For decades, Law & Order has been one of television’s greatest proving grounds for young actors. With hundreds of episodes and an endless stream of guest roles, the franchise gave future stars a chance to appear on screen long before they became household names. Some played victims, others suspects, witnesses, or even criminals, often in performances that are easy to miss unless you know exactly where to look. Looking back now, it is surprising just how many famous careers passed through the courtroom before reaching Hollywood. Here are fifteen actors who got an early boost from Law & Order.IMDbSamuel L. JacksonYears before becoming one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, Jackson appeared in an early episode of Law & Order as a defense attorney.cnx.cmd.push(function() {cnx({playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530",}).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796");});IMDbAdam DriverBefore Star Wars made him a global name, Driver appeared as a suspect in Law & Order, showing flashes of the screen presence that would define his career.IMDbSarah PaulsonOne of her earliest television roles came on Law & Order, where she played a young woman caught in a difficult criminal investigation.IMDbSebastian StanLong before becoming the Winter Soldier, Stan appeared in Law & Order as a troubled teenager in one of the series’ memorable cases.IMDbZoe SaldañaSaldaña had an early guest appearance on Law & Order before breaking through with films like Pirates of the Caribbean, Avatar, and Guardians of the Galaxy.IMDbIdris ElbaBefore international fame, Elba played a recurring character on Law & Order during the early stages of his American acting career.IMDbJennifer GarnerGarner appeared on the series years before Alias turned her into one of television’s biggest stars.IMDbAmanda SeyfriedAs a teenager, Seyfried made one of her first television appearances on Law & Order before moving into film and becoming an Oscar nominated actress.IMDbTimothée ChalametOne of Chalamet’s earliest acting credits came on Law & Order, where he appeared as a child long before leading major Hollywood productions.IMDbViola DavisDavis appeared in the franchise before winning Academy Awards, delivering the kind of commanding performance that would later define her career.IMDbPhilip Seymour HoffmanBefore becoming one of his generation’s most acclaimed actors, Hoffman appeared in an early episode as a murder suspect.IMDbKerry WashingtonWashington guest starred on Law & Order years before Scandal and her acclaimed film career made her a household name.IMDbJulianna MarguliesOne of Margulies’ earliest television appearances came on Law & Order before her breakout success on ER.IMDbBradley CooperCooper appeared in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit before becoming one of Hollywood’s biggest leading men.IMDbCynthia NixonBefore Sex and the City, Nixon appeared multiple times across the Law & Order franchise, playing different characters in separate episodes.The post 15 Actors You Never Knew Got Their Start on Law and Order appeared first on Den of Geek.