You might be asking yourself, who are Kelli Giddish and Danny Pino? “Who are they and why should I care?” In case you’ve been hiding under the covers for the past few days they’re the new stars of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Yes, we know, it sounds insane but it’s true.
Over the past month or so the NBC powerhouse has been turned upside down. First, we learned that long term star Mariska Hargitay’s role would be scaled back half-way through the 13th season, then it was announced that her co-star Chris Meloni wouldn’t be involved at all! With the two main actors fading from the canvas the network and producers had to fill in the gaps — enter Giddish and Pino.
For those you who have no idea who these actors are, allow us to introduce you:
1. They’re no strangers to playing cops: Pino had a long run on the CBS series Cold Case where he played Det. Scotty Valens and worked to solve cases that were long forgotten. Giddish headlined the NBC series Chase, where she played a U.S. Marshal who had an unconventional way of doing things.
2. Giddish got her big break on a soap: Giddish appeared on the daytime series All My Children for two years as Di Henry. She was the half-sister of Dixie Cooney Martin and Del Henry. She came to town pretending to be her dead sister and was eventually written off.
3. Pino starred on a sitcom: Pino wasn’t always such a drama king. The actor’s first television gig was a sitcom called Men, Women, and Dogs. The premise was pretty self-explanatory but it didn’t gel well with fans. It was canceled in 2001 after 13 episodes.
4. Both actors are from the Southern States: These two won’t be the first thespians to learn how to blend in with the tough New York scene. Giddish is a native of Cumming, Georgia, while Pino hails from Miami Florida.
Giddish guest-starred on SVU in the past: Law & Order loves to keep it in the family. Several of their series regulars have appeared on the show as other characters in earlier seasons. Why should Giddish be any different? She starred in a 2007 episode of SVU called “Outsider” and she also popped up on an episode of the sister show Criminal Intent!
Since actions speak louder than words, here are Giddish and Pino doing what they do best.
