How Does Law And Order Decide Its Guest Stars And Actors? An Explanation

The Main Cast Of Law & Order Season 23 

• Mehcad Brooks as Detective Jalen Shaw
• Camryn Manheim as Lieutenant Kate Dixon
• Hugh Dancy as Executive ADA Nolan Price
• Odelya Halevi as ADA Samantha Maroun
• Sam Waterston as DA Jack McCoy
• Reid Scott in a yet-to-be-disclosed role

Guest Stars To Appear After Departure

• Tamara Tunie reprising her role as Chief Medical Examiner Melinda Warner in episode 6
• Danny Pino as Former Detective Nick Amaro, also in episode 6
• Dann Florek returning as Former Captain Donald Cragen in episode 6
• Raúl Esparza as Defense Attorney (former Assistant District Attorney) Rafael Barba in episodes 9 and 22
• Donal Logue as Captain Declan Murphy in episode 10

Furthermore, Law & Order: Organized Crime Will Contribute Crossover Stars

• Christopher Meloni as Organized Crime Control Bureau Senior Detective Elliot Stabler
• Danielle Moné Truitt as Sergeant Ayanna Bell
• Ainsley Seiger as Junior Detective Jet Slootmaekers
• Dylan McDermott as Richard Wheatley
• Tamara Taylor as Professor Angela Wheatley
• Nick Creegan as Richard "Richie" Wheatley, Jr.
• Allison Siko as Kathleen Stabler
• Nicky Torchia as Elliot "Eli" Stabler, Jr.
• Jeffrey Scaperrotta as Richard "Dickie" Stabler

• Budget Considerations: High-profile stars like Chris Evans are unlikely for regular episodes due to cost constraints. However, during high-impact periods like sweeps week, bigger names might appear.
• Unique Opportunities: Sometimes, major stars express interest in participating. For instance, Robin Williams approached the show, desiring to work on an episode and reunite with his friend Richard Belzer.
• Personal Connections: In cases like Jerry Lewis's appearance, personal connections play a role. Lewis, recovering from a stroke and seeking a comfortable return to acting, chose to work on "SVU" due to his past support of Belzer’s career.
• Local Talent Pool: The show often sources actors from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, leading to some actors playing different roles in various episodes. This approach is cost-effective and utilizes the rich local talent.
• Collaborative Scheduling: When guest stars are involved in multiple projects, scheduling and cost-sharing arrangements are sometimes made. For example, Dean Winters was wanted by both "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" and "SVU." To manage costs, the shows coordinated their shooting schedules to share his travel expenses.

• Day One: The script arrives, and the casting director, Jonathan Strauss, reviews the characters, deciding on casting needs. Character descriptions are sent to agents.
• Day Two: Pre-screening auditions are held for actors new to the team or those auditioning for different types of roles than before.
• Day Three: The producer session includes the director, executive producer, casting director, and a writer. They audition the actors shortlisted from the pre-screen. If an actor doesn't hear back by this day, they are likely not cast for that episode.
• Day Four: The selects from the producer session are reviewed by the higher creative team. Offers are made once the shooting schedule is confirmed.
• Day Five: Final casting decisions are made. Some roles might be cast slightly later, around day six or seven, depending on the shooting schedule.
• This approach to casting ensures a mix of talent and manages the practicalities of scheduling and budgeting, contributing to the show's dynamic and diverse character portrayals.