It often seems like pretty much every actor on the planet has appeared in the "Law & Order" franchise at some point in their careers. In honor of the 500th episode of the show that started it all, and its connection to Broadway Stages (studio production partner-of-choice), we decided to take a two-part look at some of the stars of current Broadway Stages' productions who appeared on "Law & Order" over the years. In case you missed it, check out Part 1 here.

"Blue Bloods"

We are so proud to have provided studio space for CBS's "Blue Bloods" for 14 amazing seasons. A good deal of the series' regulars appeared on "Law & Order" before its 2010 debut.

Len Cariou has played family patriarch and retired police commissioner Henry Reagan every season of the show. The Tony Award-winning veteran of the stage has had a very long film and television career dating back to the 1960s. Included among his dozens of television credits are appearances on three episodes of "Law & Order." His first appearance was in the 1993 episode "Conduct Unbecoming," which marked the television debut of a young Julianna Margulies.

Another actor who has appeared in every season of "Blue Bloods" is Robert Clohessy, who portrays Lieutenant Sid Gormley. He played nine different characters on "Law & Order," "SVU," and "Criminal Intent" between 1998 and 2013.

Jennifer Esposito played Danny Reagan's original partner Jackie Curatola in the first three seasons of "Blue Bloods." Before that, she played three different characters on episodes of "Law & Order" and "SVU." She first played a college student in the "Law & Order" season seven episode "Good Girl," which aired in October of 1996. She returned a decade later playing an attorney in the season 17 episode "In Vino Veritas." In between those two appearances, she played a reporter in the first season of "SVU." Nearly two decades later, following her stint on "Blue Bloods," she returned to "SVU" in a more prominent role, playing Sgt. Phoebe Baker in four episodes during seasons 20 and 22.

A whole lot of other "Blood Bloods" stars have appeared in the "Law & Order" world, including Will Estes, Dylan Walsh, Callie Thorne, Gregory Jbara, Amy Carlson, Bebe Neuwirth, Abigail Hawk, Nicholas Turturro, and Holt McCallany."The Equalizer"

While Queen Latifah has not appeared in any shows in the "Law & Order" franchise, many other stars of "The Equalizer" played major roles on the original series.

Chris Noth, who had a starring role in the first two seasons of "The Equalizer," led the original cast of "Law & Order" when it began airing in 1990. He portrayed Detective Michael Logan in 111 episodes over the first five seasons and appeared in an additional 36 episodes of "Criminal Intent."

Fans of "The Equalizer" know Lorraine Toussaint as Robyn McCall's Aunt Vi. More than a decade before taking on that role, Toussaint portrayed defense attorney Shambala Green in seven episodes of "Law & Order," beginning in the first season ("Subterranean Homeboy Blues," the same episode featuring Cynthia Nixon) and making a final appearance in season 14.

Other actors from "The Equalizer" who have appeared in episodes of "Law & Order" shows include Adam Goldberg, Liza Lapira, Jennifer Ferrin, Donal Logue, and Dominic Fumusa.

"Evil"

Next let's shift our focus to the cast of the eerie and ominous drama "Evil," streaming on Paramount+. For three seasons, Aasif Mandvi has portrayed Ben Shakir, a technical expert who tries to provide scientific explanations for supernatural occurrences. Mandvi is no stranger to the "Law & Order" universe, having played seven different characters between the original show and three of its spinoffs.

Other cast members who have appeared on "Law & Order" shows include Michael Emerson, Mike Colter, Kurt Fuller, and Christine Lahti, who had a recurring role in seasons 11 and 12 of "SVU" as Executive Assistant District Attorney Sonya Paxton.

"Life & Beth"

Several stars of Hulu's original series "Life & Beth" repeatedly appeared on shows in the "Law & Order" franchise. Before portraying Beth's commitment-phobic ex Matt, Kevin Kane played six characters on six episodes of the original series and "SVU." He appeared in seasons 12 and 16 of the original series before shifting to "SVU" for four episodes that aired between 2008 and 2018. He finally earned a recurring role on "SVU" in 2023, portraying yet another character – Detective Terry Bruno. He has since appeared in more than a dozen episodes.

Other cast members who have appeared in the "Law & Order" world include Susannah Flood, Michael Rapaport, Jon Glaser, and Laura Benanti, who guest-starred on nine episodes of "SVU" as Detective Nick Amaro's wife, Maria Grazie, between 2011 and 2014.

"Godfather of Harlem"

Lastly, let's take a look at some of the stars of the MGM+ drama "Godfather of Harlem."

Giancarlo Esposito currently plays U.S. Representative Adam Clayton Powell Jr. on the series, but seeing as his career spans more than five decades, it is no surprise that he has guest-starred on multiple episodes of "Law & Order." He first appeared in the same season-seven episode "Good Girl" as Jennifer Esposito (no relation). He then portrayed Defense Attorney Rodney Fallon in three episodes of season 14. He also appeared on the short-lived spinoff "Trial by Jury."

Vincent D'Onofrio has played Italian mob boss Vincent "The Chin" Gigante every season of the show, but many television fans associate him more with Detective Robert Goren, the character he portrayed for 10 seasons on "Criminal Intent."

Other cast members who have appeared on shows in the "Law & Order" franchise include Chazz Palminteri, Erik LaRay Harvey, Michael Raymond-James, Kevin Corrigan, Luis Guzmán, Yul Vazquez, and Arthur J. Nascarella.

We hope you have had as much fun as we have taking a look at all the amazing actors who have played a part in “Law & Order.” Broadway Stages is proud to host this series at our facilities, and we look forward to more episodes to come!