18 Oscar Winners & Nominees Who Appeared on ‘Law & Order: SVU’ (PHOTOS)
Whoopi Goldberg
SVU Episode: Season 17, Episode 3
Role: Janette Grayson, a social worker
Oscar nomination(s): Nominated for Best Actress in 1986 for The Color Purple, nominated and won for Best Supporting Actress for Ghost in 1991.
Bradley Cooper
SVU Episode: Season 6, Episode 20
Role: Jason Whitaker, a very shady estate attorney
Oscar nomination(s): Nominated for Best Actor in 2013 for Silver Linings Playbook, nominated for Best Supporting Actor in 2013 for American Hustle, nominated for Best Picture and Best Actor for American Sniper in 2014, nominated for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Actor in 2019 for A Star Is Born.
Alec Baldwin
SVU Episode: Season 15, Episode 18
Role: Jimmy MacArthur, a newspaper reporter
Oscar nomination(s): Nominated for Best Supporting Actor in 2003 for The Cooler.
Viola Davis
SVU Episodes: Seasons 4, 6, 8-10
Role: Defense Attorney Donna Emmett
Oscar nomination(s): Nominated for Best Supporting Actress in 2008 for Doubt, nominated for Best Actress in 2011 for The Help, nominated and won for Best Supporting Actress in 2016 for Fences.
Adam Driver
SVU Episode: Season 13, Episode 11
Role: Jason Roberts, who is caught installing webcams in a girl’s apartment
Oscar nomination(s): Nominated in 2019 for Best Supporting Actor for BlacKkKlansman.
Robin Williams
SVU Episode: Season 9, Episode 17
Role: Merritt Rook
Oscar nomination(s): Nominated for Best Actor in 1988 for Good Morning, Vietnam, nominated for Best Actor in 1990 for Dead Poets Society, nominated for Best Actor in 1992 for The Fisher King, nominated and won for Best Supporting Actor in 1998 for Good Will Hunting.
Marcia Gay Harden
SVU Episodes: Season 7, Episode 6; Season 8, Episode 1; Season 12, Episode 8 and Season 14, Episode 14
Role: Dana Lewis, a former FBI agent
Oscar nomination(s): Nominated and won for Best Supporting Actress in 2000 for her role in Pollock.
Rooney Mara
SVU Episode: Season 7, Episode 20
Role: Jessica DeLay, a teenage murderer
Oscar nomination(s): Nominated for Best Actress in 2011 for The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, nominated for Best Supporting Actress in 2015 for Carol.
J.K. Simmons
SVU Episodes: Season 1, Episode 16 and Season 2, Episodes 1, 2, 4, 6, 17
Role: Dr. Emil Skoda, a psychiatrist
Oscar nomination(s): Nominated and won for Best Supporting Actor in 2014 for Whiplash.
Ellen Burstyn
SVU Episode: Season 10, Episode 3
Role: Det. Elliot Stabler’s mother, Bernadette Stabler
Oscar nomination(s): Nominated for Best Supporting Actress in 1971 for The Last Picture Show, nominated for Best Actress in 1973 for The Exorcist, won for Best Actress in 1974 for Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, nominated for Best Actress in 1980 for Resurrection, nominated for Best Actress in 2000 for Requiem for a Dream.
Patricia Arquette
SVU Episode: Season 14, Episode 9
Role: Jeannie Kerns, a reformed prostitute who becomes an informant
Oscar nomination(s): Nominated and won for Best Supporting Actress in 2015 for Boyhood.
Michael Shannon
SVU Episode: Season 6, Episode 13
Role: Avery Shaw, a suspected killer
Oscar nomination(s): Nominated for Best Supporting Actor in 2009 for Revolutionary Road, nominated for Best Supporting Actor in 2017 for Nocturnal Animals.
Mahershala Ali
SVU Episode: Season 11, Episode 1
Role: Criminal Mark Foster, who causes trouble
Oscar nomination(s): Won for Best Supporting Actor in 2017 for Moonlight, won for Best Supporting Actor in 2019 for Green Book.
Rosie Perez
SVU Episode: Season 11, Episode 5
Role: Eva Banks, mother of a child who’s been molested
Oscar nomination(s): Nominated for Best Supporting Actress in 1993 for Fearless.
Terrence Howard
SVU Episode: Season 12, Episode 21
Role: D.A. Jonah Dekker
Oscar nomination(s): Nominated for Best Actor in 2005 for Hustle & Flow.
Abigail Breslin
SVU Episode: Season 6, Episode 1
Role: Patty Branson
Oscar nomination(s): Nominated for Best Supporting Actress in 2007 for Little Miss Sunshine.
Virginia Madsen
SVU Episode: Season 17, Episode 6
Role: Det. Rollins’ mother, Beth Anne Rollins
Oscar nomination(s): Nominated for Best Supporting Actress in 2004 for Sideways.
Chloë Sevigny
SVU Episode: Season 13, Episode 18
Role: Christine Hartwell, a pathological con-artist
Oscar nomination(s): Nominated for Best Supporting Actress in 2000 for Boys Don’t Cry.
After being on air for over 20 years, it’s no surprise Law & Order: SVU has had its fair share of A-list guest stars. From actors who were just getting their start to veteran stars looking to do television, the NBC drama has featured some of our favorite award-winning celebrities.
Check out the gallery above to see 18 Oscar winners and nominees who have appeared on SVU in the past. Some may surprise you!
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