Who plays Judge Oliver Taft in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit? Actor's career and notable projects explored

The fan-favorite procedural crime drama, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, sometimes presented cases that depicted criminals among the law enforcement officials. Like in Season 5, Episode 24, where Tom Skerritt's character, Judge Oliver Taft, found himself being investigated due to his class bias, which hampered the cases that came to his court.

The veteran actor played the character of a man who, due to his class bias, sentenced a wrongfully charged poor woman to prison and acquitted a rich woman who actually tried to kill her adopted daughter. Skerritt appeared in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit in 2004, but is still remembered for his portrayal of the merciless judge.

In his more than six-decade-long career, Skerritt has appeared in numerous films and TV shows that show the actor's versatility.

Let's look at other notable projects of Tom Skerritt's career.

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit - Tom Skerritt played Judge Oliver Taft in the series

One of the most memorable characters of Skerritt would be his portrayal of the classist Judge Oliver Taft. He appeared in the Episode titled Poison in Season 5 of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. In the episode, he lets a rich woman named Karen go free after trying to kill her adopted daughter, Alexis. It is later discovered that due to his suggestion, Karen later succeeds in killing Alexis.

Investigation on Taft brings to light the prejudice he has against the poor and uneducated people, due to which he had sentenced a woman named Rosalin to prison for killing her daughter, which was later found to be false, as her daughter died due to a genetic disorder. Taft was held accountable for mishandling both the cases that destroyed his public image and his career.

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit has been running for 27 seasons and has seen numerous actors come and play a character, which sometimes stays with the audience. Skerrit's character is one of those. His portrayal of the prejudiced character was believable, which made it terrifying, but also showcased the actor's ability to blend into his role.

The American actor began his career in 1962, appearing in shows such as Combat! and The Virginian, where he played various characters in different episodes. He gained prominence for his role as Evan Drake in the 1987 sitcom, Cheers. Later, in 1992, he played the main character, Sheriff Jimmy Brock, in the acclaimed series, Picket Fences, which was loved by the audience, and he received several accolades for it, including an Emmy Award.

Over the years, Skerritt has appeared in many acclaimed TV shows such as Madam Secretary, The Good Wife, Huff, Will & Grace, and The Twilight Zone, among others.

Other notable projects of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit's Tom Skerritt

Born on August 25, 1933, in Detroit, Michigan, the 92-year-old actor has spent more than six decades in the industry. Apart from appearing in acclaimed TV shows such as Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Skerritt has left a huge mark on the big screen as well, with him being part of several superhit films such as Contact and Silence of the North.

His other notable films include The Turning Point, East of the Mountains, M*A*S*H, Top Gun, and Poltergeist III, among several others, and showcase that, irrespective of genre and screen time, he is still able to capture the audience's attention.

Apart from films and TV shows, the veteran actor has also lent his voice to popular video games, Gun and Alien: Isolation.

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