Why You Recognize Law & Order Guest Star Joshua Malina
Malina isn't a stranger to Dick Wolf's procedural landscape, previously guest starring on SVU.
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This story contains spoilers for Law & Order Season 25, Episode 5 ("Bend the Knee").
Season 25 of Law & Order has been nothing short of a wild ride, and television titan Joshua Malina raised the stakes with his powerhouse guest appearance in "Bend the Knee."
Law & Order's October 23 episode was political pandemonium after the leader of a law firm that handles government clients was found murdered in cold blood. Malina's character finds himself at the center of this salacious investigation, but as the 27th Precinct soon discovers, this isn't a typical homicide case.
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Viewers may recognize Malina from some of his other dynamite television appearances, and in Law & Order's latest, he helped the 2-7 on a winding investigation that culminated in a highly political trial.
Why SVU fans recognize Law & Order guest star Joshua Malina
Malina boasts a multi-decade career in entertainment, starring in a variety of television projects that have showcased his dynamic range. Audiences may recognize him for his role as Will Bailey on NBC's The West Wing, but he gained breakout fame for his role as Jeremy Goodwin on Sports Night.
Malina's Law & Order debut wasn't the first time working alongside Tony Goldwyn, either — the duo both starred in the hit political series Scandal. Malina also boasts guest roles across dozens of primetime favorites, such as Big Shots, In Plain Sight, This Is Us, The Big Bang Theory, and American Auto.
Law & Order fanatics might also recognize Malina for his Season 15 guest appearance on Law & Order: SVU. Malina played Simon Wilkes in two SVU episodes (Season 15's "Thought Criminal" and "Spring Awakening"), delivering a chilling performance as a twisted pedophile who managed to evade the grips of justice through legal technicalities.
Former SVU Detective Nick Amaro (Danny Pino) was so torn up about the legal loss that he brutally beat Simon Wilkes after finding him taking photos of a school — but luckily Amanda Rollins (Kelli Giddish) was able to clean up that legal mess by blackmailing Simon into saying he threw the first punch.
Joshua Malina played a red herring on Law & Order Season 25
Malina guest starred in Law & Order Season 25, Episode 5 ("Bend the Knee") as Kevin Bradley, one of the 2-7's suspects following the murder of a prominent lawyer, Roger Wallace. Kevin was the managing partner of Wallace's law firm and the unfortunate soul who discovered the body following his colleague's shocking murder.
After meeting Detective Vincent Riley (Reid Scott) and Lt. Jessica Brady (Maura Tierney), Kevin shed some early light on why someone may have killed his business partner. After Kevin explained that Wallace had made several enemies as a man in his powerful position, Wallace's fiancée revealed Kevin Bradley to be Wallace's biggest enemy.
According to her, Kevin Bradley was the "Brutus" of Wallace's firm, and in the weeks leading up to his death, Wallace had felt that Kevin Bradley was leading the charge on his smear campaign. The detectives soon learned that Kevin and Wallace's firm had learned that representations in Washington had barred their firm from representing certain clients.
The administration threatened to ban the firm from doing business with the federal government unless they coughed up $8 million of pro bono work for the administration — A.K.A. a bribe. This development divided the firm. Kevin wanted to make the deal, Wallace wanted to hold the line and fight back against the government.
Kevin maintained his innocence, but it was clear that the culprit was someone who would have been negatively impacted by Wallace's preference. The cops soon discover that Kevin was innocent after finding a video of the killer, the son of the UAE Chief Envoy and a high-powered lawyer within Wallace's firm. Well aware of all legal loopholes he could exploit, the killer tried to argue for "diplomatic immunity."
This revelation launched a tense, political trial that ultimately ended in the killer's conviction after he was strong-armed into accepting a plea deal.
Watch Law & Order on Thursdays at 9/8c on NBC and the next day on Peacock.
