Jeremy Sisto: Law & Order's New Detective

Associated Press did a nice piece to introduce Jeremy Sisto, the new addition to Law & Order. He'll be playing a detective named Cyrus Lupo. OK, just how do they think up these wacky names for people? Hmmm, let's check it out:

Cyrus: From Κυρος (Kyros), the Greek form of the Persian name Kûrush, which may mean "far sighted" or may be related to the Persian word khur "sun". The name is sometimes associated with Greek (kyrios) "lord". This was the name of several kings of Persia, including Cyrus the Great, who conquered Babylon. He is famous in the Old Testament for freeing the captive Jews and allowing them to return to Israel.

Lupo: From an Italian nickname meaning "wolf".

Lord Wolf? OK, I get it. Dick Wolf''s vanity is showing.

Anyway, here's the AP article:



"By FRAZIER MOORE, AP Television Writer Wed Dec 26, 4:20 PM ET
NEW YORK - When Jeremy Sisto got his first glimpse of the updated "Law & Order" opening, there he was, in a courthouse setting alongside his castmates, just like so many who had come before him.

Sisto hums a few bars of the "Law & Order" theme, and recalls with a laugh: "There I am, walking with the others. And I thought, `What's HE doing there?!'"

Maybe it was just time. The 33-year-old actor has already played Jesus and Julius Caesar, a high-school hunk who catches Alicia Silverstone's eye in "Clueless," and, recently in "Waitress," Keri Russell's loutish husband.

Last season, he tracked down abductees on the short-lived drama "Kidnapped." And among his most memorable roles: Billy Chenowith, a gifted photographer and tormented manic-depressive on the HBO series "Six Feet Under."

Now he's joining "Law & Order" for its 18th season. He plays Detective Cyrus Lupo, new partner to Detective Ed Green (series veteran Jesse L. Martin).

Also joining up is Linus Roache as Chief Assistant District Attorney Michael Cutter, who succeeds Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston), himself the newly appointed district attorney. Fred Thompson, who for five seasons played District Attorney Arthur Branch, exited last spring to launch a real-life presidential bid. Meanwhile, S. Epatha Merkerson (as Lieutenant Van Buren) and Alana De La Garza (as Assistant District Attorney Connie Rubirosa) remain on duty.

Bottom line: Sisto and Roache become the 23rd and 24th actors to fill the show's six slots for cops and prosecutors.

But "Law & Order" begins another season after surviving a near-death experience last May. It was almost canceled, the victim of a sharp ratings drop. Having won a reprieve, it's now back in the chase to overtake "Gunsmoke" (20 years) as TV's most-enduring prime-time drama. Two episodes air Wednesday at 9 p.m. EST on NBC.

"It's classic `Law & Order,' but it's been reinvigorated," says Sisto, munching a cookie at a favorite coffee hangout in his SoHo neighborhood.

The premise: After four years abroad working undercover intel, Detective Lupo is summoned to New York when his brother is found dead. Lupo joins Green to crack the case.

Unlike many of Sisto's roles, Lupo is a somewhat understated personality. Sisto has a knack for stirring up a thunderstorm in his performances. But not here.

"It's a different kind of acting, this `Law & Order' thing," he explains. "They want two partners who can play off each other well and are fun to watch, but depth of character is not necessary in this job. Too much character gets in the way of the story. This is a very specific gig."

Sisto fell under drama's spell growing up in Chicago, where his mom, an aspiring actress, brought him along to her auditions.

"Then someone would say, `Does your kid want to read for a part?' I did some plays and had a great time."

When he was 16, he landed his first film, the drama "Grand Canyon," playing the teenage son of Kevin Kline and Mary McDonnell.

"That got me a foot in, to come out and have a life in L.A. in this business," Sisto says. "It could very easily not have happened for me. To be an actor takes a lot of courage, but the way I did it takes less courage." He laughs. "I was very lucky."

Since then, he has tackled dozens of roles, roles that often took him to a furious or troubled place. Those are his faves, he says — "the kind of roles where you feel like you've expressed something that's private, and shared sides of yourself that are darker and you're less proud of.

"It's nice," he insists. "It's like having a good cry. Sometimes you NEED a good cry, you know? And if you happen to cry in front of the world, something about that is cleansing: `Here's me at my ugliest, and my weakest and most vulnerable, and it's OK — it happens to all of us.'

"I think it's good to put it out there for the audience," he says. "We've all had moments where we're sitting at a movie or watching a show, and we see it and feel understood for a moment; we feel a little less alone.

"I'm definitely craving some of that right now," he adds with a tight smile. "I'd love it if my character Cyrus Lupo had a breakdown. I tried to get 'em to write that: `Maybe he could freak out!'" Sisto chortles and shakes his head. "It's not gonna happen!

"`Law & Order' is different," he cheerfully concedes. "For the viewer, it's that old friend. It brings up moral questions and the legal aspects of them. It's fun to pretend to be a detective for a little while and go through all the clues. You put it on and you just feel better."

For 18 years and counting. No freaking out allowed."



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Law & Order Locations: The New York County Supreme Courthouse Building

The New York Supreme Court itself is actually in more than one building, all located near Foley Square in New York City. But, one of those buildings stands out to fans of the Law & Order franchise. It’s the ubiquitous New York County Courthouse at 60 Centre Street. I wonder over the years how many times Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston) and his various ADAs have traipsed up and down those stairs, not to mention the occasional fictional defense attorney or criminal.

Here’s a little information about the building. The architect, Guy Lowell, was from Boston, and his original design for the building was round. After a construction delay, it was changed to the current hexagonal design, and in Roman classical style. Construction began in 1919, and the building was opened in 1929.

The stairs leading to the courthouse are 100 feet wide, reaching to Corinthian style columns, above which are the words of George Washington: “The true administration of justice is the firmest pillar of good government" In 1966, the building was designated a national landmark.

Of course, it’s a big landmark for Law & Order fans.

Aerial from Microsoft Virtual Earth

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12 Days Of Christmas – Law & Order Style

Here’s my version of the 12 Days of Christmas, but done with Law & Order in mind. I would like to have them delivered by Sam Waterston, please. He doesn’t have to wait until Christmas.

On the first day of Christmas
My true love gave to me,
Jack McCoy drinking 12 year old scotch.

On the second day of Christmas,
My true love gave to me,
Two “Doink-Doinks”,
And Jack McCoy drinking 12 year old scotch.

On the third day of Christmas,
My true love gave to me,
Three Logan ties,
Two “Doink-Doinks”,
And Jack McCoy drinking 12 year old scotch.

On the fourth day of Christmas,
My true love gave to me,
Four ADAs,
Three Logan ties,
Two “Doink-Doinks”,
And Jack McCoy drinking 12 year old scotch.

On the fifth day of Christmas,
My true love gave to me,
Five guilty pleas,
Four ADAs,
Three Logan ties,
Two “Doink-Doinks”,
And Jack McCoy drinking 12 year old scotch.

On the sixth day of Christmas,
My true love gave to me,
Six won appeals,
Five guilty pleas,
Four ADAs,
Three Logan ties,
Two “Doink-Doinks”,
And Jack McCoy drinking 12 year old scotch.

On the seventh day of Christmas,
My true love gave to me,
Seven judges gaveling,
Six won appeals,
Five guilty pleas,
Four ADAs,
Three Logan ties,
Two “Doink-Doinks”,
And Jack McCoy drinking 12 year old scotch.

On the eighth day of Christmas,
My true love gave to me,
Eight smart detectives,
Seven judges gaveling,
Six won appeals,
Five guilty pleas,
Four ADAs,
Three Logan ties,
Two “Doink-Doinks”,
And Jack McCoy drinking 12 year old scotch.

On the ninth day of Christmas,
My true love gave to me,
Nine short arraignments,
Eight smart detectives,
Seven judges gaveling,
Six won appeals,
Five guilty pleas,
Four ADAs,
Three Logan ties,
Two “Doink-Doinks”,
And Jack McCoy drinking 12 year old scotch.

On the tenth day of Christmas,
My true love gave to me,
Ten Briscoe punch lines,
Nine short arraignments,
Eight smart detectives,
Seven judges gaveling,
Six won appeals,
Five guilty pleas,
Four ADAs,
Three Logan ties,
Two “Doink-Doinks”,
And Jack McCoy drinking 12 year old scotch.

On the eleventh day of Christmas,
My true love gave to me,
Eleven allocutions,
Ten Briscoe punch lines,
Nine short arraignments,
Eight smart detectives,
Seven judges gaveling,
Six won appeals,
Five guilty pleas,
Four ADAs,
Three Logan ties,
Two “Doink-Doinks”,
And Jack McCoy drinking 12 year old scotch.

On the twelfth day of Christmas,
My true love gave to me,
Twelve repeat offenders,
Eleven allocutions,
Ten Briscoe punch lines,
Nine short arraignments,
Eight smart detectives,
Seven judges gaveling,
Six won appeals,
Five guilty pleas,
Four ADAs,
Three Logan ties,
Two “Doink-Doinks”,
And Jack McCoy drinking 12 year old scotch.

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