The Best Part Of The Law & Order Revival, According To Camryn Manheim

Camryn Manheim will return in a new role as Lieutenant Kate Dixon in the 27th Precinct in the revival of "Law & Order," set to hit TV screens this month. Her character is the replacement for Anita Van Buren (S. Epatha Merkerson), and she serves as the new commanding officer. 

However, as Manheim's IMDb profile reminds us, the role of Dixon is actually the fourth different person she played over the course of the two-decade run the series enjoyed pre-revival. Her first part on the acclaimed NBC procedural was playing Leila in the Season 1 episode "Life Choice." She returned two years later in the Season 3 finale "Benevolence," playing a different character named Martha Rollins. Her third appearance on the show came the very next season as the alcoholic mother of the child kidnapping victim in Season 4, Episode 20, "Nurture."

In her return to "Law & Order" as Dixon, which comes nearly 20 years after her last appearance, she plays a presumably more active role and will be much more of a recurring character. Fans should get used to seeing her face around the 27th Precinct as most decisions will go through her. In a recent NBC press event attended by Looper, Manheim talked about coming back to the show in a more significant role and the best part of working on "Law & Order."

For Camryn Manheim, the best part of working on the revival is the people. During the special NBC press event this week, the actor spoke about collaborating with "New York's finest" actors during the first season of the "Law & Order" revival. While the revival brings in new blood in the form of "Hannibal" actor Hugh Dancy as Assistant District Attorney Nathan Price, fans will see some familiar faces, like Jack McCoy (Sam Waterson) and Detective Kevin Bernard (Anthony Anderson), as well as "Burn Notice" alum Jeffrey Donovan, who plays Detective Frank Cosgrove in the revival but is no stranger to the world of "Law & Order" (via IMDb).

The Season 21 premiere, "The Right Thing," also features actors Francis Mancho and Marcel Simoneau — members of the theater community of New York, which Manheim cited as an integral group involved in the casting of "Law & Order" episodes. Mancho has a long list of appearances in movies and TV, and he has directed the play "Grethe Holby" (via Actor's Access). Per IMDb, Simoneau has had a similar level of success on the screen, and, according to his official website, he spends time teaching method acting at Lee Strasberg Theater Institute.

"Law & Order" and its spin-offs have a long history with the New York theater, with many of the actors appearing in episodes having theater credits to their name. "Law & Order: SVU" committed to hiring as many theater actors as they could find during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure they could still work (via Deadline). It looks like the revival will continue this trend as Manheim gets to work with the best New York City has to offer from the theater community.