Prince of the City" and "Crimes and Misdemeanors." In the animated feature "Beauty and the Beast," he voiced the role of the candlestick, and got to sing a key song, "Be Our Guest."
Orbach is expected to appear in early episodes of "Law & Order: Trial by Jury," for which he continued as Briscoe in a secondary role, when the show premieres later this season, Davis said.
"I'm immensely saddened by the passing of not only a friend and colleague, but a legendary figure of 20th century show business," said Dick Wolf, creator and executive producer of the "Law & Order" series, in a statement. "He was one of the most honored performers of his generation. His loss is irreplaceable."
With his hang-dog face and loose-limbed gait, Orbach was adept at playing the street-smart tough guy, but could also hoof and carry a tune. And not only was he a beloved star, he also personified New York's well-worn but implacable edge. A lifelong New Yorker, he inhabited and embodied the Big Apple like few other actors.
Former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani called Orbach "a friend to all New Yorkers" and "a devoted ambassador of the city."
Born in the Bronx in 1935, Orbach was the son of a vaudeville-performer father and a radio-singer mother. He started his acting career in school plays, then attended Northwestern University's prestigious drama school, though he couldn't swing the money to finish. In 1955, he returned to New York to hit the stage.
In a 2000 interview with the Associated Press, Orbach remembered those days fondly. Money was tight, even with his early successes: In 1960 he was earning just $45 a week in "The Fantasticks," but "even married, with a son, we lived all right."
He then began an association with producer David Merrick, appearing in three of Merrick's biggest musical successes, starting in 1961 with "Carnival!", in which he played an embittered puppeteer opposite Anna Maria Alberghetti's winsome Lili.
Orbach won a Tony for his performance in Merrick's "Promises, Promises," the Neil Simon-Burt Bacharach-Hal David musical based on the film "The Apartment." In the show, Orbach played Chuck Baxter, the role originated in the movie by Jack Lemmon.
Yet his biggest hit for Merrick was "42nd Street," which opened on Broadway in 1980 and ran for more than 3,400 performances. In the show, which is based on the c Warner Bros. backstage movie musical, Orbach played hard-boiled producer Julian Marsh, who brings the young hoofer out of the chorus to replace the show's ailing star.
Orbach also was in the original production of "Chicago" in 1975, which also starred Gwen Verdon and Chita Rivera. He played Billy Flynn, the role Richard Gere inherited in the 2002 film.
"It was gift to work with him," recalled actress Brenda Smiley, who co-starred with Orbach in the Off-Broadway stage hit "Scuba Duba," a dark comedy by Bruce Jay Friedman, in 1967-68. "He was a master at that kind of performing and he made it so easy for everyone else."
From early, obscure films like "Cop Hater" and "Mad Dog Coll," Orbach rose to appearances in Woody Allen's "Crimes and Misdemeanors" and the 1981 crime drama "Prince of the City," in a cop role that presaged his "Law & Order" character.
In 1987-88, he starred in the series "The Law and Harry McGraw," a spinoff featuring a character he created in "Murder, She Wrote." It flopped, but five years later he struck gold, following Paul Sorvino as a detective in Manhattan's 27th Precinct.moreless -
Amy Carlson
A.D.A. Kelly Gaffney
On July 7, 1969, Amy Lynn Carlson was born in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. Amy is one of four children and she has two sisters Betsy and Lori as well a brother Joe. Her parents are teachers and used to teach at the American schools around the world, one time being in Amman, Jordan, when Amy was thirteen years old. Her mother Barbara used to own a music store as well at which she taught piano. Amy has been to every state in the United States, except Alaska, and aspires to travel throughout the Far-East and Africa. Amy attended Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois, where she graduated cum laude with a B.F.A. in East Asian history and a concentration in Theater in 1990. Amy was a Rep. Term VII participant. Every three years the Knox College Theater department presents Rep. Term (Repertory Theater Term), during which students take on all aspects of a Professional Repertory Theater company. She first became interested in acting in grade school, as her mother used to direct the school plays. Amy would miss her mother during rehearsals, so decided to get into it as well to be near her mom. It was a little later on in life at which she was "bit by the acting bug". Her first big role that she took on and moved to the big apple for (beginning in December of 1993), was to play "Josie Watts" on the now defunct daytime drama series (after thirty-five years of being on the air), "Another World" (NBC). She portrayed "Josie" for four years, and upon her departure, she was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award in the category of "Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Daytime Drama Series". Carlson currently resides in New York City with her boyfriend Sid Butler, who is bassist of the band, "Les Savy Fav" as well as her her two cats, Delia and Remidy and her dog, Tyler. This is an original biography created by: Brittney Bing. All rights reserved, copying and/or changing is strichtly prohibited To get permission, contact Brittney through email at: babzeez@yahoo.com. As for anyone who copys this piece without permission, you will be notified of your consequencemoreless -
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Fred Dalton Thompson
D.A. Arthur Branch
Fred Thompson is a notable character actor in movies and television. He has also served as a United States Senator, a congressional staff attorney and an assistant federal prosecutor. He entered the race for the 2008 Republican nomination for the office of President of the United States although his campaign was unsuccessful. Senator Thompson is a native of Tennessee. After earning his bachelor's degree from Memphis State University in 1964, he entered law school at Vanderbilt University. He became a member of the Tennessee bar in 1967. After serving as an assistant federal prosecutor (Assistant United States Attorney), he served as Minority Counsel (Republican) for the Senate Watergate Committee that investigated the Nixon Watergate scandal. In 1977, he worked on a Tennessee parole board case that led to the forced resignation of Tennessee governor Ray Blanton due to allegations that Blanton had sold pardons. The case would lead to the start of Thompson's acting career. Peter Maas' book Marie covered the parole board scandal. In 1985, Roger Donaldson was hired to direct the movie based on the book. He consulted with Thompson about how best to portray the events of the case. When Donaldson asked who should portray Thompson in the movie, Thompson suggested that he play himself. Donaldson agreed and Thompson received his first acting role. Thompson went on to become a recognizable character actor, usually portraying authority figures with integrity and the desire to do the right thing. One of his most famous roles was Rear Admiral Joshua Painter in the 1990 movie The Hunt for Red October, based on the Tom Clancy Cold War novel. He parlayed his Hollywood fame into a successful campaign for the U.S. Senate. He represented his home state of Tennessee between December 1994 and January 2003 as a member of the Republican party. During his time in the Senate, he gained further notice as the chairman of the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs. In this role, he played an important part in the investigation of President Bill Clinton and the eventual impeachment proceedings. Despite political pressure to push hard for a conviction on the impeachment charges, Thompson was considered to have run the Senate investigation in a fair and even-handed manner. National Republican Party leaders believed Senator Thompson had a realistic chance at winning the Presidency. However, he did not run in the 2000 election despite his widespread name recognition and extensive experience in law and government. Instead, he returned to acting again, taking on the role of District Attorney Arthur Branch in the long-running NBC police and courtroom series Law & Order. He was a rare actor portraying a district attorney in that he had actually served as a (federal) prosecutor and he had been elected to a prominent political office in real life. Moreover, he was as widely known in real-life political circles as his character was on the show. He was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2004 although he did not reveal the disease until April 2007. His treatment was successful and the cancer went into remission. On September 5, 2007, Senator Thompson announced on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno that he was officially a candidate for the Republican nomination for the office of President of the United States. He entered the race much later than his rivals did. He was never able to generate enough excitement and momentum. His campaign did not fare well in the early Republican primaries and he eventually ended his run for the Republican nomination, which Senator John McCain went onto win. Thompson remains an influential political figure. He is a member of the prestigious Council on Foreign Relations. He has also served as a visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, the notable conservative think tank in Washington, D.C., where he researched national security and intelligence matters with a focus on North Korea, Russia and China.moreless -
Seth Gilliam
A.D.A. Terence Wright
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Steve Zirnkilton
Opening Narration
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Rita Moreno
Mildred Quintana
Rita Moreno, originally named Rosita Dolores Alverio, was born on December 11, 1931. She's best know for her performance in HBO's drama series "Oz," which got her many fans between the new generation. What many people don't know, Rita had an amazing career before "Oz." She struggeled to become an actress after moving away from her father with her mother. Rita was a dancer, singer and an actress. She was the first ever puerto-rican person to suceed in Hollywood, and to win the four major entertainment awards: the Oscar, the Tony, the Grammy, and the Emmy. She is currently married to Lenny Gordon and has 1 child.moreless -
Wendell Pierce
Dr. Richard Link
Pierce was born in New Orleans and raised in a neighborhood next to Lake Pontchartrain. His mother was a teacher and his father, a WWII veteran, worked as a maintenance engineer. He attended the New Orleans Centre for Creative Arts high school where he graduated as a Presidential Scholar. Pierce attended the Juilliard School and began appearing in small film roles by 1985. He has made his living as a full time actor since 1985. He continues to work as a stage and TV actor. Pierce is best known to TV audiences as Detective William "Bunk" Moreland in the highly acclaimed series The Wire. Prior to The Wire, he is most recognized from his role in Waiting to Exhale.
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Carolyn McCormick
Dr. Elizabeth Olivet
Carolyn trained at San Francisco's American Conservatory Theater (ACT). She played in her first feature, the interesting science-fiction saga "Enemy Mine" while completing her graduate studies. She joined the company of the ACT for a time thereafter, but TV work picked up when she joined the cast of the detective series, "Spenser: For Hire", during its second season in 1986 to play Rita Fiori, feisty young assistant D.A. and romantic sparring partner for series star Robert Urich. Carolyn subsequently did regional stage work and played a recurring role as Minuet, a computer-generated ideal woman, on the popular science-fiction series, Star Trek: The Next Generation. Occasional feature work, as in "A Simple Twist of Fate", came her way, but Carolyn was primarily seen as intelligent police psychiatrist Elizabeth Olivet, another recurring role, on most of the series episodes of acclaimed "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit " from 1991 to 1997. In the fall of 1997, she moved on to become the unhappy wife of a police psychiatrist played by Robert Pastorelli in the short-lived Americanized version of "Cracker (1997)". Carolyn is married to Byron Jennings; mother of two children.moreless -
S. Epatha Merkerson
Lt. Anita Van Buren
The youngest of five children. Grew up in Michigan. Attended Wayne State University in Detroit. S. Epatha made her Broadway debut as the understudy for Lynne Thigpen in the musical Tintypes. It was ten years later she created the role of Bernice, the no nonsense wife, in August Wilson's Puliter Prize winning play, The Piano Lesson. She received a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Play and a Drama Desk nomination for Best Actress in a Play. It was another 18 years before she would return to Broadway in the revival of Come Back, Little Sheba recreating the role of Lola (which made Shirley Booth a star.) S. Epatha made her television series debut in the Saturday morning show Peewee's Playhouse playing Reba the Mail Lady. It was a guest role in Season One of Law & Order, that led to her being cast as a regular starting in Season Four. This makes Lieutenant Anita Van Buren the show's longest running character.moreless -
Sam Waterston
EADA Jack McCoy
Sam Waterston is widely recognized for his portrayal of Assistant District Attorney Jack McCoy on the long-running NBC series Law & Order. Though he was not a member of the original cast, he quickly became one of the central characters on the series, along with Detective Lennie Briscoe (played by the notable actor Jerry Orbach). To many viewers, Waterston and Orbach represented the show, which is the longest-running crime series in U.S. television history, as of 2008. Waterston played District Attorney Forrest Bedford in the short-lived series I'll Fly Away before he began his long run on Law & Order. Before he focused on his television work, he appeared in dozens of movies. Perhaps his most famous role was journalist Sydney Schanberg in the 1984 film The Killing Fields. The movie focused on Schanberg's reporting during the 1970s conflict in Cambodia and on the efforts of Schanberg's Cambodian colleague, Dith Pran, to escape from the brutal Khmer Rouge. The film was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar and Waterston was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar award. The movie was honored with three Oscar Awards in 1985. He has received multiple Emmy Award nominations for his performances on Law & Order and I'll Fly Away. Waterston has been active with several humanitarian causes, giving both time and money to organizations like Meals on Wheels and The United Way.moreless -
Sam Waterston
Exec ADA Jack McCoy
Sam Waterston is widely recognized for his portrayal of Assistant District Attorney Jack McCoy on the long-running NBC series Law & Order. Though he was not a member of the original cast, he quickly became one of the central characters on the series, along with Detective Lennie Briscoe (played by the notable actor Jerry Orbach). To many viewers, Waterston and Orbach represented the show, which is the longest-running crime series in U.S. television history, as of 2008. Waterston played District Attorney Forrest Bedford in the short-lived series I'll Fly Away before he began his long run on Law & Order. Before he focused on his television work, he appeared in dozens of movies. Perhaps his most famous role was journalist Sydney Schanberg in the 1984 film The Killing Fields. The movie focused on Schanberg's reporting during the 1970s conflict in Cambodia and on the efforts of Schanberg's Cambodian colleague, Dith Pran, to escape from the brutal Khmer Rouge. The film was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar and Waterston was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar award. The movie was honored with three Oscar Awards in 1985. He has received multiple Emmy Award nominations for his performances on Law & Order and I'll Fly Away. Waterston has been active with several humanitarian causes, giving both time and money to organizations like Meals on Wheels and The United Way.moreless -
Carey Lowell
Judge Jamie Ross
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Jeff Perry
Andrew Soin
Jeff Perry is an American character actor who has appeared in many plays and televsion shows. Perry grew up in Highland Park, Illinois, where his father was a teacher at Highland Park High School. In 1974 Jeff Perry, along with Gary Sinise and Terry Kinney, began performing plays informally in a church basement in Highland Park. In 1975, the group incorporated. The Steppenwolf Theatre Company was born. In 1987 he moved to Los Angeles, California and began a career in film and television. His most famous television roles include Harvey Leek on Nash Bridges and Meredith Grey's estranged father, Thatcher Grey, on Grey's Anatomy. He loves the Grateful Dead. He is divorced from Laurie Metcalf. They have one child together, Zoe Perry, born in 1984. Zoe also acts. Jeff Perry is currently married to Grey's Anatomy casting director, Linda Lowy.moreless -
William Sadler
Paul Rice
William began his acting career in New York theaters, appearing in more then 75 productions in just 12 years. His final role was Sgt. Toomey in the Tony winning showBiloxi Blues. He is best remembered for his roles in Die Hard 2 and The Shawshank Redemption. He has starred on many television shows, including Roswell, Roseanne, and Murphy Brown, and such movies-of-the weeks as Gideon Oliver and Charlie and the Great Balloon Chase.moreless -
Richard Belzer
Detective John Munch
Grew up in Connecticut, briefly attended college and after a stint in the Army moved to NYC to begin a career in comedy. His successful stand-up comedy career led to more and more acting roles. Began playing Det. John Munch in 1993 on Homicide: Life on the Street, when Homicide was canceled he began playing the same character on Law & Order: SVU. Although best known for that role he has played in numerous movie and TV roles and is a published author.moreless -
Mariska Hargitay
Detective Olivia Benson
Mariska was born on January 23, 1964 as Mariska Magdolna Hargitay. She was born in Los Angeles, California. Her legendary parents, Jayne Mansfield and Mickey Hargitay brought Mariska up in the world of spot lights and cameras. She is their youngest daughter. Mariska doesn't recall much of her mother due to her early death in a tragic car accident when Mariska was only 3 years old. Though this car accident took the life of her mother, thankfully Mariska, who was in the back seat at the time, survived.
Mariska didn't always dream of being an actress. When she attended High School she was more involved in cheerleading, student government, and sports. She occasionally involved herself in theater. The more involved she became in theater the more she began to realize that she liked it. Eventually she enrolled in UCLA and became a drama student. She claimed notoriety in many different films, television shows and other theatrical performances. In April of 2004 Mariska married Peter Hermann. In June 2006, she and her husband welcomed her first child a son, named August Miklos Friedrich.
After briefly studying theater at UCLA, she landed her first motion picture role as Donna in The Ghoulies (1985). She also appeared in the films Leaving Las Vegas (1995)and in Lake Placid (1999) as Myra Okubo. A made-for-TV movie, Plain Truth (2004) (TV), in which she plays attorney Ellie Harrison, aired in the fall of 2004.
She landed the role of Det. Olivia Benson on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" in 1999, when the "Law & Order" spin-off premiered.
Hargitay also speaks Hungarian, French, Spanish, and Italian. She started the Joyful Heart Foundation in 2004, an organization for survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse. In April 2011 Mariska and her husband Peter Hermann adopted a newborn baby girl they named Amaya Josephinemoreless -
Isabel Glasser
Jean Nevins
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Donald Moffat
Judge Matthew Sherwood
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Debrah Farentino
Danielle Blair
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Larry King
Himself
Larry King is truly the 'king' of newscasters. He has been an accomplished talk show and news show host for many years. Larry has had countless exclusive interviews with secluded people and is often granted access to secluded places. Larry is a star in the media business, and brings newscasting to a whole new level.moreless -
Ron Orbach
Mike Railey
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David Wagner
Roger Dyson
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Scott Cohen
Detective Chris Ravell
Scott was born in New York to Jack and Leatrice Cohen, his father was a Jazz musician which led to Scott learning the piano and early aspirations of becoming a musician.
After jobs as a photographer's assitant, toy demonstrator, waiter, substitute teacher and photographer's assistant Scott joined the Actor's Studio, his first film role was in Adrian Lyne's Jacob's Ladder.
He was married in 1989 to screenwriter Anastasia Traina, they have one son.
Scott will co-star alongside Roy Scheider (in Scheider's final performance) in the upcoming film Iron Cross, a thriller by Joshua Newton. Iron Cross will premiere in early 2010.moreless -
Philip Casnoff
ADA Nick Forster
Official Lifetime Telvision Press Release Bigoraphy: Philip Casnoff was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the setting of Strong Medicine. Philip Casnoff stars as Dr. Robert Jackson, Rittenhouse Hospital's chief of staff, whose primary concern is to keep the integrity of the hospital intact, in LIFETIME Television's hit dramma series "Strong Medicine" Casnoff was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for his performance as Frank Sinatra in the CBS miniseries "Sinatra." His numerous roles in television miniseries include both parts I & II of the critically acclaimed epic "North and South" Danielle Stelle's "Zoya,"George Washington," in which he protrayed Lafayette, "Heaven and Hell," and "Hand of a Stranger." He has also starred in a slate of movies for telvision, including "Journey to Mrs," "Ironclads," "The Red Spider," "Little Girls in Pretty Boxes," and "Defenders, Taking the First." He most recently starred in the HBO series "OZ." He played Nikolai Stanislofsky, ending up murdered while taking a bath by means of electrocution. He was a series regular in the drama "Under Suspicion," he played a recurring role on "Sisters" and has guest-starred on such series as "Chicago Hope" and "The Practice" An accomplished performer who sings and playes the piano, Casnoff has also nejoyed a successful stae career. On Broadway, he starred in such productions as "Shogun the Muscial," "The Devil's Disciple," "Grease," and Trevor Nunn's "Chess," for which he won the 1988 Theater World Award. Off-Broadway, his credits include starring roles in the New York Shakespeare Festival production of "Up Against It," for which he recieved a Drama Desk Award nomination and "The Penny Opera - Mack the Knife" with Bebe Neuwirth.moreless -
George Loros
Salvatore- Maitre D
Whether portraying Raymond Curto in THE SOPRANOS or "Anthony Boy" Gagglio in THE ROCKFORD FILES, George Loros has thrived for the last four decades in television, motion pictures and on the Broadway stage as both actor and director, as one of the most versatile and totally believable actors of our time. His acting knows no boundaries, as he plays every ethnicity on earth, with every temperament imaginable. And he takes great pride in his teaching at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute, influencing many actors and directors, such as Annabella Sciorra. Between his 130+ stage roles, George studied at The Neighborhood Playhouse with Sanford Meisner (1964-66), Lee Strasberg at The Actor's Studio (1966-1980), Harold Clurman (1975) and Michael V. Gazzo (1976-79). He has been extremely successful as a recurring guest star on such television shows as THE ROCKFORD FILES (6), BARETTA (6), KOJAK (5), QUINCY (4), THE INCREDIBLE HULK (3), SPENCER FOR HIRE (2), CHARLIE'S ANGELS (3), CAGNEY AND LACEY (3), THE FALL GUY (2), STARSKY AND HUTCH (3) and 60 others. As an actor on Broadway and in regional theaters, his favorite roles are Hamlet, Macbeth, Tom in THE GLASS MENAGERIE and Dangerfield in THE GINGER MAN. In films, he has worked with Robert DeNiro in THE GANG THAT COULDN'T SHOOT STRAIGHT , Al Pacino in SERPICO and Rod Steiger in W.C AND ME. He has directed such plays as THE PETRIFIED FOREST (2001), THREE SISTERS (1999), THE FRONT PAGE (1992), TWELVE ANGRY MEN (1990), WAITING FOR GODOT (1985), SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME (1980) and many others, on and off Broadway, to critical acclaim. George has conducted workshops and lectured at the Chatauqua Institute, Harvard, Yale, USC, and universities throughout the U.S. and Canada, as well as Amsterdam, Barcelona, Madrid, Milan and Zurich. An intrinsically private man, he has dedicated his life to acting, and sharing it with others.George's intensity and honesty of intention is best expressed in his NEW YORK TIMES interview with Kimbely J. McLarin: "The only way that the student-teacher relationship works in its maximun is if the will of the student to learn equals the will of the teacher to teach. And I have a very strong will to teach."
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Candice Bergen
Judge Amanda Anderlee
Emmy Award winning television and film actress who has enjoyed a sucessful film career but found wider praise and recognition as broadcast journalist Murphy Brown in the show of the same name(1988-98)! Her films include Gandhi, Starting Over(For which she was nominated for an Academy Award in 1979), Soldier Blue, The Group, Rich and Famous and Miss Congeniality! She also has worked as a model and a photo-journalist, and her photos have appeared in Life and Playboy! She was married to Louis Malle, a renowned French Film-maker, who died in 1995 from Lymphoma! Bergen married Real Estate developer Marshall Rose on June 15, 2002! She has one daughter, Chloe(by Malle)! Her father was ventriloquist Edgar Bergen and her mother is Frances Bergen, an actress!moreless -
Jesse L. Martin
Detective Ed Green
Jesse L. Martin was born in Rocky Mount, Virginia. He has four older brothers. His parents were truck driver Jesse Reed Watkins and college counselor Virginia Price. His family called him by his middle name, Lamont, to distinguish him from his father. Jesse's parents divorced while Jesse was a child and he and his brothers took his stepfather's surname. When he was in grade school, the family moved to Buffalo, New York. Jesse was embarrassed of his thick Southern accent and became painfully shy. A concerned teacher encouraged him to join an after-school drama program and cast him as the pastor in The Golden Goose. The act was a hit and Jesse began to come out of his shell. He attended high school at The Buffalo Academy for Visual and Performing Arts. Jesse was voted "Most Talented" in his senior class. For college, he enrolled in the New York University's Tisch School of the Arts Theater Program. While in college, he did bit roles on various soaps to support himself. He never graduated and toured the states with the John Houseman's The Acting Company, starring in various plays. Jesse returned to Manhattan a few years later.
Because he could not yet support himself through acting, Jesse began waiting tables at various restaurants, including the Moondance Diner. He would often burst into song during the dinner rush. He is still friends with many people from those days and keeps in contact.
Jesse made his Broadway debut in Timon of Athens, and then performed in The Government Inspector. Jonathon Larson, who Jesse had worked with at the Moondance Diner, approached him for a role in his new Off-Broadway show, Rent. Jesse played Tom Collins, a gay computer geek, and the show was an instant hit, receiving six Drama Desk Awards, five Obie Awards, four Tony Awards, and the Pulitzer Prize. Jesse started to become famous and landed roles on 413 Hope St. and an independent film Restaurant.
The creator of Ally McBeal saw the Broadway premiere of Rent and remembered Jesse when they needed a new boyfriend for the shows main character. He was cast as Dr. Greg Butters. Many people complained that Ally was dating a black man, but he also developed a huge fan base which led to another role on the X-Files. For a brief period, he returned to Rent to open the London production as Tom Collins. Jesse had auditioned for Law & Order years ago and received a small part. Preferring to wait, he now approached the producers again and was cast Det. Ed Green. He has been there ever since except for a brief hiatus at the end of the 20042005 season while he was filming the movie adaptation of Rent, for which he returned to his role as Tom Collins. Jesse also performed in a 10th Anniversary Benefit for Rent in which the entire original cast returned for one special night.
Jesse lives in New York City, near the Law & Order studio, with his cat, Bob Marley. He does not employ a maid and cleans his own house. He is one of only four actors to play the same character (Det. Ed Green) in all four Law & Order series: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and Law & Order: Trial By Jury. The others are Jerry Orbach (Det. Lennie Briscoe), Fred Dalton Thompson (D.A. Arthur Branch), and Leslie Hendrix (Dr. Elizabeth Rodgers). Jesse is single and he refers to Law and Order as his girlfriend. While many suspect he is gay he has neither affirmed nor denied this. His hobbies include sketching and painting.moreless -
Allan Miller
Judge Ambrose Trillin
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Categories
Drama
Themes
Altruistic Behavior, Behind The Scenes At ____, Cerebral, City Living, Cultural Institutions
