Law & Order Franchise 2008 Emmy Submissions

According to a forum on the LA Times web site (link here), listed below are the episode submissions for 2008 Emmy consideration for Law & Order, Law & Order SVU, and Law & Order Criminal Intent. The deadline for all submissions was May 31, and this list was updated through June 3, 2008.

DRAMA SERIES:
Law and Order (episode submission not noted)
Law and Order: Criminal Intent (episode submission not noted)
Law and Order: Special Victims Unit (episode submission not noted)

DRAMA LEAD ACTOR:
Law and Order (Jesse L. Martin - "Burn Card")
Law and Order (Linus Roach - "Darkness")
Law and Order (Jeremy Sisto - "Called Home)
Law and Order: Criminal Intent (Vincent D'Onofrio - "Untethered")
Law and Order: Criminal Intent (Chris Noth - "Senseless")
Law and Order: Special Victims Unit (Christopher Meloni - "Paternity")

DRAMA LEAD ACTRESS:
Law and Order (Alana De La Garza - "Strike!")
Law and Order: Criminal Intent (Kathryn Erbe - "Amends")
Law and Order: Criminal Intent (Alicia Witt - "Senseless")
Law and Order: Special Victims Unit (Mariska Hargitay - "Undercover")

DRAMA SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Law and Order (Sam Waterston - "Illegal")
Law and Order: Criminal Intent (Eric Bogosian - "Senseless")
Law and Order: Special Victims Unit (Richard Belzer - "Unorthodox")
Law and Order: Special Victims Unit (Ice-T - "Fight")
Law and Order: Special Victims Unit (B.D. Wong - "Harm")


DRAMA SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Law and Order (S. Epatha Merkerson - "Bottomless")
Law and Order: Special Victims Unit (Diane Neal - "Impulsive")
Law and Order: Special Victims Unit (Tanara Tunie - "Harm")

DRAMA GUEST ACTOR:
Law and Order (Anthony Anderson - "Burn Card")
Law and Order (Sean Astin - "Angelgrove")
Law and Order (Ron Canada - "Bottomless")
Law and Order (Brad Dourif - "Called Home")
Law and Order (Tom McCarthy - "Darkness")
Law and Order (John Ortiz - "Political Animal")
Law and Order: Criminal Intent (Peter Coyote - "Self-Made")
Law and Order: Criminal Intent (Jesse Garcia - "Senseless")
Law and Order: Criminal Intent (Tony Goldwyn - "Untethered")
Law and Order: Criminal Intent (Steve Guttenberg - "Courtship")
Law and Order: Criminal Intent (Andrew McCarthy - "Offense")
Law and Order: Criminal Intent (Josh Pais - "Lonelyville")
Law and Order: Criminal Intent (Ben Vereen - "Senseless")
Law and Order: Special Victims Unit (Stephen Collins - "Trade")
Law and Order: Special Victims Unit (Matt Davis - "Trade")
Law and Order: Special Victims Unit (Arye Gross - "Blinded")
Law and Order: Special Victims Unit (Jared Harris - "Svengali")
Law and Order: Special Victims Unit (Aidan Quinn - "Savant")
Law and Order: Special Victims Unit (Robin Williams - "Authority")

DRAMA GUEST ACTRESS:
Law and Order (Lara Flynn Boyle - "Submission")
Law and Order (January Jones - "Quit Claim")
Law and Order (Moira Kelly - "Betrayal")
Law and Order (Ally Walker - "Driven")
Law and Order: Criminal Intent (Peri Gilpin - "Offense")
Law and Order: Special Victims Unit (Erika Christensen - "Signature")
Law and Order: Special Victims Unit (Melissa Joan Hart - "Impulsive")
Law and Order: Special Victims Unit (Elizabeth McGovern - "Harm")
Law and Order: Special Victims Unit (Cynthia Nixon - "Alternate")
Law and Order: Special Victims Unit (Rhea Perlman - "Unorthodox")
Law and Order: Special Victims Unit (Adina Porter - "Fight")
Law and Order: Special Victims Unit (Mae Whitman - "Streetwise")

The entire list for all TV shows and all categories can be found here.

Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, here.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

Alana De La Garza...Newly Married?

Mrs.....?

The Orlando Sentinel (Hal Boedecker) is reporting that:

Alana De La Garza, who plays a prosecutor on NBC's "Law & Order," married in Orlando last weekend.

I can't provide many details, though. A source said De La Garza married an Orlando man and that security guards with ear pieces were making sure no photos were taken.

We got this statement from the office of the De La Garza's manager: "She did get married at Cypress Grove Park on Saturday the 31st. Other than that, I have no additional info. She is on her honeymoon and not reachable."

Congratulations to De La Garza and her mystery groom.


I’ll provide further details when – and if – they become available!


Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, here.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

Law&Order’s Sam Waterston in “Q.E.D.”

Since it’s the slow season – not a lot of Law & Order news out there – I thought it was time to dig into the past roles of some of out favorite Law & Order actors.

Of course, first on the list has to be Sam Waterston, who may very well have the largest body of work out there of any of the Law & Order actors, unlike Vincent D’Onofrio who probably just has the largest body.

One role of Sam’s that often goes unnoticed is that of Professor Quentin E. Deverill in the show “Q.E.D.” (the show was also known as “Mastermind”). The adventure series ran for only 6 episodes in 1982. It was set in Edwardian England (prior to World War 1), and Professor Deverill was an American inventor and somewhat of a scientific detective. You know, like Sherlock Holmes but with bushy eyebrows.

The outraged eyebrows... Jack McCoy in training

The show’s name comes from Deverill’s initials, but it also stands for the Latin phrase Quod Erat Demonstrandum, which literally translates to "that which was to have been demonstrated". The initials QED are often noted at the end of a mathematical proof or philosophical argument, signifying the last statement deduced was the one to be demonstrated, making the proof complete.

Behind every great man is...well, you know.

Like his current role of Jack McCoy, Waterston’s Deverill battled criminal plots, in this case of his arch-nemesis Dr. Stefan Kilkiss. Of course, Professor Deverill had help: a lovely secretary, Jenny Martin, a cockney chauffeur and manservant Phipps. and an American reporter called Charlie Andrews.

In the courtroom, even back then

Someone was kind enough to put a 9 minute clip from this hard to find show on YouTube, and I thought that Sam Waterston fans AND Law & Order fans everywhere would enjoy seeing a clip from this rarely seen show. Enjoy!

Sam Waterston in Q.E.D.


Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information,
here.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

Joan Jett Has Role on Criminal Intent

Rocker Joan Jett will be making an appearance on an upcoming episode of Law & Order Criminal Intent, playing a "boss from hell" who is murdered, with her personal assistant the prime suspect. But the New York Post has the real scoop – a picture from the filming of the episode. Here’s the link and the article from the NY Post:
'L&O' TAKES ON LINDA STEIN MURDER
WHO KILLED THE ROCK EXEC?
Post Staff Writer
June 2, 2008 --

'LAW & Order: Criminal Intent" is taking on the case of Linda Stein, the ex-Ramones manager turned realtor to the stars who was murdered last October - complete with some rock star casting.

Here's the first look at rocker Joan Jett playing (or playing dead) a former music-biz bigwig with Chris Noth - as Det. Mike Logan - at the scene. (Noth, who stars in the box-office smash "Sex & the City" movie, is keeping his day job and was working on the "L&O" series last week.)
In the show - as in real life - the dead woman's assistant is the leading suspect in the murder.

The episode is set to air next month on USA network.


Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, here.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

Chris Noth Fundraiser Follow Up

MR. BIG: Sex in the City star Chris Noth kisses his Windsor girlfriend, Tara Wilson,
during the start of a fundraising event at the Art Gallery of Windsor Saturday.
Photograph by : Scott Webster, Windsor Star

The Windsor Star has an article and picture of Chris Noth (Law & Order Criminal Intent) and his girlfired Tara Wilson covering the fundraiser that occurred this weekend that I mentioned here. Here’s the updated story and link:


A hit of New York glitz

Chris Noth and pals turn $175-a-person fundraiser swanky Art Gallery soiree
Craig Pearson and Melissa Dunne, Windsor Star
Published: Monday, June 02, 2008

For one night, it wasn't just Sex and the City. It was sex and THIS city.

The Art Gallery of Windsor erupted Saturday night with a high-octane bash to remember, a Hollywood worthy soiree featuring beautiful people bedecked in suits, sexy sequined cocktail dresses and outrageous shoes.

More importantly, it oozed the all-important IT factor so essential for today's hipdom: Celebrity.

Chris Noth, of Mr. Big fame on Sex and the City -- which, in it's movie version surpassed expectations, hauling in $55.7 million in its first three days, more than even Indiana Jones on the weekend -- led the star-spangled spectacle.

A sprinkling of actors and athletes, including Sopranos star Federico Castellucio, spiced up the Art of Shoes fundraiser for the Drouillard Road-based Spirit of Excellence life and literacy program for disadvantaged youth.

Inside the packed party, the in crowd dined on the likes of beef tips and pecan tarts and boogied to the high-energy stylings of local dance-music act the Bomb Squad.

Outside, star-struck fans got their fix, as well.

While most of Windsor seemed consumed with air races this weekend, Emelia Granado had only one thing on her mind -- Mr. Big.

Granado, a Michigan cashier, came to Windsor Saturday with a male and female friend in tow in the hopes of catching a glimpse of Noth, suave off and on camera.

The Michigan trio waited anxiously outside the AGW, arms filled with SATC merchandise, for the big man to show for the fundraiser put on by Noth's girlfriend, Tara Wilson, a Windsor native.

Noth, along with his striking longtime girlfriend and mother to his newborn son, walked the red carpet outside the gallery.

Decked out in a traditional black suit, white shirt, and black tie emblazoned with a grey floral design, he made sure to stop, pose for pictures and chat with all his fans.

He greeted media, fans, and event guests in his signature baritone voice, exuding all the charm that has made him so popular with SATC viewers.

After showing up fashionably late -- by just over an hour -- Noth did not disappoint.

"Yes, I got to meet him," said Granado, grinning. "He was a a very sweet man, he signed my (The) Perfect Man DVD," she said, referring to the 2005 Hilary Duff vehicle in which Noth played Heather Locklear's love interest. " I definitely will save it and keep it at home."

To mark the opening weekend of the much-anticipated SATC movie, Once Upon a Tea Cup, the Windsor child-friendly tea room that is the brainchild of his girlfriend, held three events in Windsor Saturday.

There was a SATC look-alike contest in the afternoon. Then came three screenings of the movie, hosted by Noth, at the Lakeshore Cinemas. The night was capped off with the Art of Shoes fundraiser at the gallery.

Noth, who also plays Det. Mike Logan on the long-running Law and Order television franchise, was joined by Law and Order castmate Eric Bogosian, as well as some of the cast from the HBO hit show The Sopranos on the red carpet.

The Art of Shoes featured a "shoedelier," a chandelier made out of shoes. There was also a silent auction featuring autographed shoes from SATC star Sarah Jessica Parker, who plays writer Carrie Bradshaw, SATC swag autographed by Noth and a chance to bid on a trip to New York City, complete with a date with Mr. Big himself.

Before entering the $175-per-person fundraiser, Noth said he was thrilled to be in town and was overwhelmed with the enthusiastic fan reaction to the flick.

Film critic reaction has not been quite so positive.

"It's gotten mixed reviews," admitted Noth on the red carpet. "The LA Times gave it a good review, the New York Times a bad review."

"For a film that delights in indulging in frivolity at every possible turn, it examines subjects that most movies don't dare graze for their terrifying seriousness," wrote Chocano in her review. "And when it does, the movie handles them with surprising grace, wit and maturity."

New York Times critic Manohla Dargis was not as kind.

"A little Botox goes a long way in Sex and the City, but a little decent writing would have gone even further," she wrote in her review, adding it's a "dumpy big-screen makeover of that much-adored small-screen delight."

"We only pay attention to the good reviews," joked Noth as he stopped with his girlfriend on the red carpet.

Despite the lukewarm reviews Granado plans on catching the flick soon.

"I'm a big fan, I've seen every episode," said Granado. "I like Kim Catrall (Samantha on SATC). I can relate to her, I'm a lot like her."

Besides, it features Mr. Big.


Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, here.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

SVU Executive Producer Neal Baer On Season 10

Law & Order SVU executive producer Neal Baer talked with Eonline about what’s coming up for Season 10. It has some interesting tidbits about what fans can expect in the new season, and also includes some interesting information about Neal himself. Is Stabler (Chris Meloni) going unstable? Here’s the article:

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Boss Neal Baer Talks Season 10

Earlier this afternoon I hit a Hollywood Radio & Television Society Newsmaker Luncheon Series on health care and medical insurance issues that was keynoted by the exceptional Sally Field and featured three very excellent TV bosses talking about health care issues on and around their shows: ER's John Wells, Scrubs' Bill Lawrence and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit's Dr. Neal Baer.

More from Wells and Lawrence later, but for now I wanted to share the season-10 dish spilled by Baer on his show, which just so happens to the best-rated program on all of NBC, and Baer's take on how a crime show can make a positive impact on the public health.

Secret Humanitarian Agenda: SVU show runner Neal Baer has a real life medical degree and is a licensed pediatrician, so he makes a point to stealthily include medical topics and health education in the show. He told me, "Because I'm a physician, I think medically. So when I came on SVU in 2000, the first thing I did was hire Tamara Tunie and B.D. Wong as doctors: a pathologist and a psychiatrist. It became a much more medically oriented show." (Does anyone else remember the episode where Tunie's character explained on the stand how adolescent alcohol abuse actually Swiss-cheeses your brain? I'm still a little freaked out!)

Topics of Note: The subject of the luncheon was the health care crisis at large (see DividedWeFail.com for more on the topics discussed), but Baer tends to keep the show more specific. He said, "We're doing one this season about HIV deniers. There's a group of people in the country who deny that HIV exists." Wasn't Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss' pediatrician dad Dr. Paul Fleiss involved in something related to that? "I don't believe he's a denier, but he took care of a kid, he didn't know the kid had AIDS, because the mother didn't believe that HIV caused AIDS. So we're always looking for medical topics—[HIV deniers], transplantation awareness, or we did one on a genetic disease called Williams syndrome last year. We're always looking to tie the medicine in with the crime. It does work, because so much of our show is psychological."

Speaking of Psychology: You know how Elliot Stabler hates shrinks? Well, that's gonna be an issue this season, because Baer told me that he's planning something in that area that involves Stabler's character. According to Baer, "[We're working on] a major storyline for Chris Meloni—a mental-health issue—it'll be very big for our show." Does it involve his mental health? "Someone else's." His wife's? Or maybe one of the kids? "Can't say yet." Damn!

Character Shuffle: FWIW, other than the new ADA—whom they have not hired—there are no new characters expected for season 10.

Who Said TV Isn't Educational? Keep tuning in to SVU to have a little knowledge subtly stuffed into your brain. According to Baer, mixing in public-health info with a little whodunit works to get the message across. He said, "We know we have made a huge impact, because we've done studies. We did a study when I was on ER that looked at what people learned from the show. We did a pretest and posttest on human papilloma virus and cervical cancer. Nine percent knew before the showed aired that HPV caused cervical cancer, after the show, 30 percent. And we didn't tell them, 'watch the show to learn that.' "

As Johnny Drama would say...VICTOOORRRY!
Posted by Jennifer Godwin on Thu, May 29, 2008, 7:55 PM


Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, here.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

Chris Noth Big Fundraiser in Canada May 31

Chris Noth is hot property lately, and he’s wisely taking advantage of it. The Windsor Star is reporting that Chris will be in Windsor, Ontario, Canada this weekend for a fundraiser and to kick off the "Sex and the City" movie. Eric Bogosian, who plays Captain Danny Ross on Law & Order Criminal Intent, will be joining Chris at the event, along with a few other stars from other shows. Here’s the full story from The Windsor Star:

Mr. Big returns to Windsor Saturday
The Windsor Star
Published: Thursday, May 29, 2008

Sex and the City leading man Chris Noth is offering Windsorites a chance to rub shoulders with Hollywood stars this weekend. Noth, who plays Mr. Big in the much-anticipated film-adaptation of the popular HBO series, has rounded up a number of fellow actors from popular television series Ugly Betty, the Sopranos and Law and Order to join him at a fundraiser at the Art Gallery of Windsor Saturday to benefit The Spirit of Excellence Inc., an inner-city centre that helps local children develop literacy skills.

Tickets for the fundraiser cost $175, but for $20, you could also see Noth in person as he introduces his movie, Sex and the City at Lakeshore Cinemas.

Here's the gist of the star-studded events happening around Windsor Saturday:

The Art of Shoes
What: Guests are invited to wear their most outrageous shoes for this red-carpet, star-studded fundraiser. The event will include a silent auction with signed celebrity shoes, rare art pieces and Sex and the City memorabilia. Funds raised through the silent auction will benefit The Spirit of Excellence Inc.

Who: Sex and the City star Chris Noth, Ugly Betty and Six Feet Under cast member Illeana Douglas, the Sopranos' Jason Cerbone and Federico Castellucio, Law and Order's Eric Bogosian and Sabrina, The Teenage Witch's Caroline Rhea.

When: 7 p.m. to midnight Saturday, May 31

Where: The Art Gallery of Windsor, 401 Riverside Drive West, Windsor

Tickets: $175 each and can be purchased by calling Once Upon a Tea Cup at 519-735-5177 or visiting its website, http://www.onceuponateacup.ca/.


Watch Sex and the City with Mr. Big
What: Chris Noth, the actor who plays Mr. Big in Sex and the City, will introduce three showings of the movie at Lakeshore Cinemas.

When: 5:30 p.m., 5:45 p.m. and 6 p.m. Saturday, May 31

Where: Lakeshore Cinemas, 164 Lakeshore Blvd., Lakeshore, Ont.

Tickets: Cost $20 each and are available by calling Once Upon a Tea Cup at 519-735-5177 or visiting its website, http://www.onceuponateacup.ca/.

Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, here.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

Chris Noth Talks Criminal Intent, SATC, and More

Noth - as Mike Logan

Chris Noth has been in the news a lot lately. With the premier of the "Sex and the City Movie" this week, and with restart of Criminal Intent in June, the spotlight is on him. Chris has a lot of other things going on, and in this interview, with Black Book Magazine, he talks about Criminal Intent, Sex and the City, The Cutting Room, and just about anything else Chris has his hands in lately.

Enjoy!

The Next Big Thing: Chris Noth and ‘Sex and the City’

Acting, activism, and future plans for SATC's Mr. Big.
By Steven Priggé May 28, 2008

Even among goliath Hollywood blockbusters, Sex and the City is still one of the most anticipated films of the summer. And while Iron Man and Batman try to save the world, Carrie Bradshaw might have an even more difficult feat on her hands -- bagging the commitment-phobic “Mr. Big,” a.k.a. Chris Noth. To Big’s credit, he did man up and do the right thing in the final episode of Sex and the City's television incarnation. He showed up in Paris unannounced, swept Carrie off her feet, and brought her back to her beloved New York and her four best friends. So, where do they all go from here? The worldwide hype for the movie knows no boundaries; iTunes will feature Sex and the City character playlists. “It’s good road trip music,” says Noth of Mr. Big’s picks. After the jump, Noth speaks on Sex and the City, his love of music, humanitarian trips to Cambodia and Vietnam, and his future endeavors.

It’s been four years since the last episode of Sex and the City. Since that time, a lot of positive things have happened in Chris Noth’s life—fatherhood, environmental activism, and a much-heralded return to playing Detective Mike Logan on the widely popular television series Law & Order: Criminal Intent. Noth is quite proud of the show, saying, “The work we’re doing is the best that’s ever been done on Law & Order.” He’s also heavily involved in environmental awareness working closely with the RainForest Action Network. Noth shares their concerns regarding atmospheric changes that are threatening the environment. “It takes major disasters to make people wake up, and we just don’t want that to happen,” says Noth.

There was so much talk about whether the Sex and the City movie would actually happen. What was your reaction when you found out they were really doing it?

I didn’t think it would happen because it sort of fell apart pretty quickly after everyone had the idea that there was going to be a movie. I thought that was it. So, when it came up again, I kind of didn’t pay it much mind until I got the real call from Michael Patrick King. I was always on board to do it because I love working with everybody, and I know if Michael Patrick is going to write it, it’s going to be worth doing.

It seemed like paparazzi and reporters showed up every time you filmed the movie on location in the city. How were they able to protect the storylines?

Whenever we went outside to shoot, there were tons of people. The people watching were taking photographs and trying to figure out the plot. So, every time we walked by we would say something out loud like, “That was a really great dream sequence.” Then, you would see them all desperately scribble down, “It’s a dream ,,, it’s not real.” I thought that was pretty fun.

How was it to reprise your role of Mr. Big, and did you make any adjustments this time around?

I had to consciously try to stay fit more. I am ten years older now. But, I take my cues from the writer. With this project I pretty much trusted what’s on the page and let my instincts take over. Also, my relationship with Sarah is ten years old, and we know who we are and how we work together and we have fun doing it.

They say a leopard never changes its spots. At the end of the day, do you think Big can be faithful to Carrie?

I think that Big has gotten older, and the longer they’ve been together, the more ground they’ve covered together. Carrie and Big have a history and a view of the world that is similar in many more ways than people think. It’s a long distance from the start of that series to where we are with the movie. I think we’re looking at people who are no longer interested in the things they sort of embraced ten years ago. It’s true for most of us here in New York City. I think as you get older, it’s a different city for you.

Sex and the City was essentially about single women in Manhattan in their thirties. I find in a big city atmosphere it’s more common to get married mid to late thirties, whereas in Middle America you’re usually married by twenty-five. Do you think it has to do with more opportunity?

Having a lot of choices can be a good thing and can also be a distraction. But, in cities like New York, people feel they don’t have to settle or want to. Whether that’s good or bad, I don’t know. If you take a look at our parents’ generation, I think the divorce rate is about 50%. So, I think it makes it more difficult to find the one that’s going to last through that. But it makes for a stronger relationship, one that’s probably worth fighting for.

Do you think there is any Big in you or you in Big?

I’m bringing something of me to that part. So, my interpretation of Big is what you see on screen. If someone else played him, it would be a completely different one I would assume.

You’ve also reprised your role of Detective Mike Logan on Law & Order: Criminal Intent. What made you decide to go back to the show?

I made a Law & Order movie called Exiled. I was in the process of making a couple of those a year. However, network television doesn’t really do TV movies anymore. Then, I did a guest appearance on Criminal Intent, and it was not long after that they came to me to do every other episode with Vince [Vincent D’Onofrio]. It was a pretty sweet offer at the time, and I realized it would be difficult, but decided to jump in. I was not that happy the first year, but it has grown into something that I am quite proud of. The last two years for me have been my best Law & Order experiences, including the ones I started out with in 1990. We have been doing really relevant stories that have something to say.

You have been a very busy working actor in New York. In a recent interview, Sarah Jessica Parker said she loves New York because she can just be a normal person—ride the subway, go to the grocery store, etc. Do you feel the same way?

I have been riding the city’s subways since I got here in the late ‘70s. Part of the greatness of being in New York is being part of that massive anonymity and to observe and see so much of life around you. So, you don’t want to be the focus of it. However, being on television or in something as phenomenal as Sex and the City makes you become the focus of a lot of people’s attention. It would never stop me though. There is a way to kind of act invisible. But, if someone does notice you, they are usually going to come up to you. I know that Sarah is as much a New Yorker as I am, and you don’t give up your rights on the street. It’s not worth living in New York if you did.

You own the very popular Cutting Room in Manhattan. Tell me your philosophy behind this restaurant/live music club.

The basic philosophy is that we are just trying to create a home for people who love music. It’s a small live music venue. There’s another room with a jukebox that has all the music my business partner Steve Walter and I grew up with and loved. I think we’ve really brought a needed venue to the city. It’s a place where people can find respite through music. I think music can heal the world, if it’s the right kind.

How do you feel about the current music scene in New York City?

All around, you see little live music joints dying and being bought out and torn down. There’s a tremendous wealth of music out there, but there’s just no platform for them to be heard. We want to reach out to these performers and we also reach out to older acts. We had Donovan play here recently. We’ve also had everyone from Carly Simon to Leon Russell to Ricky Lee Jones. Norah Jones played our place way back in the day before she broke out and became famous. It’s been a fertile ground for great musicians. On our Monday Night Jam, we get some of the best musicians in the city and everyone is welcome to jam or sing with them.

You have been heavily active with the Rainforest Action Network. Tell us about your involvement with this organization.

We raised $10,000 for them the other day at Lord and Taylor. The designer Joseph Abboud was introducing his line at Lord and Taylor and asked me to come, and if I did, they would give $10,000 for Rainforest Action Network. I jump on things like that. We also throw a benefit for them every November. The first benefit Norah Jones played, and Jimmy Webb played the second. Rainforest Action Network is a really dedicated group of activists who demand ethical action from government and big business. It’s changing the way big business works, so that it supports a world that we can all live in. Also, they’re going after governments, including our own. We’ve had a terrible setback with this president. Eight years of going backwards has been disheartening. We may be right at the edge of the cliff where we can’t go back anymore in terms of putting forth a mechanism where the weather will be forever changed. I’m not exaggerating or being dramatic. It’s in the newspapers, and I think everyone knows what’s happening. But, it should be the first thing on everybody’s list because all of these other problems can be solved politically in time. Once you change the basic laws of nature, which we are doing by completely destroying the atmosphere, then you don’t have a place to live or a place to solve problems. You don’t have an earth to stand on anymore. It’s an emergency and should be treated as an emergency. I believe that any small token that people can do, whether it’s planting a tree or recycling or picking up a piece of garbage or joining the Rainforest Action Network. We have 7 billion people in the world. If a billion of those people get active, we can save it for the rest of mankind.

Tell us about your trips to Cambodia and Vietnam and the land mine situation there.

In 2001, singer Nancy Griffith introduced me to the work of the Vietnam Veterans Association. These are the guys who served in Vietnam and came back to Vietnam and built hospitals for land mine victims. These veterans have also taken land mines out of the ground and diffused them. They also build prosthetic devices for kids and teach the people in the villages how to build the devices themselves. It was sort of an organic process of recycling, if you will. In other words, the people who were affected and helped were then taught how to help others. So, it gave them a job. It’s a beautiful organization, and I felt really honored to have watched and observe this in Cambodia and Vietnam. While I was there in Saigon, I accidentally walked into a museum that was showing the work from the book Requiem, which was the work of all the photojournalists who died in Vietnam—people like Larry Burrows, Dicky Chapelle, and Sean Flynn, Errol Flynn’s son. The book was so dramatic and heartbreaking and I went into that world and read a lot about it. I realized that if I ever were going to be anything else, I would have wanted to be a photojournalist in that war, because it was at a time when a photo could change the politics and it did. I have a deal with AMC, and we are going to do eight hours based on these guys because their stories haven’t been told. We’re getting the story together now. That’s my next mountain to climb.

Any other projects you’d like to tell us about?

I have an indie movie coming out called Frame of Mind that Charles Kipps wrote. It’s a thriller about a new piece of evidence that comes up in the John F. Kennedy assassination. I also just got an indie movie called My One and Only starring Renee Zellweger.

I wanted to congratulate you on the recent birth of your son, Orion. How has the adjustment to fatherhood been for you?

When I do an episode, I’m away for two weeks. So, the biggest adjustment is all of a sudden this need to see him and be with him. I have never had that before. I used to love to go away for a job, but now I don’t want to. Kids grow so fast. It’s just having this little person in your consciousness all the time. My big thrill is my son is seeing New York for the first time this weekend, and I can’t wait to take him around. He’s been in California. If we take him to Times Square, his eyes are going to light up.

Do you see Big being a father?

Yeah. I think that’s the next big thing!



Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information,
here.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.