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Law & Order: SVU is giving out of work Broadway actors a place to go amid shutdowns during the pandemic.

Showrunner Warren Leight revealed that the primetime series is casting more and more Broadway stars to fill roles in their upcoming episodes, via Deadline.

“We are trying to hire every Broadway actor we can while we and they wait for the curtains to rise again,” he replied to a fan who had noticed that two of the upcoming guest stars – Eva Noblezada and Alex Brightman – would be joining the show in guest spots.

“We know how hard the community has been hit here,” Warren added while speaking to Deadline. “The goal is to get as many jobs to as many theater actors as we possibly can.”

All of Broadway’s shows, cast and crew have been majorly impacted by the pandemic, with the shutdown extended until the end of May this year.

With Law & Order, casting a Broadway actor means a paycheck and health insurance coverage, and could result in a longer role than just a one day part.

“In the past we’ve done what you could call Hollywood stunt casting,” Warren added. “But a lot of those players aren’t going to be willing to get on a plane and quarantine right now. We realized early on that we’ll have to cast locally much more.”

Law & Order: SVU airs Thursdays on NBC.

Ice-T is opening up about his hit NBC series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

During a new interview, the 62-year-old actor explained why he thinks his show has stayed on the air for so long.

“[Law & Order has] tried to be as fair as it can possibly be,” Ice-T shared with Page Six. “You have got the black gang bangers, but you have also got the black judge, you’ve got the black attorney.”

Ice-T has portrayed NYPD Detective/Sergeant Odafin Tutuola for 20 seasons. The show has been on air for 21 seasons, since 2000.

Ice-T also did admit that SVU also tends to “romanticize” the job of a cop.

“I am wearing Gucci,” Ice-T added. “Mariska [Hargitay] is wearing designer clothes. Cops can’t afford to do that, so in a way we romanticize that job when it’s not that romantic.”

If you missed it, Law & Order showrunner Warren Leight said the show will address the George Floyd protests and police brutality in the upcoming 22nd season.

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is planning to mirror real-life events in its upcoming season.

The long-running series will address what’s happening now amid global protests denouncing systemic racism and police brutality following the murder of George Floyd.

PHOTOS: Check out the latest pics of Mariska Hartigay

Showrunner Warren Leight said the NBC drama will not only tackle real-life issues, but also how law enforcement and the criminal justice system is portrayed on television.

“There are ways, we will find our way in to tell the story. Presumably our cops will still be trying to do the right thing but it’s going to be harder for them and they’re going to understand why it’s hard for them,” Warren said on THR’s TV Top 5 podcast.

“Change will start taking place on TV shows individually. There will be lip service paid,” he said, adding that he’s been making changes to the SVU writers’ room in “a conscious effort to bring in new voices, fresh voices, different voices.”

He also said they’ve “tried really hard in the last year to show how class and race affect the outcomes of justice in society, but I’m beginning to suspect ‘really hard’ wasn’t enough. This has to be a moment where people make themselves uncomfortable, where people in power have to make themselves uncomfortable.”

As for cop portrayal, he said he “can’t make every episode about a bad cop.” However, “Olivia makes mistakes…but she’s empathic, which is I think what separates the cops on our television show from a lot of what we’re seeing these days on our livestreams…I’ve been made uncomfortable by a number of shows that glorify the use of violence in interrogation or the use of threat.”

It will also address the ongoing pandemic: “We’re going to reflect New York in the pandemic. What happens to someone who is sexually assaulted during the height of the coronavirus outbreak.”

Here’s who’s returning for Season 22…

Elliot Stabler will be popping up on the season opener of Law & Order: SVU.

Showrunner Warren Leight shared on the behind-the-scenes podcast for the long-running series that Christopher Meloni would be part of the premiere episode.

“It’s pretty clear that Elliot will be in the SVU season opener. I think that much I know,” he shared while talking about the future of the series.

Warren added that at this time it would just be Elliot: “Whether we’ll get to see his family as well remains to be seen.”

It’s unknown when filming for season 22 would take place given the shutdown because of coronavirus concerns.

It was announced in March that Chris would be returning to the network in an Elliot Stabler spinoff. Get all the details here!

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is coming back for another season – and making history while doing so.

The long-running hit series was renewed for a 21st season by NBC as of Friday (March 29), extending past its 20-season record previously shared with Law & Order (the original series) and Gunsmoke.

The Simpsons is the only show that has run longer on television to date.

Law & Order: SVU is a spinoff that premiered in 1999 and stars Mariska Hargitay

“We tip our cap to Dick Wolf, Mariska Hargitay and the amazing cast and crew of SVU, who now all go into the record book. This incredible run is an example of what happens when producers, writers and actors all come together and create a show that, year after year, speaks to its audience in a powerful way. We couldn’t be more proud of this remarkable achievement,” said NBC execs Paul Telegdy and George Cheeks in a statement.

Mariska‘s character, Lt. Olivia Benson, is now the longest-running female character in a primetime live-action series.

“I’m deeply proud to be a part of this groundbreaking show, and humbled to make television history today. The longevity and continued success of SVU is a testament not only to the show’s powerful storytelling and ability to connect with viewers, but to its necessity. We have told important stories for 20 years, and we will continue to tell them,” Mariska said.

Robin Williams locks arms with the gorgeous Mariska Hargitay as they film scenes for Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (SVU) in New York City on Saturday.

In the NBC crime drama, Williams, 56, will play an engineer whose life has gone terribly wrong and who faces serious repercussions. The show filmed in Bryant Park and Grand Central–and it looks like they had some sort of pillow fight with feathers flying everywhere!

“We are thrilled that one of the most talented and versatile actors around will be starring in this powerful and complex special 200th episode,” executive producer Neal Baer said. “We can’t imagine anyone else doing this role.”

The SVU episode with Williams, titled “Authority,” is scheduled to air April 29.

Also pictured: Richard Belzer

20+ pictures inside of Robin Williams‘ cameo on Law & Order: SVU…More Here! »