Video showcases history of ‘Law & Order’ celebrity guest stars

There were 456 episodes of “Law & Order,” 298 episodes (so far) of “Law & Order: SVU,” 195 episodes of “Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” and a total of 35 episodes of the franchises’ unsuccessful spinoffs. With a new case in every episode, it’s become a resume staple for nearly every working actor in New York. And that includes celebrities.

Over the franchise’s 22 years on the air, a number of big-name stars have appeared for one-off spots on the show. And we’re not just talking the usual stunt casting, like Khloe Kardashian or Serena Williams. There have been actors who appeared there before they were famous (Rainn Wilson and Edie Falco) and others who didn’t need to appear on “Law & Order” to help their careers, but did it anyway (Jerry Lewis and Julia Roberts, for instance).

While this three-minute supercut doesn’t capture every major guest star the franchise has had, it’s a good sampling. And it’s a chance to see some performers who don’t normally do drama flex their acting chops. (We’re looking at you, Stephen Colbert).

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Join Patrick Kevin Day on Google+ or Twitter. Email: patrick.day@latimes.com

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