Mekhi Feifa is joining Law & Order!
While there’s no word yet on who he’ll be playing, TV Line reports it’s doubly exciting news as he’ll be interacting with several other ER cast members, including playing the new head of the homicide unit Maura Tierney, Jessica Brady.
While there are clear connections between ER and Dick Wolf Entertainment, this isn’t an ER reunion, and for a more important reason, Feiffer has a guest role on Law & Order is good news.
Link between Dick Wolf Entertainment and ER explained
Whether by coincidence or by design, there are many ER alums who have appeared on Dick Wolf’s show.
Most notably, Mariska Hargitay played Olivia Benson on “Law & Order: SVU” after appearing on “ER.”
Hargitay stars in Season 4 of ER as Cynthia Hooper, a hospital desk clerk who is too simple-minded for the job.
She also had an affair with Mark Greene (apparently the ER version, not the idiot from Days of Our Lives.)
Michael Beach is another ER alum who regularly appears on the Dick Wolf show directed by Eriq La Salle.
Plus, new “Chicago Med” showrunner Allen MacDonald writes for “ER,” which helps explain why he was able to take over the medical drama on “Chicago One” so easily.
Mehki Phifer plays Dr. Gregory Pratt on “ER”
Pfeiffer’s appearance is definitely exciting considering his role on ER.
He appeared on the show for several years, playing an initially arrogant intern who grew into a brilliant doctor before dying young in an ambulance explosion.
(BTW, if you’re a “Chicago Med” fan, you might be interested in the fact that, like Med’s Archer, Pratt submitted his resignation letter after being passed over as emergency department chief , and instead chose a young female doctor;
Platt is an interesting character whose story begins during the most traumatic period in the history of the ER—the death of Dr. Green. This allowed Pfeiffer to immediately showcase his acting chops. Given his history, he may also play a major role in Law & Order.
Still, it annoys me that all the discussion seems to be about Mekhi Feiffer being an ER alum, as if his reunion with the ER cast is the only thing that matters about his cameo things.
Mekhi Phifer is a great actor and should not be viewed in just one role
I have to admit, I knew very little about Meggie Feiffer before I learned about her guest appearance on Law & Order.
Unfortunately, all I know is that he played an unpopular and obnoxious character in Torchwood: Miracle Day, the BBC’s attempt to Americanize Torchwood.
I’d love to forget Pfeiffer’s character in Torchwood, who spent ten episodes insisting that everyone was lying about Jack Harkness being immortal, only to accidentally end up with the same at the end superpowers, so the two of them are stuck together forever.
nausea.
But just as it’s ridiculous that I’m mad at Feiffer on “Law & Order” because I hate the character on “Torchwood,” it’s also stupid for people to be excited just because he’s reuniting with an “ER” alum .
It’s an interesting coincidence that so many ER stars have popped up on Dick Wolf’s shows, especially Law & Order.
However, Mekhi Phifer has played so many other characters that it’s not cool to just link him to one character he played nearly 20 years ago.
Mekhi Phifer has played a variety of characters, so he could be almost anyone on Law & Order
The cool thing about Pfeiffer joining “Law & Order” as a guest star is that he has the acting chops to play almost any role.
He’s no stranger to crime dramas or Dick Wolf shows, which is definitely a bonus.
Pfeiffer plays a gang member in “Homicide: Life on the Street” who starts a war by stealing a gun and, in one of the show’s most pivotal episodes, opens fire on his squad room while being arrested. Four years later, he played a doctor in “ER.”
He also had roles in Chicago P.D. and New York Undercover, and as mentioned before, he crossed over into science fiction with Torchwood.
With so many characters it’s hard to guess who he’ll be playing this time around, but I hope he plays a defense attorney.
Defense attorneys tend to become recurring characters, so if Mekhi Feiffer plays one, he could return to Law & Order in the future, maybe even semi-regularly.
This will help me forget about his Torchwood appearance and give this talented actor more work to do.
The defense attorney also tends to irritate prosecutors and police, so he’ll have a lot of graphic, dramatic scenes involving multiple actors, which can be fun.
Law & Order is trustworthy and will give Pfeiffer a valuable role
It’s also annoying to focus on Pfeiffer being another ER alum, because it doesn’t matter who’s on the show if the writing isn’t strong.
Casting Pfeiffer wasn’t just a gimmick to get the cast of “ER” to work together.
No matter what role he plays, he is the best actor.
The good news is that Law & Order generally doesn’t lend itself to gimmick-based writing.
While there are some stale moments, long-running police procedurals often tell powerful stories, often with moral dilemmas.
Therefore, it’s safe to believe that the show chose him for a reason, and that whatever role he plays will be talked about for a long time.
Still, his role in ER and his other roles prepared him well for this moment. “ER” was one of the first TV series to feature the gritty, realistic storylines that were the bread and butter of “Law & Order.”
Plus, Pfeiffer reportedly orchestrated his character’s brilliant death scene as he prepared to leave ER, so he clearly has good dramatic instincts and clout to exercise some control over the type of character he plays.
Over to you, Law & Order fanatics.
Are you excited about Mekhi Phifer’s upcoming guest appearance on Law & Order? Who would you like him to play?
Hit the comments with your thoughts.
“Law & Order” airs Thursdays at 8/7c on NBC. It will return with all new episodes on January 16, 2025.
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