You'll Never Guess The First Actor To Be Cast On Law & Order: SVU

Although much of "Law & Order: SVU" ended up being centered around Stabler and Benson, there are (and were) other compelling characters on the show. In fact, when the producers were casting the show, Hargitay and Meloni weren't the first actors booked.

The first actor to be brought onboard for "Law & Order: SVU" was Dann Florek (above), who played Captain Donald Cragen (via E! Online). When he joined "Law & Order: SVU", Cragen was already an existing character within the "Law & Order" universe; Cragen had initiated the role in the original "Law & Order" pilot back in 1988. However, to incorporate more female characters, Cragen was written off the show after three seasons. He was replaced by S. Epatha Merkerson, who portrayed Anita Van Buren. With Merkerson's long tenure at "Law & Order," Anita Van Buren became the longest-running Black character in primetime television, a record that was only broken in 2017 by Ice-T as Detective Odafin Tutuola (via KISS104-FM).

"SVU" provided an opportunity to bring Cragen back into the fold, and he stayed on the show for 15 years. While it's always hard to say goodbye to a beloved television character, Cragen's exit did have a bright side: It allowed Benson to rise in the ranks at SVU, with the detective making her way from sergeant to lieutenant, to eventually becoming a captain herself (via Us Weekly).