Guiding Light Alum Michael O’Leary Cast On New Law & Order Pilot

It’s a move that will thrill soap fans and viewers of the Law & Order universe as the new NBC entry, Law & Order: Organized Crime is underway and a familiar face from the soap world — Guiding Light alum Michael O’Leary — will be appearing on it!

Michael O’Leary — Feeling Blessed

While his GL character, Rick Bauer, could hardly be accused of saintly behavior, his new character, Father Hogan, should be a bit more pious. The actor shared the exciting news of his casting on Facebook but also spoke with Soap Hub about the experience.

“It had that GL feel on the set,” marveled O’Leary, obviously missing the role he played on and off the now-defunct CBS soap since 1983. Luckily for him, there was a familiar face when he arrived on the set — Law & Order: SVU star Mariska Hargitay, who plays Olivia Benson on both shows.

“Mariska and I go back 30 years ago,” he revealed. “We studied acting with Larry Moss in Los Angeles. This was the first time I’ve seen her and she was soooo sweet and fun and magnanimous to all the new cast members. She has the same arresting joy and charm, funny, engaging.”

That acting class isn’t the star’s only connection to Hargitay. He also knows her real-life husband — actor Peter Hermann, who played Dr. Michael Burke on GL. “Peter is a great guy; a sweet nice man.”

As for the experience on the set, O’Leary couldn’t be happier. “It was a very nice scene they gave me, and they were very pleased. The chemistry with Chris and I was very strong.”

As longtime SVU fans know, Chris Meloni’s character, Elliot Stabler, is very religious — so now that he is back and has his own show, in which Elliot is “in the wake of a devastating personal loss,” might we see Father Hogan again?

“It’s all speculation but there seems like it could be likely,” offers O’Leary. As fans of the show and the actor, Soap Hub couldn’t be more thrilled.