Though many may be familiar with Sarah Hyland’s performance as Jennifer Banks in Law & Order: SVU, she actually played four different roles in the Law & Order universe. Created by executive producer Dick Wolf, Law & Order shows a fictionalized depiction of the American criminal justice system. The franchise consists of the original show and several spinoff series. One of the most common elements of the franchise is the inclusion of up-and-coming actors as guest stars.
Many Law & Order guest stars went on to have major roles later in their acting career, including Sarah Hyland. Though Hyland started acting at the age of seven, she’s best known for her role as Haley Dunphy in Modern Family. The majority of Hyland’s roles fall into the category of comedy or rom-com; however, her performances in the Law & Order universe prove that she’s capable of playing serious, dramatic roles.
Lily Ramsey in Law & Order: SVU
Sarah Hyland’s first performance in the Law & Order universe took place in SVU, season 3, episode 1, “Repression.” In this episode of SVU, she plays a girl named Lily Ramsey, a girl whose sister Megan accuses her dad of sexually molesting all the kids in the family. Though Lily is only in the episode for approximately three minutes, Hyland’s performance is memorable. When she says the line, “My dad loves me,” it displays the confusion that a child like Lily would feel in this situation.
Though Hyland was ten years old at the time of the episode’s release on NBC, she perfectly replicated the behavior of a seven-year-old child. Lily is curious and hesitant about the conversation, but she couldn’t pay full attention for more than a few seconds without turning back to her coloring. The actress also brought an air of innocence and sincerity to the episode, hinting at the fact that the father didn’t commit the accused acts. Lastly, Lily and Detective Benson’s interaction re-emphasizes the patience and care that the Law & Order main characters have for potential young victims of violent crimes.
Kristine McLean In Law & Order
Sarah Hyland is credited as playing Kristine McLean in Law & Order Season 15, Episode 2, “The Dead Wives Club.” However, little is known about the role because she does not appear in the released version of the episode; her scene was seemingly deleted in post-production. Based on the character’s name and the storyline of the McLeans in this episode, it’s likely she was intended to be the child of Donna and Ed McLean. Given the fact that Collette’s twins were mentioned, it seems unlikely Kristine McLean would be their sibling and not get mentioned.
Brianne Colby In Law & Order: Trial By Jury
Though the spinoff show Law & Order: Trial By Jury only lasted one season, it marks Sarah Hyland’s third role in the Law & Order franchise, displaying her acting abilities. In Law & Order: Trial By Jury, episode 3, “Vigilante,” Hyland plays a child named Brianne Colby who gets approached by a child predator, after which her father gets accused of killing the man. During the judicial process, Brianne Colby must testify on the stand about the interaction. Though Hyland was only fourteen at the time of this performance, it’s one of her best due to her excellent use of inflection and body movement.
While on the stand, Brianne Colby tries to keep herself composed, but her face displays a complex mix of nervousness, fear, and sorrow. When she cries and says, “he scared me,” it pulls at the heartstrings. Her mannerisms change throughout the scene with her tensing her muscles, shaking her head slightly, and shifting her body. Though these elements are relatively small and imperceptible, they propel Hyland’s performance from good to great in Law & Order: Trial By Jury.
Jennifer Banks in Law & Order: SVU
In Law & Order: SVU, season 10, episode 12, “Hothouse,” Sarah Hyland plays prep school student Jennifer Banks, one of the suspects in the murder of her roommate Elsa Lychkoff. Jennifer was jealous of Elsa’s success as a student, with the latter always having higher grades. After Jennifer is taken into an interrogation room, she suffers medication and sleep deprivation-induced psychosis. During her breakdown, she confesses to following Elsa, fighting with her, and pushing her into the river. The confession scene made Jennifer Banks Hyland’s best-known role in the Law & Order universe, and it’s easy to see why it’s also considered her best dramatic acting.
During the Law & Order: SVU confession scene, Hyland uses pressured speech and constant movement to hint at Jennifer’s psychotic state, a fact that Detective Benson only discovers later in the episode. Jennifer’s agitation increases with every second, culminating in the climax where she hits the metal screen on the window repeatedly as she talks about slamming Elsa’s head into the railing. The scene up to this point already displays Hyland’s incredible acting abilities, but her small laugh a second later really pushes the performance to another level.
In the episode’s first courtroom scene, Jennifer taps her finger on the desk and can’t stay looking in one direction for very long. She has an erratic outburst where she shouts, pulls her hair, and stands up on the table. Hyland’s performance is so compelling that it sucks the viewer in. When Detective Benson talks to her in the jail cell, Jennifer becomes more sympathetic, showing signs of a stimulant use disorder. Hyland encapsulates the desperation and instability of a person going through non-medically managed withdrawal – a difficult feat for any actor. It’s no surprise that this Law & Order performance gained notoriety years after the episode aired.
