Just go ahead and put actor Dylan McDermott in the “big fan” category when it comes to being a part of “Law & Order: Organized Crime.”
McDermott, in an April 2021 appearance on “Live with Kelly and Ryan” with hosts Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest, talks about his new show.
“I mean, if you like crime shows?” McDermott asks Ripa.
“I love crime shows,” she replies.
“This is the show to watch because you get to go home with the bad guy,” McDermott says of “Law & Order: Organized Crime.” “That’s me. You get to meet my family. You get to see, you know, the intimate details of who this guy is. So it’s not like a regular ‘Law & Order’ where, you know, you meet the bad guy, they chase him, they get him, and it’s over.”
‘Law & Order: Organized Crime’ Pits McDermott Against Meloni in Their Roles
McDermott plays Richard Wheatley, a son of mobster Manfredi Sinatra, who is now a businessman but leads a second life as a crime boss. His day job? Well, he owns an online pharmaceutical company. That’s a pretty sweet gig for McDermott’s character.
But he’s the bad guy, for sure, because he’s a suspect in the murder of NYPD Detective Elliot Stabler’s wife. Stabler, obviously, is played by Christopher Meloni, who reprises his role from “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” for “Law & Order: Organized Crime.”
McDermott appeared on “The Practice” as Bobby Donnell, a lawyer and head of a legal firm. His role earned him a Golden Globe Award for “Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama.”
“Law & Order: Organized Crime” wrapped up its first season that was just eight episodes in length. It’s coming back, though, after NBC picked it up for a second season that will be 24 episodes. Expect to see Stabler butt heads with Wheatley in the second season, too.
NBC Crime Show’s Star Expresses Happiness Over Having McDermott In Cast
When looking at the show, Meloni and McDermott work off one another pretty well. If you’re going to put McDermott in the “big fan” category for the show, then put Meloni in there about his costar.
Meloni, who still gets connected with “SVU” star Mariska Hargitay over their time on that series, discusses working with McDermott in an interview with GoldDerby.com.
“He and I had quite a few long discussions because we both came out of the same acting technique [Meisner] and we’re of the same years,” Meloni said. “And I have found that when I work with someone who has done the Meisner technique, there’s a shorthand.”
Meloni said using that technique makes working with a similarly-trained actor easier. He added that being involved in “Law & Order: Organized Crime” becomes “a richer experience” while working with McDermott.
“Law & Order” show fans are the big winners, though, with yet another Dick Wolf-created show in the franchise’s arsenal.
