Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: The Unofficial Companion (28 page)
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Authors: Susan Green,Randee Dawn
BOOK: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: The Unofficial Companion
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Diane Neal (ADA Casey Novak)
Just the FactsAbout Neal:
Though she ended up staying with
SVU
for more than 100 episodes—making her the franchise’s longest-lasting ADA—Diane Neal was a relative newcomer to the acting business when she first signed up with the show. The Virginia-born, Colorado-raised actress studied medicine, archaeology, ice skating, and modeling before turning to acting. A few guest roles on shows like
Ed
and
The American Embassy
, plus a slew of B-movies attracted the attention of the
Law & Order
universe with a guest role in “Ridicule,” a 2001
SVU
episode.
Though she ended up staying with
SVU
for more than 100 episodes—making her the franchise’s longest-lasting ADA—Diane Neal was a relative newcomer to the acting business when she first signed up with the show. The Virginia-born, Colorado-raised actress studied medicine, archaeology, ice skating, and modeling before turning to acting. A few guest roles on shows like
Ed
and
The American Embassy
, plus a slew of B-movies attracted the attention of the
Law & Order
universe with a guest role in “Ridicule,” a 2001
SVU
episode.
“My experience was limited, so I had no idea whether or not I’d performed well in the audition, but I was lucky enough to get the part,” she explains in an email interview. “I never thought it could lead to anything else, especially within the franchise.” Surprise—not long after the guest role, Neal was hired as ADA Casey Novak, the show’s second full-time ADA, replacing Stephanie March.
Her departure at the end of season nine came suddenly for viewers; an article in
TV Guide
(April 28, 2008) reported that Neal told crew she had been fired, which Neal denied having said. According to showrunner Neal Baer, “The character had run its course. It was not a reflection on her ability as an actor in any way, shape, or form. But going into a tenth year it was time to bring on a new character who could create some conflict, and any time you bring on a new character it causes you to tell stories in a new way. Also, she’s a great comedienne and she wanted to spread her wings, try new things before she got so identified with the part that it would be hard to try other things.”
TV Guide
(April 28, 2008) reported that Neal told crew she had been fired, which Neal denied having said. According to showrunner Neal Baer, “The character had run its course. It was not a reflection on her ability as an actor in any way, shape, or form. But going into a tenth year it was time to bring on a new character who could create some conflict, and any time you bring on a new character it causes you to tell stories in a new way. Also, she’s a great comedienne and she wanted to spread her wings, try new things before she got so identified with the part that it would be hard to try other things.”
Neal declined to answer questions about her departure for this book.
About Novak:
Formerly with a white collar crime unit, Casey Novak is not happy when she’s transferred to Special Victims cases—though the unit grows on her. She de-stresses by hitting baseballs, and rides her bike to work. She has a mentor in Ret. Judge Mary Conway Clark, for whom she used to intern. “She was a tomboy with a very working-class background,” recalls Neal. “I always thought of Novak as the kind of broad who never wore heels unless she had to—I always walked like I was uncomfortable in heels, therefore so did Novak—and she probably bought her only suit the day she had her first interview out of law school. She was single-minded in the pursuit of justice and was never influenced by self-protection, promotion, or what others thought. You can truly admire a lady like that.” In her final episode, she was on the verge of being disbarred.
The Rest of the StoryFormerly with a white collar crime unit, Casey Novak is not happy when she’s transferred to Special Victims cases—though the unit grows on her. She de-stresses by hitting baseballs, and rides her bike to work. She has a mentor in Ret. Judge Mary Conway Clark, for whom she used to intern. “She was a tomboy with a very working-class background,” recalls Neal. “I always thought of Novak as the kind of broad who never wore heels unless she had to—I always walked like I was uncomfortable in heels, therefore so did Novak—and she probably bought her only suit the day she had her first interview out of law school. She was single-minded in the pursuit of justice and was never influenced by self-protection, promotion, or what others thought. You can truly admire a lady like that.” In her final episode, she was on the verge of being disbarred.
Diane Neal knows exactly what she wore to her casting session for Casey Novak: Her favorite red Dolce & Gabbana suit “from Loehmann’s, on sale” and “a really uncomfortable pair of shoes. When I left the room I had no sense of whether or not they liked me, I just knew I had to walk across town to another audition in those terrible heels!”
A few weeks later, she got the call, and reports she was “on cloud nine. A great show, in the city I lived in—what could be better?”
Naturally, the
SVU
schedule was a bear to wrestle with, but Neal says being young and not having responsibilities such as children meant it was less of an issue. “The only difficult part was not knowing much of my schedule in advance. I like to be a lady of my word, but when you belong to an organization with demands on your time, you end up canceling a lot of dates/events/dinners that you would have loved to attend.”
SVU
schedule was a bear to wrestle with, but Neal says being young and not having responsibilities such as children meant it was less of an issue. “The only difficult part was not knowing much of my schedule in advance. I like to be a lady of my word, but when you belong to an organization with demands on your time, you end up canceling a lot of dates/events/dinners that you would have loved to attend.”
So is she a fan of the show? Hard to say. Neal hadn’t watched
SVU
before her guest role on the show, but admits she “started watching intermittently” after that. “I loved the cast and the stories, but typically I watched—and still do—more shows like (Fox’s)
Family Guy
. You know, something a little funnier than crime and punishment.”
Michaela McManus (ADA Kim Greylek, 2008-09)SVU
before her guest role on the show, but admits she “started watching intermittently” after that. “I loved the cast and the stories, but typically I watched—and still do—more shows like (Fox’s)
Family Guy
. You know, something a little funnier than crime and punishment.”
Originally From:
Rhode Island
Rhode Island
Selected Other Credits:
(Film)
The Beautiful Lie
(2006); (TV)
One Tree Hill
(Lindsey Strauss, 2008)
(Film)
The Beautiful Lie
(2006); (TV)
One Tree Hill
(Lindsey Strauss, 2008)
Michaela McManus (ADA Kim Greylek)
Just the FactsAbout McManus:
Some actors cope with minimum-wage jobs for years before their big break; Michaela McManus’ golden opportunity came while she was still in a New York University graduate program for acting. McManus—who says she grew up with a stage-actress mom she says “instilled the love of theater in me”—was approached by an agent after a student film she was in won an award, and ultimately left school to pursue acting. She’d just made up her mind to move permanently from New York to L.A. when The CW’s
One Tree Hill
hired her, and that—in essence—is her pre-
SVU
career history.
Some actors cope with minimum-wage jobs for years before their big break; Michaela McManus’ golden opportunity came while she was still in a New York University graduate program for acting. McManus—who says she grew up with a stage-actress mom she says “instilled the love of theater in me”—was approached by an agent after a student film she was in won an award, and ultimately left school to pursue acting. She’d just made up her mind to move permanently from New York to L.A. when The CW’s
One Tree Hill
hired her, and that—in essence—is her pre-
SVU
career history.
About Greylek:
According to McManus, Greylek was nearly “Polly Sturges,” but that seems to be a bullet her character dodged. Notes showrunner Neal Baer, “I named Casey Novak (Diane Neal) after Kim Novak. And our new ADA (Michaela McManus) is Kim Greylek. Kim for Kim Novak and Greylek for the character she plays in (the 1955 film)
5 Against the House
.” Speaking in character, McManus says: “I’m a young hotshot Washington, D.C. up-and-comer, married to a lobbyist, and in D.C. I’ve been dealing with the policy making side of sex crimes—like legislation to protect victims. But there’s been a rift with my husband, and we’ve separated. I really want to make a difference, so I move to New York and work for SVU.” Fortunately, Greylek appears to have had no issue passing the notoriously difficult New York State bar, simplifying her early-career crisis.
The Rest of the StoryAccording to McManus, Greylek was nearly “Polly Sturges,” but that seems to be a bullet her character dodged. Notes showrunner Neal Baer, “I named Casey Novak (Diane Neal) after Kim Novak. And our new ADA (Michaela McManus) is Kim Greylek. Kim for Kim Novak and Greylek for the character she plays in (the 1955 film)
5 Against the House
.” Speaking in character, McManus says: “I’m a young hotshot Washington, D.C. up-and-comer, married to a lobbyist, and in D.C. I’ve been dealing with the policy making side of sex crimes—like legislation to protect victims. But there’s been a rift with my husband, and we’ve separated. I really want to make a difference, so I move to New York and work for SVU.” Fortunately, Greylek appears to have had no issue passing the notoriously difficult New York State bar, simplifying her early-career crisis.
To provide a little perspective, McManus was just getting her driver’s license when
SVU
originally debuted. The age issue came up in her audition, as well—she was twenty-four in her audition and twenty-five when she got the job—after her first tryout she was informed she was too young for the role. But she still got a screen test invite. “You can imagine my surprise,” she says, recalling how she was now up against eight other applicants. “So I went in, and honestly I think that helped me—thinking I was too young, they wouldn’t pick me anyway—so I had fun, and I played. Normally in an audition you’re in a big boardroom with a bunch of executives, but in this case they put us on the set with cameras and everything. We did a bunch of different takes, so I was able to play and have fun.”
SVU
originally debuted. The age issue came up in her audition, as well—she was twenty-four in her audition and twenty-five when she got the job—after her first tryout she was informed she was too young for the role. But she still got a screen test invite. “You can imagine my surprise,” she says, recalling how she was now up against eight other applicants. “So I went in, and honestly I think that helped me—thinking I was too young, they wouldn’t pick me anyway—so I had fun, and I played. Normally in an audition you’re in a big boardroom with a bunch of executives, but in this case they put us on the set with cameras and everything. We did a bunch of different takes, so I was able to play and have fun.”
And she knew what she was getting into, having been a longtime
SVU
fan. “It’s my favorite (of the Law & Orders),” she says. “You can hop into it at any point, you don’t have to follow characters’ stories. So I was well aware of the content.”
SVU
fan. “It’s my favorite (of the Law & Orders),” she says. “You can hop into it at any point, you don’t have to follow characters’ stories. So I was well aware of the content.”
She’s in a role that will require her to sound like an expert, while letting legalese roll off her tongue. “Playing a lawyer, there’s a whole education I don’t have. It’s really tricky. This character has a lot of brain power and her vocabulary is different than mine,” says McManus. “There’s a lot of research to do, and it never really seems like it’s going to end.”
Still, she has the cast and crew, who have been welcoming and helpful, she says. “I adore the hair and makeup crew!” she laughs. “They’re the sweetest. I know I’m still learning and getting comfortable. But every new script is another puzzle piece in trying to figure out who my character is.”
Who that character is seems very agreeable to McManus: “It’s so great to play a woman who’s strong and independent and fighting for these victims,” she says. “She’s fighting to put the bad guys away. What a role to sink your teeth into—I’m just thrilled. It’s hard, but bring it on.”
Unfortunately, after spending just about half of the season at
SVU
, McManus—and Greylek—vanished from the show (details, no doubt, will be forthcoming later), replaced on a temporary basis by Stephanie March, reprising her ADA Alexandra Cabot role. Of the departure, showrunner Neal Baer would say only, “She’s moved on. Sometimes the part and the actor just don’t mesh. It was a mutual decision.”
PROSECUTION EXPERTSSVU
, McManus—and Greylek—vanished from the show (details, no doubt, will be forthcoming later), replaced on a temporary basis by Stephanie March, reprising her ADA Alexandra Cabot role. Of the departure, showrunner Neal Baer would say only, “She’s moved on. Sometimes the part and the actor just don’t mesh. It was a mutual decision.”
Tamara Tunie (Dr. Melinda Warner, 2000−Present)
Originally From:
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
Other Wolf Films Associations: Law & Order: Trial By Jury
(Dr. Melinda Warner, “Day,” 2005);
Feds
(Martha Kershan, “Missing Pieces,” 1997);
Law & Order
(Caroline Bennett, “Deadbeat,” 1996)
(Dr. Melinda Warner, “Day,” 2005);
Feds
(Martha Kershan, “Missing Pieces,” 1997);
Law & Order
(Caroline Bennett, “Deadbeat,” 1996)
Selected Other Credits:
(Film)
Eve’s Bayou
(Narrator, 1997),
Wall Street
(Carolyn, 1987); (TV)
24
(Alberta Green, 2002);
As the World Turns
(Jessica Griffin, 1987−2007);
NYPD Blue
(Lillian Fancy, 1994−97); (Broadway)
Spring Awakening
(producer, 2006)
(Film)
Eve’s Bayou
(Narrator, 1997),
Wall Street
(Carolyn, 1987); (TV)
24
(Alberta Green, 2002);
As the World Turns
(Jessica Griffin, 1987−2007);
NYPD Blue
(Lillian Fancy, 1994−97); (Broadway)
Spring Awakening
(producer, 2006)
Upcoming Project:
(Film)
See You in September
(director)
(Film)
See You in September
(director)
Tamara Tunie (Dr. Melinda Warner)
Just the FactsAbout Tunie:
Early on, Tamara Tunie found a great part for herself and stuck with it, as attorney Jessica Griffin on
As the World Turns
. She created the role in 1986, left in 1995 and then returned to in 2000—finally departing for good in 2007. Along came
SVU
in 2000 with a one-shot, possibly recurring role as the medical examiner.
Early on, Tamara Tunie found a great part for herself and stuck with it, as attorney Jessica Griffin on
As the World Turns
. She created the role in 1986, left in 1995 and then returned to in 2000—finally departing for good in 2007. Along came
SVU
in 2000 with a one-shot, possibly recurring role as the medical examiner.
Little did she realize that it would finally outlast her daytime job and ultimately make her a regular cast member. Nor did she abandon her multi-tasking along the way: Tunie has produced such Broadway shows as
Julius Caesar
,
Radio Golf
, and
Spring Awakening
, the latter of which earned her Tony and Drama Desk Awards in 2007. Now, with
See You in September
, she’s able to add “director” to her résumé; as this book goes to print the feature—about a group of therapy patients who band together when their therapist go on vacation during the month of August—has no distributor, but she’s ever hopeful.
Julius Caesar
,
Radio Golf
, and
Spring Awakening
, the latter of which earned her Tony and Drama Desk Awards in 2007. Now, with
See You in September
, she’s able to add “director” to her résumé; as this book goes to print the feature—about a group of therapy patients who band together when their therapist go on vacation during the month of August—has no distributor, but she’s ever hopeful.
About Warner:
The first and only thing Tunie knew about the character she was to play was that her name was Melinda. Over the years, more has come out—her last name, of course, plus the fact that she was married with a child, once worked in a methadone clinic, served two tours of duty in the Air Force during Operation Desert Storm (she was stationed at Germany’s Ramstein Air Base), and once lived in Paris. Says Tunie, “She’s incredibly smart. Professional and caring. Level-headed and keeps her cool. Which probably sounds like every character on the show!”
The Rest of the StoryThe first and only thing Tunie knew about the character she was to play was that her name was Melinda. Over the years, more has come out—her last name, of course, plus the fact that she was married with a child, once worked in a methadone clinic, served two tours of duty in the Air Force during Operation Desert Storm (she was stationed at Germany’s Ramstein Air Base), and once lived in Paris. Says Tunie, “She’s incredibly smart. Professional and caring. Level-headed and keeps her cool. Which probably sounds like every character on the show!”
There’s just something about Tamara Tunie that works on Dick Wolf-created shows. Tunie appeared on
New York Undercover
, the Mother Ship and
Feds
, and after signing on at
SVU
she even ended up on an episode of the short-lived
Law & Order: Trial By Jury
. So when her agent alerted her that
SVU
would be hiring a medical examiner, Tunie was initially irked by being asked to audition—she had a previous engagement. “I said to my agent, I’ve done (nearly) every Dick Wolf show that’s aired on television. Either they want me to do it or not, but I can’t get there. She called me back the next day and said, ‘You should be your own agent, because you got the job.’”
New York Undercover
, the Mother Ship and
Feds
, and after signing on at
SVU
she even ended up on an episode of the short-lived
Law & Order: Trial By Jury
. So when her agent alerted her that
SVU
would be hiring a medical examiner, Tunie was initially irked by being asked to audition—she had a previous engagement. “I said to my agent, I’ve done (nearly) every Dick Wolf show that’s aired on television. Either they want me to do it or not, but I can’t get there. She called me back the next day and said, ‘You should be your own agent, because you got the job.’”
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