The Law & Order: SVU Episode You Forgot Starred Kathy Griffin
Kathy Griffin has endured more than her fair share of setbacks during her decades-long stint in the entertainment industry. As ABC News reports, Griffin has survived cancer, drug addiction, mental health issues, and being so-called "cancelled" after posing for a now-infamous video with what looked like Donald Trump's severed head. The beloved comedian was prohibited from doing what she loved for years, but Griffin has solidified her durability.
"Whether I like it or not, I think I'm a resilient survivor," she opined. Griffin was heavily criticized for what commentators believed could be interpreted as incitement of violence against the then-president, leading to her being fired as the host of CNN's annual "New Year's Eve Live" show, and having tour dates all over the country cancelled outright. It took a while for Griffin to bounce back, and a lot of hard work getting everybody to come around, but now that she has, the comedian is looking ahead.
"I'm gonna get a next chapter. That's the thing everyone said wasn't gonna happen. I believed [it] wasn't gonna happen," she said. Considering how long Griffin has worked on the comedy circuit, it might shock you to learn that she actually has quite a few acting credits to her name, including a role opposite Jim Carrey in "The Cable Guy," and more recently in "Search Party." In fact, the boundary-pushing star once made her mark on "Law & Order: SVU" too.
Kathy Griffin played an outspoken gay rights activist
As Business Insider notes, Kathy Griffin took on a more serious role than she typically does in Season 11 of "Law & Order: SVU." The episode, entitled "P.C.," sees Griffin's lesbian rights activist, Babs Duffy, battling the police force over their perceived homophobia, because she believes they've been "neglecting the deaths of lesbians." Per Pride.com, the character was envisioned as "a lesbian Al Sharpton," as Griffin revealed to NBC.
According to Distractify, the comedian was originally supposed to share a kiss with none other than Detective Benson (Mariska Hargitay) but it was ultimately cut, leading instead to Babs going in for the kill and being denied. Benson is a queer ally, however, as fans learned during this important scene. Elsewhere, Irish Central reports that, during a Wendy Williams interview, Griffin admitted to being terrified of doing Babs justice.
"I was never so scared in my life having that gig 'cause I haven't had an acting job in a long time and that's a serious show. I had diarrhea for two weeks solid ... I lost 10 pounds on that show ... and if I was crying it was probably because I just went to the bathroom," she recalled, after Williams wondered whether Griffin's onscreen tears were real.
The prolific comedian is a vocal LGBTQ+ ally in real life
In an essay for Variety, Kathy Griffin wrote, "As a feminist, one of the reasons I admire the LGBT community so much is that this is what they do so effectively, and frankly, women should learn from it. Women have great, great strides to make. We're not even close to equality, while the LGBT community is so good at working together, legislating, sticking together."
Explaining how difficult it's been working in the male-dominated comedy world, even despite her demonstrable success, Griffin acknowledged that the people watching her perform run the gamut. As a result, she feels it's her duty to spread awareness about causes that are important to her, as well as putting her money where her mouth is and pounding the pavement to make real change happen.
The comedian argued, "I typically find that if someone has an issue with equality, it's because they feel it's something that doesn't touch them. I have met many, many people who were not supportive of the LGBT community until one of their friends or relatives came out — and boy, do they turn around fast." Griffin fought back against the idea that, to demand equality, one has to see queer people struggle first-hand.
She reasoned, "This is a multilayer battle, and it will continue to be. But there's real boots-on-the-ground work to be done." Evidently, Griffin has a little Babs Duffy in her.