February 09, 2022

Law & Order: SVU Showrunner Vents About Unvaccinated Actors - Screen Rant

Law & Order: SVU showrunner recently vented his frustration about unvaccinated actors. The Covid-19 pandemic has impacted film and TV production everywhere for the past two years, and the hit series, Law & Order: SVU, is no exception. The popular crime drama airs on NBC and has for 23 seasons, but production on the series was briefly halted from March to September of 202o due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Now, nearly two years later, it seems that production is still having a few hiccups.

NBCUniversal, who produces SVU, is reported to have the strictest COVID protocols possible for talent and crew, and actors are required to be vaccinated under their rules. Actors who refuse the vaccine may be denied casting or fired from currently-held roles. Recently, there have been some big names, such as Steve Burton from General Hospital, booted from their shows for failure to comply with safety regulations. Having actors leave shows over vaccine mandates hurt not only the unvaccinated actor, but the whole production as it may have to be halted or delayed for recasting and/or reshoots.

It appears that SVU casting has encountered some difficulties recently, as their showrunner, Warren Leight, took to Twitter to vent about unvaccinated actors. Actors are typically auditioning through self-tapes, where they are asked to state their vaccination status. Since regulations prevent unvaccinated actors from being cast in productions such as SVU, only those who are vaccinated (or claim to be vaccinated) can be considered. Clearly, that is not stopping people as Leight seems to have encountered some unvaccinated actors in the SVU casting process. Read his tweet below:

To my sadness we are still offering parts to actors only to learn they STILL aren’t vaccinated (and therefore we won’t/can’t hire them). Our community has to look out for each other, especially when working unmasked in close quarters. The stream of misinformation is toxic.
— Warren Leight (@warrenleightTV) February 8, 2022

His words seemed to resonate with production crew and actors alike. Many replies echoed Leight's idea that getting vaccinated is crucial in "[looking] out for each other." Others shared their own experiences navigating a post-pandemic world. In a reply to Leight's tweet, Superstore actress Irene White said that she "[knows] actors who lie in the slate hoping that they won't be asked for documentation if hired. A gamble." It appears as if that gamble did not work out for a few folks hoping to be cast for the longest running drama on NBC.

As Leight said, being vaccinated while working on a film or TV set helps everyone on the team, especially for actors working unmasked in close proximity to each other. It is unfortunate that he and the entire SVU team are having to encounter these issues. One can only hope that his tweet will inspire actors to get the jab to protect themselves and others.

More: Stabler's Law & Order Return Vs. Lexi's Grey's Anatomy Twist: Which Is Better

Source: Warren Leight/Twitter

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Elsa Schacht (5 Articles Published)

Elsa (she/they) is a film and television writer based in Los Angeles. Screen Rant is her first professional writing gig, though she has been covering pop culture television as a host on the GET Real podcast for over a year. Most of their free time is consumed by nerding out over video games, Dungeons and Dragons, and her two cats Pumpkin and Barnaby.