Why Alexandra Borgia From Law & Order Looks So Familiar

With an initial run between 1990 and 2010, followed by a revival in 2022, "Law & Order" has garnered a devoted — and opinionated — fanbase, the members of which are partial to different eras within the series. Perhaps you're fond of Chris Noth, or maybe you prefer the Benjamin Bratt years. That's all well and good for the "Law" side of things, but let's not sleep on "Order." Many assistant district attorneys have come and gone over the course of the series' 22-season run, each bringing their own style of prosecuting to the crime procedural.

In Season 15, Alexandra Borgia was appointed by DA Arthur Branch to replace ADA Serena Southerlyn. Hard-working and usually deferential toward her superiors, especially Jack McCoy, Borgia brings an air of professionalism and poise to the DA's office. Unfortunately, her time on the series was short, and Borgia was tragically killed after only 33 episodes on the series (via IMDb). Here's where else you may have seen the actress who plays Borgia.

Born in Anchorage, Alaska and raised in Washington, Annie Parisse began her acting career at Fordham University, where she starred in productions of "Madea" and "Antigone" (via Apple TV), followed by stints as understudy for Joanna Going and Elizabeth Marvel off-Broadway (via Box Angeles).

Six months after graduating, Parisse nabbed her first big role with "As the World Turns." She played the role of Julia Snyder from 1998 to 2002, appearing in 122 episodes, and was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award in 2001 for Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series (via IMDb). Over 20 years later, Parisse realizes how lucky she was to not have to balance auditioning and waitressing for too long. "In retrospect ... that's insane luck," she said on the "Box Angeles" podcast. The now-experienced actress says soap operas are a unique environment within the world of acting. "There would be days where you would have, like, 50 pages of dialogue," she said. "It's really unlike anything I've ever done since."

When Annie Parisse's "As the World Turns" contract was up, she followed the soap with appearances on shows like "Friends" and "Third Watch." In 2003, she had a supporting role in "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days." While Kathryn Hahn, one-time queen bee of the rom-com bestie circuit, plays the unlucky-in-love friend of Kate Hudson's Andie, Andie's other friend, Jeannie (played by Parisse), is a bit more cynical of Benjamin's (Matthew McConaughey) womanizing tactics.

Parisse appeared in more movies soon after. In 2004, she played Dawes in "National Treasure" — one of several FBI agents who are sorely unequipped to catch Nicolas Cage's Benjamin Franklin Gates, especially when he jumps off of the Intrepid into the hazy waters of the Hudson River. The next year, she returned as a rom-com best friend in "Monster-in-Law" alongside Jennifer Lopez. Her character Morgan is a caterer who's happy to lend an ear to Lopez's Charlie.

Following Parisse's role in "Law & Order" from 2005 to 2006, the actress' career began to tilt more heavily toward television (with the exception of films like "Prime" and "Definitely, Maybe"). She appeared in an episode of JJ Abrams' "Fringe," as well as the miniseries "The Pacific" and the Laura Linney-starring "The Big C" (via IMDb).

In 2010, Parisse appeared in seven episodes of AMC's "Rubicon." Written in the same vein as Alan J. Pakula's "Paranoia Trilogy," the short-lived series stars James Badge Dale as Will Travers, an employee at the American Policy Institute with a knack for crosswords and pattern recognition. Parisse played Andy, Will's neighbor and love interest.

Parisse played FBI agent Debra Parker in 14 episodes of "The Following," starring Kevin Bacon and James Purefoy. To prepare for the role, Parisse boned up on her knowledge of cults since her character is a cult specialist. "This is an area of specialty for her that's both an academic specialty and also, obviously, she has a really strong personal connection to," Parisse told TV Guide. "You'd just be amazed what people will do. You really would ... ostensibly normal people. When the right person touches the right button in someone, you can get them to do almost anything."

From 2011 to 2016, Annie Parisse had a recurring role on the sci-fi crime series "Person of Interest." When the series ended, she moved on to "Vinyl." On paper, "Vinyl" should have been a boon for HBO. Created by Mick Jagger and Martin Scorsese and starring Bobby Cannavale, the '70s-set series was a much-anticipated contribution to the network's Winter 2016 lineup. Although "Vinyl" was canceled after one season, it was nonetheless a showcase for its cast, which included Parisse as Andrea Zito. For eight episodes, Parisse played Zito, a PR rep at Coronet Records and ex-flame to Cannavale's Richie.

Following appearances on "The Looming Tower" and "The First," Parisse secured her next big role in "Friends from College." From 2017 to 2019, Parisse played Samantha Delmonico as part of an ensemble cast that included Keegan-Michael Key, Cobie Smulders, Nat Faxon, and Fred Savage. Don't let the chummy title fool you; Parisse's Sam and Key's Ethan are a focal point of conflict, owing to their years-long affair.

Parisse would strengthen her career in FX's "Mrs. America" and Barry Levinson's "Paterno" on HBO.