Why Detective Parlato-Goldstein From Law & Order: SVU Looks So Familiar

"Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" started its epic run in 1999, and it is the current longest running live-action prime time television show in United States history (via AV Club). The show follows an elite unit of detectives and investigators that work for the New York City Police Department in Manhattan. Over its long tenure, the show has starred BD Wong, Christopher Meloni, Ice-T, Mariska Hargitay, and Kelli Giddish as they delve head first into New York City's most brutal and reprehensible crimes.

In the episode "Silent Night, Hateful Night" from Season 23, the "SVU" squad is called to investigate a series of hate-inspired terrorist threats and violence against the local Jewish, Muslim, and Sikh populations. Gaining the aid of Detective Parlato-Goldstein, the crew eventually tracks down a hate group planning multiple bombings with improvised explosives, and with quick thinking and guile, manage to stop the plot.

Considering that this episode was the first appearance of Detective Parlato-Goldstein, fans of "SVU" may be wondering where they have seen the actor before.

Jason Biggs, who played Detective Parlato-Goldstein on "SVU," is perhaps the most famous for his role in the "American Pie" series. As James "Jim" Levenstein, Biggs forever burned his visage into our collective memories by engaging in several lewd acts, with the most famous of them involving an apple pie. The first "American Pie" was about four friends who make a vow to lose their virginity before graduating high school, and in typical fashion for teen comedies, get into raunchy and questionable hijinks in their all-consuming pursuit for physical attention.

"American Pie" was successful enough that it spawned an entire franchise of movies which include "American Pie 2," "American Wedding," "American Reunion," and several spin-off series which do not feature Biggs. In a recent interview with Solzy at the Movies, Biggs said of the character, "Look, I'll say this, I would love to play that character again. That, for me is the greatest gift—that film, that character, those relationships that I made with the rest of the cast. I would do it again in a heartbeat."

Jason Biggs also plays a big role in Netflix's "Orange is the New Black" television series. Based on the memoir by Piper Kerman, the show is about Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling), who is charged and sent to prison for her actions involving drug smuggling in her younger years, and follows her journey through the American penal system. Biggs plays her blindsided future-husband Larry Bloom. Having met each other long before her incarceration, Biggs' character is completely dumbfounded by this revelation.

Appearing in the first two seasons of "Orange is the New Black," Biggs would continue to pop up throughout the series through flashbacks, or after Piper gets out of prison. He is shown to have moved on with his life, and is currently married and expecting a child with Piper's best friend. Speaking with EW, Biggs stated, "Larry has these incredible moments of strength, and he makes these tough decisions. He does say 'f— you' to Piper. He does stand up to her. He's strong when he's on his own. In terms of being a pushover, I really feel like Larry has a big transition [over the course of Season 1]. And if he's not as willing or supportive initially, then the payoff isn't as great, the stakes aren't as high for when he finally does say 'This is it' at the end of Season 1."

Jason Biggs has also appeared in several Kevin Smith movies, including "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back," "Jersey Girl," and "Jay and Silent Bob Reboot." In both "Jay and Silent Bob" movies, Biggs plays himself, and laments the fact that everybody always remembers him for "American Pie" and his involvement with the previously mentioned apple pie, and never for any of his other roles.

In an Instagram post about Biggs and James Van Der Beek's roles in the "Jay and Silent Bob Reboot," Smith said of the two, "They were spitting comedic fire like they'd been working together for the last two decades – not just 1 time in #jayandsilentbobstrikeback 18 years ago. I can't thank them enough for flying all the way down to #nola to make jokes about themselves, our old movie and our new movie too! And holy s***, they look like they were preserved in amber from 2001!"

Biggs has had an impressive career, often skewing towards the comedic end of things, but perhaps after his time on "Law & Order: SVU" there will be more serious roles in the future.