Superstar broadcaster Stephen A. Smith is known for a lot of things. He’s become well known and respected for co-hosting First Take on ESPN (with which he recently signed a five-year contract that’s said to be worth over $100 million) and talking about all things sports, but lately he’s also made more moves into commentating on pop culture (Taylor Swift/Travis Kelce predictions, anyone?) and begun debating political topics. Even so, I would not have counted on him being a huge Law & Order fan, but Smith has explained why appearing on the hit was a thrill, despite his character being killed.
What Did Stephen A. Smith Say About Guest Starring On Law & Order Recently?
Though Stephen A. Smith has been a major player on ESPN since 2012, now has his own popular podcast on top of that work, and has recently been fielding questions about his potential political aspirations, it’s entirely possible that many of his fans don’t realize that he’s been dipping his toes into acting for quite some time.
Smith’s debut on Law & Order enters the 2025 TV schedule on Thursday, May 8, and he recently spoke to Deadline about the opportunity to play dead for the famed Dick Wolf universe (with this particular drama in Season 24), and said:
It was an incredible experience. I did some acting before I was that dead body. So, it’s not like I just show up as a dead body. I actually have a scene where I’m doing some acting, and to have the opportunity to do it on one of my all-time favorite shows, is an honor beyond comprehension.
Who woulda thunkit, right? I guess this just goes to show that even people who go viral for things like feuding with basketball great LeBron James are as multi-faceted as the rest of us…and, you know, enjoy a good (DUNH DUNH) mystery. Honestly, this is less of a left-of-field take from the sports commentator than him letting us in on what he feels is the best starter Pokémon. He continued:
To be quite honest with you, I was ecstatic when they called me. I was ecstatic to be a part of it, and more importantly than that, I’m excited because there’s plenty of times where somebody’s been a dead body on Law & Order and then they come back as a different character at a later date for something more extensive. And to be quite honest, I’m hoping that happens for me as well, because the experience was absolutely wonderful.
The skilled debater is correct that lots of actors have appeared in the Law & Order franchise as more than one character. In fact, the current season of the series brought back an actor who played a recurring role nearly 20 years ago, but as a totally different character, so there is certainly precedent where that’s concerned.
Though Smith already has a lot on his plate (he also has a recurring role on General Hospital as fashionable mob fixer, Brick, which he’s had since 2016), it’s clear that he’s game for heading into another kind of court should L&O desire his services again.
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