Lots of major movie stars have appeared in “Law & Order” over the years, with guest spots in the long-running NBC franchise’s various shows becoming a right of passage for many actors. The late “Heroes” and “Nashville” star Hayden Panettiere is one of a select few actors to have played different characters in the same “Law & Order” show, appearing in two episodes of “Special Victims Unit” that aired years apart. 

Panettiere was still a child when she did her first “SVU” episode. She played Ashley Austin Black in “Abuse,” which aired on January 26, 2001 in the middle of the show’s second season, when Panettiere was just 11 years old. Ashley and her brother Corbin have famous parents, former rock band lead singer Jared Black and well-known country music star Ricki Austin. Benson and Stabler are called in to investigate when Corbin is hit by a car and killed on his birthday while running away from a suspicious man, suspecting parental neglect. 

Ashley develops a bond with Benson, who, being one of the smartest TV detectives of all time, picks up on something being not quite right. The fact that the child clings to her on top of all the bumps and bruises on her body makes Benson suspect abuse. However, in the end it transpires that Ashely has been injuring herself in a misguided attempt to get attention from her parents. It’s also revealed that the suspicious man was actually Corbin’s biological father, who had been attempting to form a relationship with his son.

Panettiere also appeared in a heartbreaking Season 6 episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Angela talking with Benson and Stabler in the "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" episode "Hooked"

NBC

Hayden Panettiere returned to “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” as a teenager for the Season 6 episode “Hooked,” which aired on February 15, 2005. She played rebellious Catholic school girl Angela Agnelli, the best friend of a murder victim named Lisa. Benson and Stabler soon discover that she and Angela were engaging in sex work to pay for expensive clothes. It’s also revealed that Lisa was HIV positive, which causes major concerns for Stabler because one of the boys Lisa slept with used to date his daughter.

In the episode, which is filled with many twists and turns, Angela is ultimately revealed as the killer of Dr. Derek Tanner, who prescribed Lisa’s HIV medication and claimed to be in love with her. He also had a threesome with Angela and Lisa that was filmed. Angela shot him by accident when she went to his apartment to get the video tape of their encounter, eventually breaking down in tears and hugging Stabler during a confession. “I just wanted my life back,” she tells him.

If you or anyone you know may be the victim of child abuse or statutory rape, contact the relevant resources below:

  • The Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.

  • The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN’s National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).