John Stamos only appears in one episode of Law & Order: SVU, but that one role changed his life. Law & Order: SVU is just one of the many TV shows in producer Dick Wolf's expansive TV universe. It's the first spin-off series of the original show and has since surpassed the 23 seasons of the original police procedural. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (SVU) depicts an elite squad of detectives in the New York City Police Department's 16th precinct in Manhattan. These detectives deal with crimes considered especially heinous, including human trafficking and sexually oriented crimes.
Over the many seasons of Law & Order: SVU, numerous guest stars have appeared for either one-episode appearances or short arcs. One of the multitude of actors to guest star is John Stamos. Stamos, instantly recognizable for his co-starring role in Full House as "Uncle" Jesse Katsopolis, has had a long career in serious roles and successfully riffing on his own persona and looks. Something of a Hollywood celebrity emeritus, Stamos' performances are special to a lot of people, but his role on Law & Order: SVU may be the most special to him.
John Stamos Played Reproductive Abuser Ken Turner On Law & Order SVU
John Stamos appears in Law & Order: SVU season 12, episode 22, "Bang", which aired on May 4, 2011. In the episode, Stamos plays Ken Turner, a prominent attorney in the area. When the SVU detectives are called in about a missing baby case, they discover that Ken is a serial reproductive abuser, that is, someone who forces others to go along with their reproductive wants and desires. In Ken's case, this means fathering over 47 children with as many women. The problem is that what Ken is doing isn't against the law. His behavior is horrible but not illegal.
So when Ken turns up dead with his chest exploded, the SVU agents are troubled, but not altogether upset, to find him. It's one of the stranger cases in Law & Order: SVU. The villain is not doing anything against the law, tying the SVU team's hands, but he's still a reprehensible figure. So, when another party resorts to vigilante justice to kill him, the SVU team has a crisis of heart. Though they don't necessarily feel bad for the man, he was still murdered, and the culprit has to be found.
Stamos' smarmy smile is put to excellent use here, and it's not hard to see why someone would be interested in him when he lays on the charm. He can flip from loving to callous in a moment and expertly portrays someone who can't wrap their head around the consequences of their actions. It would almost be easy to sympathize if the evidence of all his abandoned children weren't so apparent.
Stamos Met His Wife Caitlin McHugh On The SVU Set
Stamos ended with something even better than a story about being on Law & Order: SVU — he ended up meeting his wife on set. Caitlin McHugh also guest starred in "Bang". She plays Stacy, one of the women whom Ken seduces, and the woman who shows the detectives evidence of Ken punching holes in condoms. Stamos went on The Jess Cagle Show and explained the story. The pair had a long friendly texting relationship before they officially started dating, but now are married and have a baby together. Stamos makes a cheeky reference to his character in the interview,
