Why You Recognize Law & Order Season 25 Guest Star Tom Irwin
Television icon Tom Irwin guest stars in Law & Order Season 25’s “White Lies,” delivering a heartwrenching performance that has become his trademark throughout the seasoned actor’s multi-decade career.
The endless rotation of Law & Order guest stars has kept the 27th Precinct on its toes for over two decades, and Irwin’s latest guest appearance in the Law & Order universe leaves a lasting impression. Season 25 has been an action-packed watch as the 27th Precinct tackles whatever mind-boggling and chilling case comes their way, and Irwin’s character, Norman Munson, soon gets entangled in the murder case of a high-powered investor.
Law & Order fans never get tired of pointing at their television screens and asking, “Is that who I think it is?” and with a career as prolific as Irwin’s, viewers have no doubt seen the Law & Order guest star before.
Why you recognize Law & Order guest star Tom Irwin
Veteran actor Tom Irwin has built an impressive resume across film and television. Some of Irwin’s breakout television roles included Graham Chase in the ’90s series My So-Called Life and Ben Miller in My Life and Times. Irwin’s magnetism led him to land several notable guest appearances in series such as Frasier, Without a Trace, ER, Ghost Whisperer, Scandal, Lost, 24, and Related.
In the 2000s, Irwin took on the role of Father John Hanadarko in all three seasons of Saving Grace and played Adrian Powell in all four seasons of Devious Maids. Some of his most recent television performances include appearances on Law & Order: SVU — he has appeared in Season 12 and Season 24 — as well as his portrayal of Fred Micklen in the Emmy-winning drama series The Morning Show.
After making his film debut in 1987’s Light of Day, Irwin delivered a dynamite performance as Lou in the late ’90s horror film The Haunting opposite Catherine Zeta-Jones and Liam Neeson. Some of Irwin’s other notable film credits include Marley & Me, On the Basis of Sex, and Amsterdam.
Tom Irwin played a respected CEO on Law & Order
In Irwin’s gripping episode of Law & Order, a man named Tom Hardiman was murdered after being shoved in front of a cab. Hardiman was an investor notorious for taking over hospitals and making enemies due to his many budget cuts, which jeopardized patient care. As the detectives dug deeper, they realized whoever killed Hardiman felt they were saving lives.
Their investigation eventually led them to Hardiman’s latest investment, Wellpoint Therapeutics. Hardiman had recently clashed with Wellpoint’s principled CEO, Irwin’s character Norman Munson, a man devoted to putting patients before profit. On the day of the murder, the two were seen arguing during a meeting after Hardiman bought a Wellpoint board seat and pushed to have Munson removed.
After Munson’s alibi soon checked out, the suspicion turned toward Kevin Goodall, Munson’s top scientist and another person on Hardiman’s chopping block. During their ill-fated meeting, Hardiman had discovered Munson’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis — a secret only known by those within Munson’s inner circle, such as Goodall and Munson’s nurse, who both attended the meeting for that very reason. Hardiman likely knew Goodall was protecting Munson, leading him to evoke their termination.
Knowing that this discovery would lead to Munson’s removal, Goodall pushed Hardiman in front of the cab, so the 2-7 issued an arrest. But the puzzle pieces truly came together for the A.D.A.s after they realized Goodall’s daughter was on a trial medication through Wellpoint Therapeutics that could get slashed if Hardiman’s plans had been actualized. With that, they had Goodall’s full motive.
After calling Munson to the stand in defense of Goodall, his slipping mental faculties soon began to distract the jury and complicate the case. Not interested in embarrassing his longtime boss any further, Goodall accepted a plea agreement to protect Munson’s secret and keep Wellpoint Therapeutics running as usual.