The Law & Order: SVU Star You Likely Didn't Know Voiced TARS From Interstellar
The crime drama "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" is going on its 23rd year on the air, and in that time, the show has aired over 500 episodes. Its longevity is pretty unheard of in the realm of TV. In fact, the series was renewed through Season 24 in 2020 (via Deadline), earning it the title of the longest-running live-action show in history (per Insider). Additionally, Deadline reported that actor Mariska Hargitay, who stars as Captain Olivia Benson, made history with the series' upcoming 24th season as the longest-running character in a live-action series airing during primetime.
While leading the Special Victims Unit of the NYPD, Benson sees some truly horrific things. Along with her coworkers Sergeant Odafin "Fin" Tutuola (Ice-T), Detective Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni), and Detective Amanda Rollins (Kelli Giddish), her team investigates especially vicious crimes. With such a dark workload, it's no surprise Benson eventually turns to a therapist named Dr. Peter Lindstrom, played by Bill Irwin, for some help. Interestingly enough, you may recognize Irwin just on his voice alone thanks to a blockbuster film he starred in.
Bill Irwin voices TARS in Interstellar
Actor Bill Irwin makes his debut in "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" as Dr. Peter Lindstrom at the end of the dramatic Season 15 premiere. In the episode, titled "Surrender Benson," Benson (Mariska Hargitay) is kidnapped by William Lewis (Pablo Schreiber), but after escaping, she handcuffs him and beats him up while he taunts her. To deal with the trauma of the kidnapping, she seeks out the help of Dr. Lindstrom, who talks her through her internal struggles for several episodes. Although Irwin only appears in a total of 16 episodes (via IMDb), he surely makes a mark on the show, as his character helps bring to light the trauma Benson goes through as part of her job.
While you may not recognize Irwin on appearance alone, his voice likely sounds familiar thanks to his role in the Christopher Nolan film "Interstellar." Irwin voices TARS, one of the highly intelligent tactical robots onboard the Endurance along with Cooper (Matthew McConaughey). Despite being a robot, TARS has a witty and sarcastic personality, which prompts Cooper to turn down his "humor" and "honesty" settings. Not only does Irwin voice TARS, but according to Business Insider, he also had to operate the robot's heavy machinery that weighed about 200 pounds.