Why Robert Silas From Law & Order: Organized Crime Looks So Familiar

One of the main villains of "Law & Order: Organized Crime" Season 3 is Robert Silas, the patriarch of a wealthy, powerful New York family with shady criminal associations. Played by John Doman, Robert believes in working every possible political angle, despite the concerns of his son Teddy (Gus Halper) and daughter-in-law Pearl (Camilla Belle).

The Silas family plans to build a casino in New York City, but their designs are opposed by local tenant Henry Cole (Jeorge Bennett Watson). When Cole is found dead, Detective Stabler (Christopher Meloni) zeroes in on Robert and Teddy as possible suspects. As Pearl then starts her own investigation, Robert orders hitman Luca Belucci (Gian-Murray Gianino) to poison her. The developer flees once Stabler figures out what's happened, but he is soon taken into custody.

Before he played Robert on "Organized Crime," Doman actually appeared in the "Law & Order" franchise numerous times. Here's where else you've seen this veteran character actor. 

John Doman didn't actually start acting professionally until he was in his 40s, but once he'd finally filmed a commercial, he resigned from his longtime advertising job. The actor's first official screen credit, of over 100 total, is a guest appearance on an episode of the famous soap opera "As The World Turns."

However, Doman's first major screen appearance came when he played a water tunnel construction foreman in "Die Hard with a Vengeance." Part of the job meant the actor had to carry an extended scene with the movie's lead, Bruce Willis. In an interview with We Are The Mighty, Doman recalled, "I had paragraphs to say and he had little interjections. Bruce was putting the pressure on me — I had to talk fast and get it all right. He was testing me."

Luckily, the newbie character actor passed Willis' test. They worked together again on "Mercury Rising" a few years later.

John Doman continued to work on television and film productions, including the short-lived series "The City" and an uncredited appearance in "The Sopranos" as the District Attorney. One of his recurring roles came via another HBO series, "Oz." Doman's military background must have come in handy for playing Edward Galson, a decorated Marine Colonel convicted of sexually assaulting a female officer.

Galson is transferred to Oz's "Emerald City" block in Season 4, where he runs into conflict with Tobias Beecher (Lee Tergesen) but bonds with Burr Redding (Anthony Chisholm) over their mutual status as military veterans. The colonel never has enough time to get used to the prison environment, however. Knowing Redding wants Enrique Morales (David Zayas) dead, Galson tries to murder the inmate while they fix the elevator together. However, Morales gets the drop on Galson, and, after throwing him down the shaft, sends the elevator crashing down on the screaming ex-Marine.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

One of John Doman's most famous roles to date is the crafty, careerist Baltimore Police Department official William Rawls, who he played in all five seasons of "The Wire." Rawls is originally the Baltimore Homicide Unit's commanding officer, which results in mutual enmity between him and the insubordinate Detective McNulty (Dominic West). Over time, Rawls' loyalty and scheming get him promoted to colonel, and by the series finale, he's the Maryland State Police Superintendent.

The police official is more interested in power struggles and "juking the stats" than doing any actual good, but he does have real moments of humanity. He convinces a distraught McNulty that Kima's (Sonja Sohn) shooting isn't his fault, and he's briefly shown on a date at a gay bar in Season 3, though that aspect of his character is left largely undeveloped. In "All the Pieces Matter: The Inside Story of The Wire," Doman said of "The Wire" creator David Simon, "In his brilliance, he never touched it again... He just dropped that little seed in there" (via The AV Club).

Immediately after completing "The Wire" in 2008, John Doman signed on to play recurring villain Walter Kendrick on Season 2 of FX's legal drama "Damages." Kendrick is the cunning CEO of major energy company Ultima National Resources (UNR), who is always accompanied by his equally intelligent lawyer Claire Maddox (Marcia Gay Harden). Attorney Patty Hewes (Glenn Close) takes the corporation on after Daniel Purcell (William Hurt) leaks information to her about UNR creating a toxic chemical compound. However, the case grows much murkier after Purcell's wife is found murdered.

Maddox eventually betrays Kendrick, revealing to Patty that he's involved in a scheme to control energy prices. This, plus Patty working with the U.S. Marshall's office to gain more evidence, ultimately helps bring Kendrick – and UNR – down for good. It's another great turn from Doman, who's absolutely in his element playing Kendrick. 

Actors like Tom Wilkinson and John Turturro may have played Carmine Falcone in "Batman" movies, but John Doman got to play the powerful gangster for much longer — 4 years and 31 episodes — on the TV series "Gotham." At the beginning of the show, Falcone has been in charge of his own crime syndicate within Gotham City for many years. However, the boss' power is weakening, and Fish Mooney (Jada Pinkett Smith) and his other subordinates all want Falcone's empire for themselves. He also has a complicated relationship with Detective Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie), as he was friends with his father, but the two operate on different sides of the law.

After Sal Maroni (David Zayas) unsuccessfully attacks Falcone, the shaken gangster decides to retire, with Oswald Cobblepot (Robin Lord Taylor) effectively inheriting his operations. He later returns to Gotham to celebrate his son Mario's (James Carpinello) wedding to Leslie Thompkins (Morena Baccarin). However, the happy occasion turns to tragedy when Gordon is forced to kill an infected Mario.

Falcone returns to Miami to spend time with his only daughter Sofia (Crystal Reed), later declining to help Gordon stop Cobblepot's criminal activities. Though he's not always central to the plot, Doman does an excellent job bringing Falcone to life.

John Doman's recent appearance on "The Boys" as Jonah Vogelbaum only lasts three episodes. But his character is crucial to the audience's understanding of Vought International and its corporate-owned superhero, Homelander (Antony Starr).

A former Vought scientist, Vogelbaum was one of the closest things a young Homelander had to a father. He helped raise his creation in a lab, while also abusing and training him to become the superpowered man we see in the present. This naturally helps Homelander become a narcissistic, violent sociopath — something Vogelbaum only regrets after the fact. Once the scientist has retired, he apologizes to Homelander for how he treated him, but the super-powered Vought hero rejects him.

This certainly isn't Doman's most extended run on a major TV series, but he does play a key role in the backstories of both Homelander and Vought as a whole. Vogelbaum's malicious personality with a hint of regret is perfect for the actor, who's cut his teeth on such roles throughout his career.