Captain Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) has crossed paths with some seriously iconic faces over the years as Law & Order: Special Victims Unit continues to be a beacon for powerhouse guest stars, and Season 27 just got a little visit from franchise frequent flyer, Nick Sandow.
How to Watch
Watch Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Thursdays at 9/8c on NBC and next day on Peacock.
Season 27 has been in no shortage of twists and turns as Benson and her elite unit tackle whatever heinous case comes their way, leading them to brush shoulders with some scene-stealing SVU guest stars along the way. Some Law & Order guest stars captivate fans so much they return to the franchise in a reimagined role, an honor that Sandow can now say he’s claimed across eight action-packed episodes. Sandow never fails to raise the stakes when he’s in the courtroom, whether that’s as a shady criminal, a fellow law enforcer, or, in the case of SVU‘s “Fidelis ad Mortem,” a mix of both.
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Seasoned Law & Order fans might find Nick Sandow’s D.A. Leo Eikmeier very familiar, and that’s because this is far from his first time brushing paths with Benson and the elite squad. Check out some of Sandow’s Law & Order lore, below:
Why you recognize Law & Order: SVU guest star Nick Sandow
Many know Sandow for his scene-stealing role as prison administrator Joe Caputo in the smash drama series Orange Is the New Black, where he, along with the dynamite cast, garnered three Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble. Some of Sandow’s other recurring television credits include playing Michael Orr alongside Maura Tierney in American Rust and Murray in the Silence of the Lambs spin-off series Clarice.
Sandow has also starred in several big-screen projects, making appearances in films like The Wannabee, The Accidental Husband, and The Unheard. While Sandow boasts a prolific portfolio across film and television, SVU fans may be shocked to learn that Sandow is a Law & Order veteran, previously appearing in the original Law & Order, SVU, and Law & Order: Criminal Intent.
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Season 27’s “Fidelis ad Mortem” wasn’t Sandow’s first rodeo at the 16th Precinct; he made his SVU debut in the 2006 episode “Class” as Doug Kersten, and later returned to guest star again in Season 16’s “Perverted Justice” as a detective.
During his rise to fame in the 1990s, Sandow played three different characters across Season 2, Season 7, and Season 9 of the original Law & Order, showcasing impressive versatility across each appearance. Sandow later made two guest appearances on Law & Order: Criminal Intent, playing Detective Albert Kirkoff in the 2005 episode “Unchained” and A.D.A. Roydell Getty in 2010’s “The Mobster Will See You Now.”
Nick Sandow played a murderous cop on Law & Order: SVU
As his lengthy Law & Order credits prove, Sandow can play everything from cop to criminal, and that captivating range was on full display as he played a two-faced D.A. investigator during his latest SVU guest appearance. After the squad discovered a disturbing cassette tape from an assault that took place 27 years prior, Benson and her detectives launched an investigation that soon led to the dead body of a criminal informant and a horrific cover-up scheme.
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After discovering the assailants were corrupt cops, Benson’s unit soon learned that former narcotics cop-turned-D.A. investigator Leo Eikmeier was the mastermind behind the conspiracy. Leo’s accomplice ratted him out as the rapist from the recording, but Leo’s twisted narrative and many connections in the NYPD led to a tumultuous courtroom showdown.
Luckily, with the help of the very convict Leo arrested 27 years prior during the ill-fated victim’s undercover assignment, the SVU was able to nail Leo for all of the charges against him. After getting away with his horrific acts for nearly three decades, Leo’s reign of terror came to an end.
Watch Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Thursdays at 9/8c on NBC and the next day on Peacock.
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