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8 Famous Movie Actors You Forgot Appeared in Police Procedurals

8 Famous Movie Actors You Forgot Appeared in Police Procedurals
Image credit: NBC, CBS

Some of these procedurals have been on air for so long, they sure did see their fair share of soon-to-be famous movie actors or established A-listers starring in a cameo.

Take, for example, Law & Order franchise: looks like everyone and their mother, from Julia Roberts to Bradley Cooper and Sharon Stone, starred in one of its multiple spinoffs.

1. Bebe Neuwirth in Blue Bloods (Season 4, Episode 4: The Truth About Lying)

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Bebe Neuwirth plays Kelly Peterson, the new Inspector General overseeing Frank Reagan's department. She becomes involved in an incident, when Eddie and Jamie breach protocols while chasing down a suspect , and her scrutiny of Frank's decisions on this case intensifies. Kelly doesn't make the case any easier, as she's quick to question the NYPD's every move. It's a battle of wits and procedure between her and Frank.

2. Robin Williams in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (Season 9, Episode 17: Authority)

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Remember that time when the late, great Robin Williams turned up in SVU? Williams plays Merritt Rook, an audio engineer who manipulates people into committing criminal acts. The episode kicks off with a fast-food worker being coerced into strip-searching a customer. It's crazy how Williams plays a guy who plays mind games. The detectives catch on and try to trace these deception-laced calls. They arrest Rook, but the dude is slippery, even pulling a courtroom stunt to gain his freedom.

3. Alec Baldwin in Law & Order (Season 15, Episode 18: Criminal Stories)

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Here comes Alec Baldwin, starring as a journalist covering the work of SVU. But wait, there's more – there's a plot involving the rape case of a young Muslim woman. Baldwin's character, Jimmy MacArthur, decides to use his inside scoop to manipulate the case for headlines. The detectives have to solve it while also dealing with the journalist who's stirring the pot for his own gains.

4. Whoopi Goldberg in Law & Order: Criminal Intent (Season 5, Episode 20: To the Bone)

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Whoopi Goldberg plays Chesley Watkins, the mother of one of the suspects in a series of vicious home invasions. Watkins is no walk in the park; she's a stern woman who's involved in her son's criminal activities. The detectives are in for a bumpy ride as they try to sift through her complicated family dynamics.

5. Jeremy Irons in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (Season 12, Episode 13: Mask)

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This Oscar-winner plays Cap Jackson, a sex therapist. A woman accuses one of his patients of rape, sending the SVU team into action. But there's a twist: the patient also claims to be raped. This is where Irons shines, juggling the complex emotional states of his patients while under the scrutiny of the law. Throughout the investigation, Cap Jackson goes from being a person of interest to an invaluable asset in solving the case.

6. Bradley Cooper in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (Season 6, Episode 20: Night)

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Before Bradley Cooper was packing theaters, he was here on SVU playing defense attorney Jason Whitaker. Whitaker defends Gabriel Duvall, who's accused of multiple rapes. Whitaker uses every trick in the book to discredit Benson and get his client off. This episode is a cat-and-mouse chase as Cooper's character does his best to outwit the SVU team, raising the question of how far a defense attorney will go to win a case.

7. Julia Roberts in Law & Order (Season 9, Episode 20: Empire)

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Yes, America's sweetheart Julia Roberts made an appearance too! She portrays Katrina Ludlow, a femme fatale who lures a wealthy man into a complicated murder scheme. The detectives are drawn into a world of money, infidelity, and dark secrets. Ludlow tries to play the victim card, but the SVU team are no rookies – they quickly figure out she's not as innocent as she seems.

8. Sharon Stone in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (Season 11, multiple episodes starting with Episode 21: Torch)

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Sharon Stone plays Assistant District Attorney Jo Marlowe. She's a former cop turned prosecutor, so she knows her way around both sides of the law. Stone appears in several episodes, diving into cases that range from sexual assaults to complicated murders. She works closely with the SVU team, but her methods often blur the lines between legal procedure and street justice.