SAG Awards pay tribute to iconic TV show where Hollywood's greatest stars began

The 2025 SAG Awards revealed that the majority of Hollywood's greatest stars all kickstarted their careers with a guest appearance in Law & Order.

During the show, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit star Mariska Hargitay paid tribute to the many actors who appeared in the crime series at the start of their careers and imitated the iconic lines at the beginning of each episode, saying: "In the Law & Order universe, the dedicated actors who bring these stories to life are members of an elite squad known as the guest stars. These are their stories."

The special tribute segment showed that Hollywood stars such as Bradley Cooper, Viola Davis, David Harbour and Keke Palmer all appeared in the series before they hit their big break.

"So many amazing actors were guest stars early in their careers in the Law & Order universe: Kerry Washington, Sebastian Stan, Leighton Meester, Adam Driver, Sam Rockwell, Elizabeth Banks, Zoe Saldaña, Pedro Pascal, Tony Hale, Abigail Breslin, Sabrina Carpenter," Mariska, who has played SVU's Olivia Benson since 1999, continued.

Keke Palmer and Colman Domingo, who also guest starred in the show, took to the stage in Los Angeles to introduce the award for outstanding performance by a female actor in a supporting role, but Keke had a game she wanted to play first. "What if we told everyone to take a drink if they’ve ever been an episode of Law & Order?”

The camera panned to show Timothée Chalamet, Elle Fanning, Zoe Saldaña, Leighton Meester and The Bear stars Jeremy Allen White and Liza Colón-Zayas all taking a sip while laughing and nodding at the one thing they all share in common.

As the clip began floating online, fans highlighted that an appearance in Law & Order is a "rite of passage" for actors, with one writing: "That's hilarious! Law & Order has been such a staple in TV history that it's not surprising so many celebs have made guest appearances on the show. It's almost like a rite of passage in Hollywood."

A second put: "Like you’re not a real actor if you haven’t appeared in at least one episode of the Law & Order" and a third chimed in: "Whoever said Law & Order is a rite of passage is telling the truth. Even working as a PA in New York ... you’ll eventually find yourself on a Law & Order set."

Elsewhere in the evening, actress Demi Moore was visibly moved as she accepted the Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role. The 62 year old star opened up about how "so deeply meaningful" the recognition for her role in 'The Substance' was to her.

Reflecting on her journey from when she first joined the prestigious guild back in 1978 at the tender age of 15, Demi expressed her heartfelt gratitude towards her fellow actors for the invaluable lessons they've imparted. Demi beat off competition from Pamela Anderson ('The Last Showgirl'), Cynthia Erivo ('Wicked'), Karla Sofía Gascón, ('Emilia Pérez') and Mikey Madison ('Anora') to take the award.