Donna Lynne Champlin on Law & Order: SVU’s Most Challenging Scene

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Warning: The following contains spoilers for the upcoming episode, titled “The Grid Plan,” of NBC’s Law & Order: SVU Season 26 in the 2025 TV lineup. This episode can be streamed the next day with a Peacock subscription.

In a departure from its traditional formula, “Law & Order: SVU,” which has maintained success since its debut in 1999, chose to structure “The Grid Plan” differently. Unlike typical episodes, this one showed the assault in an unconventional manner and introduced a victim who actively involved herself in the investigation. This unusual approach didn’t necessarily benefit her case, but a heartfelt conversation between Megan (Donna Lynne Champlin from “The Perfect Couple”) and Benson (Mariska Hargitay) shed light on her motivations. Champlin discussed this impactful episode with TopMob in an exclusive interview.

As a movie reviewer from the heartland, hailing all the way from Iowa, let me share my thoughts on “Law & Order: SVU” episode titled “The Grid Plan.” This time around, Megan was the one who ventured into the bustling cityscape of New York to immerse herself in the magical world of Broadway. However, as this isn’t just any other city, the serendipity turned sour when an unfortunate incident left her shaken and scarred in a dark alleyway in Times Square.

The episode didn’t follow its usual pattern of depicting the violent act at the very outset, leading me to ponder if perhaps the sequence Donna Lynne Champlin mentioned during our interview had been omitted from the final cut.

Instead, she postponed dealing with it for later, and throughout the episode, Megan immersed herself in the investigation until the Special Victims team intervened to halt her. Benson eventually managed to reach her, explaining that Megan was transferring her health concerns onto the assault, which she thought she could control. Benson shared something personal, a secret she doesn’t usually disclose to victims, and Donna Lynne Champlin explained the emotional intensity of the scene in detail.

Mariska’s character converses with mine and perceives my actions as displacement. She attempts to convey this to me by sharing her personal background, implying she understands displacement due to her past as a rape victim and current leadership of SVU. However, at that moment, my character is not mature or emotionally stable enough to fully grasp this and offer appropriate support. We shot a few takes of this scene. Initially, upon hearing that line, my character reacts with surprise, saying “Whoa.” Later, I was given direction suggesting that my character’s reaction should be unhealthy, given their current state of instability.

A person not recently faced with a severe medical diagnosis and a violent sexual assault might exhibit compassionate and gentle behavior. However, Megan was in no such emotional state. This resonated with Champlin following a written feedback about her performance. She continued:

The actor found it difficult to play a character who had quick emotional changes because they had to suppress their natural empathy at times. It was like an Olympic challenge for them, and the scenes were very exciting due to this constant switch between emotions and rationality. Even in quiet moments, the character might suddenly speak too loudly or act strangely. Working with Mariska made each scene feel magical.

As the trial neared, Megan ceased meddling with the investigation, yet this didn’t imply she was prepared for what lay ahead in the courtroom. In the witness stand, the defense lawyer disclosed her MS diagnosis publicly and essentially questioned her about whether the encounter was consensual rather than assault.

As I watched Megan endure a barrage of tough questions under oath, my mind drifted back to the harrowing assault scenes filmed in Times Square – specifically, those shot in silhouette by Donna Lynne Champlin in an alley. The role required her to deliver raw, emotional performances while seated on the witness stand, and she shared what made this experience so gratifying for her.

Instead of expecting a challenge, I discovered it was surprisingly enjoyable. What made it so delightful was the freedom from having to focus on blocking. Instead, I relished the opportunity to converse and listen without any constraints. This is particularly luxurious in a TV setting because everything progresses at such a fast pace. You block the rehearsal in just five minutes, then you film it. I must admit, I truly appreciated not having to worry about anything but the script. And I found this made navigating the emotional ups and downs of that scene easier.

In the courtroom scenes of SVU, it’s mainly the lawyers who are in constant motion. However, this depends on how involved Carisi is during a particular week, given his recovery from recent events. This necessitates swift blocking during rehearsals, but poses difficulties in other areas of production. Champlin added:

In television and film production, the most challenging aspect of performing extended scenes, say eight pages long, which we might spend the entire day working on, is during pick-ups. Pick-ups are instances where directors feel they’ve captured the start, which serves as an emotional build-up for actors, and then request to begin with a powerful moment, such as Megan sobbing, followed by a response like, ‘Please stop crying.’ This leaves you thinking, ‘Could I just have a few moments?’ [laughs] As an actor, it’s the pick-ups in the middle that can be the most challenging.

In further discussion, Champlin mentioned that it often brings a smile to her face when people request scenes with immediate immersion into intense situations. However, she emphasized that she has her unique set of skills and approaches these scenarios in her own distinctive manner. Despite Megan not finding much humor during her episode on Law & Order: SVU, she experienced a satisfying resolution: a conviction, a caring spouse, and the recognition that her experience didn’t tarnish her affection for New York City.

In this episode of “Law & Order: SVU”, the format deviated slightly from the norm as the victim played a significant role throughout. You can watch it again on Peacock. Fresh episodes of “SVU” will still be broadcast on Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on NBC, after “Law & Order” at 8 p.m. ET. Regarding the third show in the franchise, “Law & Order: Organized Crime”, Season 5 has finally announced its streaming premiere date.

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2025-02-28 07:07