A fact of every New Yorker's life: You are not officially a resident until Law & Order: SVU has filmed on your block (I myself was inducted just over a year ago). Another fact: The rite of passage to Hollywood leads almost directly through SVU's doors. After reminiscing about all of our favorite celebs who've appeared on Gilmore Girls—and in honor of SVU's 16th season premiere tonight—I got to thinking about everyone who's appeared alongside Benson and Stabler (and Benson and Amaro) over the years. The list is like Taylor Swift's roster of exes and besties: Long, chock-full of celebrities, and ever-changing. Check it out below!
Kate Mara: The American Horror Story and House of Cards alum played an ultra-competitive gymnast who may be involved in one of her teammate's murders in the season-two episode "Pixies."
Hayden Panettiere: The Nashville star appeared twice on the show, first as a a young girl hurting herself for her parent's attention in season two's "Abuse," and second as a teen mean girl/prostitute in the season-six episode "Hooked."
Sarah Hyland: Before her Modern Family days, she also made two appearances on SVU: First, in 2001 in the season-three premiere "Repression" and later, in 2009, as an OCD, sleep-deprived teen who kills her classmate in season 10's "Hothouse."__
Julie Bowen: Hyland's Modern Family mother also had a role on SVU, playing a mom whose foster son is accused of being a serial rapist in the season-10 episode "Trials."
Elizabeth Banks: Yes, you heard me correctly—Banks played a porn star named Jaina Jansen who's trying to pay for her daughter's cystic fibrosis medical bills when her producer is murdered in a season-three episode, "Sacrifice." It's certainly a far cry from her Hunger Games and Pitch Perfect roles.
Sara Ramirez: We know her now as Dr. Callie Torres on Grey's Anatomy, but she is another two-spotter from SVU's early days. Ramirez first played the mother of one of the unit's youngest murder suspects ever in season two's "Baby Killer," and then a prostitute who is almost raped in a night club in season five's "Chameleon."
Viola Davis: Before she was teaching us all How to Get Away with Murder, she was defending those accused of it (and other crimes) as defense attorney Donna Emmett in various episodes from seasons four to 10.
Ian Somerhalder: Officially one of the creepiest SVU guest stars to date, The Vampire Diaries actor played Charlie Baker—an incestuous older brother who brainwashes his younger brother into performing criminal acts—in season four's "Dominance."
Zoe Saldana: The Guardians of the Galaxy stunner starred as Gabrielle Vega in season five's episode "Criminal," where her father is framed for the murder of a student at the college where he teaches.
Bradley Cooper: I know, I could hardly believe it too. But Mr. Cooper himself, before charming the pants of us as Phil in The Hangover or Pat in Silver Linings Playbook (among others), played Jason Whitaker—a dirty lawyer covering up for one of his clients—in season six's "Night."
Amanda Seyfried: In the season-six episode "Outcry," Seyfried portrayed a teen who accuses three military cadets of raping her but is really covering up for her stepfather's boss (the actual rapist).
Brittany Snow: In one of SVU's more bizarre episodes, pre-Pitch Perfect Snow appeared as teenager Jamie Hoskins, who is placed on trial for murder after killing nine people in a suicide attempt while off her bipolar meds (which she stops taking at the advice of a rock star).
Rooney Mara: Joining sister Kate, Rooney had one of her first gigs on SVU in the season-seven episode "Fat" as a high-schooler sexually assaulted in a revenge attack. If you missed her in the ep, don't feel bad—she's hardly recognizable without her Girl With the Dragon Tattoo garb.
Hilary Duff: In one of SVU's ripped from the headlines episodes, Duff played a Casey Anthony-type character who claims her daughter has been kidnapped (until the episode takes an odd, pro-vaccination turn).
Natasha Lyonne: In her SVU appearance, Lyonne sat on the opposite side of the law as a psychiatric-ward patient who helps put her attacker behind bars. (P.S. We've also seen several of her OITNB castmates on SVU over the years, including Pablo Scheiber, Taryn Manning, and Laverne Cox!)
__This list makes me want to curl up on my couch with an SVU marathon, stat. And since we've just barely cracked the surface of all the guest appearances, I want to know—who have been your favorite cameos over the past 15 years?