Actors Who Played More Than 1 Role on ‘Law & Order: SVU’ — And Some Who Became Main Cast Members
So many notable names have made guest appearances on Law & Order: SVU over the years — and some even played more than one character.
Peter Scanavino appeared as Johnny Dubcek for two episodes in season 14 in 2013 before nabbing a series regular role as Detective Dominick “Sonny” Carisi Jr. in season 16, which premiered the following year.
As SVU viewers watched Carisi rise in the ranks from detective to an assistant district attorney, he’s become a fan favorite among the cast.
“I’m so grateful and thankful because to me, I’m just me, and the fact that I would have support from people that don’t know me is just — I’m honored and I’m so thankful for them,” Scanavino told Us Weekly exclusively in January 2024 about his SVU supporters.
Keep scrolling to see which other stars played more than one role on SVU:
Peter Scanavino
Scanavino made his SVU debut during season 14 in 2013 as Johnny Dubcek in episodes titled “Secrets Exhumed” and “Monster’s Legacy.” He later returned as Carisi in the season 16 premiere, which aired in 2014.
Kelli Giddish
In 2007, Giddish appeared as Kara Bawson in a season 8 episode of SVU titled “Outsider.” Years later, in 2011, she became a series regular, starring as Detective Amanda Rollins from season 13 to season 24. After departing the role in 2023, Giddish returned as Rollins in a guest-starring role.
Diane Neal
During SVU season 3, Neal played Amelia Chase in one episode titled “Ridicule” that aired in 2001. She returned to the show as ADA Casey Novak in a series regular role from 200 to 2008, seasons 5 through 9, before returning in a recurring capacity years later.
Hayden Panettiere
The actress appeared on SVU twice throughout the show’s run. Her first appearance came in 2001 as Ashley Austin Black in a season 2 episode titled “Abuse.” The second came in 2005 when Panettiere played Angela Agnelli in a season 6 episode titled “Hooked.”
Sarah Hyland
Hyland had two SVU appearances before becoming a star in her own right. She appeared as Lily Ramsey in a 2001 episode titled “Repression,” which acted as the season 3 premiere. During season 10, Hyland played Jennifer Banks in a 2009 episode titled “Hothouse.”
Chandra Wilson
The Grey’s Anatomy star also made two guest-starring appearances in SVU. Her first was as Nurse Jenkins in the 2002 episode “Waste,” airing as part of season 4. She also played Rachel Sorannis in a season 7 episode titled “911,” which aired in 2005.
Sara Ramirez
Ramirez played Mrs. Barrera in the season 2 episode titled “Baby Killer,” which premiered in 2000. They returned as Lisa Perez in a 2002 episode, the season 4 premiere, titled “Chameleon.”
Paul Wesley
Before appearing in The Vampire Diaries, Wesley appeared as Danny Burrell in the season 2 premiere, which aired in 2000. He later played Luke Breslin in a 2005 episode in season 7 titled “Ripped.”
Michael K. Williams
The late Wire alum made his first SVU appearance as Double-D Gamble in the episode “Escape,” which premiered in 2003 as part of season 5. He also played Victor Bodine in “Underbelly,” a 2006 episode in season 8.
Terry Serpico
Serpico actually appeared in four episodes of SVU before taking on the role of Police Chief Tommy McGrath, a recurring role that originated in 2021.
Paget Brewster
The Criminal Minds alum played Sheila Tierney in the “Scheherazade” episode, which aired in 2007 as part of season 8. She later returned as ADA Paula Foster in multiple 2012 episodes.
Aaron Tveit
The Broadway star played Jan Eyck in a 2010 episode titled “Beef,” which aired as part of season 11. He later returned as Stevie Harris in the season 13 episode “Personal Fouls,” which premiered in 2011.
Ann Dowd
Dowd first played Louise Durning in season 2, in a 2001 episode titled “Victims.” The actress went on to play Sally Wilkens in “Soulless,” a season 4 episode that premiered in 2003.
Pablo Schreiber
The actor first played Dan Kozlowski in a season 8 episode titled “Haystack,” which premiered in 2007. He later returned on a recurring basis as William Lewis in various episodes throughout seasons 14 and 15.
Zach Gilford
The Friday Night Lights alum played Kevin Wilcox in the 2005 episode “Contagious,” which was part of season 6. He returned for the season 21 episode “The Burden of Our Choices,” which aired in 2019.
Bradley Whitford
Whitford’s first appearance came in 2014 as Frank Maddox during the season 15 episode “Reasonable Doubt.” He returned during season 24 in 2023 for the “King of the Moon” episode as Pence Humphreys.
Kelly Bishop
She played a registrar in a 2000 episode titled “Slaves” in the show’s first season. Later, Bishop returned as Julia Zimmer in two episodes in 2008 and 2009.
Betty Buckley
Buckley appeared as Attorney Walsh in three 2006 episodes before returning as Trial Division Chief Lorraine Maxwell in a recurring capacity starting in 2021.
Kyle MacLachlan
Initially, he played Dr. Brett Morton in “Conscience,” which aired as part of season 6 in 2004. He returned as Andrew Raines in 2011 for the season 13 episode “Blood Brothers.”
Isiah Whitlock Jr.
In 2001, he starred as Todd Smythe in the season 2 episode titled “Paranoia.” The actor returned as Captain Reece in three episodes from 2012 to 2015.
