Diego Peralta
Donna Lynne Champlin has conquered many achievements over the course of her career. The Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Star was ready to take the next step thanks to her role in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Being a part of a popular television comedy before making the transition to a serious drama can be difficult, but Donna Lynne Champlin made it loom really easy when she stepped into the world of the legendary police show.
The character Donna Lynne Champlin played in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit was called Megan Wallace. Awards Radar had the opportunity to interview the actress about what it felt for her to become a part of such an acclaimed series. The performer was eager to talk about the legacy this television show has established for itself in the last few years. Here are some of the highlights from the conversation between Awards Radar and Donna Lynne Champlin:
Awards Radar: You were in the original Law & Order a long time ago.
Donna Lynne Champlin: It’s debatable! Because in the very first Law & Order I did, I played a forensics detective and I got cut (laughs). I made the rookie mistake because I had never been on television before. I had this huge party, and I invited all my friends. I was like: “Here it comes!… I could’ve sworn that’s when (I was supposed to show up)”. It worked out well because I wasn’t actually on air. I was able to get recycled really quickly into another Law & Order that they did keep me on, where I said: “The bodies are over there”. And I nailed it.
AR: The case from the episode you were recently featured in when it comes to Special Victims Unit was very peculiar. It was very flashy. What did you feel when you read it?
DLC: Quite honestly, I was just shocked that my part was so big not gonna lie. When I first read it, I had already accepted the offer. I took the offer before I read the script. Because it’s local and I love the Law & Order family. It was so fast that I thought: “Oh, they must’ve lost somebody really quick. I’m just jumping in and helping them out”. And then, I read the script and I was like “Wait a second!”. I loved how the part was bigger than a normal victim. There’s sort of a formula where, halfway through, the lawyers take over, and it’s less about the victim and more about the case.
The fact that Megan is all up in it was amazing. I was thrilled that they were going for somebody like me, who looks like everybody’s mom or sister. I look like a normal, average, American middle-aged woman. I was so excited they were giving this really, unusually large part to someone who looks like me. I assume (people who look like me) are the majority of their watching demographic. I was thrilled that it wasn’t something like: “Oh, she’s a model and a brain surgeon and she was attacked on 42nd Street”.
My third thought, as a member of the Broadway community, was “I’m really sorry, you guys!” (laughs). Because we’re constantly battling this false narrative for tourists to come and see our shows. “New York is dangerous and you’re going to get attacked!”. The numbers aren’t that at all. Here I am, someone from the Broadway community playing a tourist who came to see shows and got attacked. I just wanted to write an apology letter to the New York tourism board.
AR: Law & Order has been around for a very long time. Do you think it takes itself too seriously after all this time? Do you think there’s room to have fun with it?
DLC: I honestly think one of the reasons why it’s been around so long is because it has, since the beginning, struck that perfect cord of serious, but also not taking itself too seriously. Do you know what I mean? From what I’ve heard, it’s infamous in lawyer and police circles. They love to watch the show, but there’s a lot of corners cut (laughs). It’s not that they hate it. They watch it because it thrills them. And after a day of police and lawyer work, it’s sort of like a sorbet! (laughs). I truly think it has struck that perfect balance. That’s one of the reasons why it’s been around so long.
The set itself on SVU was much funnier and lighter and goofier than I had ever expected. It really almost felt like a comedy set. Normally, a set would take the tone of the show. If it’s a serious show, it’s a serious set. I loved the environment, because I come from comedy roles. I realized: This is how they survive. This is what they had to do between the takes. The material is so dark. For their own sanity, they’ve developed this amazing defense mechanism. And it works brilliantly!
AR: You went on and became a detective for The Perfect Couple! What was that like?
DLC: So much fun, dude (laughs). It was so much fun on so many levels. First, I love Susanne (Bier), our director. I worked with her on The First Lady. We hit it off. I was just excited to be in a set with her again, because I think she’s brilliant. And she makes me laugh. Then, of course, for somebody like me to be with that roster. Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber. It was bonkers. I couldn’t believe I was even there! That was like a fever dream. I think one of my favorite parts about playing that detective is: A) She’s not in the book.
She’s the only role in that entire main cast that is not in Elin Hilderbrand’s book. There is a character called Greeky guy Nick, who is a big machismo, womanizing detective. What they chose to do was to make it a female. But what I loved about it was that they didn’t really change the basic core of what male roles usually are. A male detective will be really good at their job. They’ll talk about their job and they’ll be respected. They’ll figure it out and they’ll do the job. And with women, there’s degrees of (mocks stereotypes) “Am I good enough? Oh, he’s cute! Maybe I’ll kiss him!” There’s usually all of these things with women that have nothing to do with the job.
It was thrilling to play a role kind of designed for a man. It was unencumbered by, forgive my French, bullshit that women have to juggle in roles like that. (In the show,) I have kids and a spouse. You never saw them, though. I mention them a couple of times. I wasn’t constantly calling home because I was an absent working mom. It was fun to have a great partnership with Mike Beach and have it just be two really good cops doing their jobs.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is currently streaming on multiple streaming platforms.
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