The Season 21 premiere for Law & Order: SVU arrived on Thursday on NBC. The first episode brought another controversial crime ripped from the headlines. It was a “casting couch” theme involving a powerful media mogul and actresses trying to get work. At the center of the story was the mogul, Sir Toby Moore, played by actor Ian McShane.
McShane’s acting career includes Golden Globe win
Ian McShane is an award-nominated and winning actor. He was born in Blackburn, Lancashire, England on September 29, 1942. His acting career really started in the early 1960s when he played Harry Brown in the drama/romance film Young and Willing.
He’d go on to star in an assortment of TV and movie roles from there. That included a recurring role as Heathcliff in 1967’s Wuthering Heights TV series and parts in the mini-series Roots and Jesus of Nazareth. As his IMDB mentions, he’s played a collection of “scoundrels, kings, mobsters, and thugs.”
However, Ian McShane’s best career move was joining the cast of the show Deadwood. He took on the key role of Al Swearengen. In 2004, he picked up the Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama. He reprised that role in the 2019 TV movie this past May.
In more recent years, McShane played the villainous Blackbeard in Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides and Winston in the John Wick films starring Keanu Reeves. He’s also been a part of shows American Gods, Kings, and Ray Donovan, making him a familiar face to many viewers.
Ian McShane as Sir Toby Moore
On Season 21, Episode 1 of Law & Order: SVU, Ian McShane takes on the role of the heinous Sir Toby Moore. The character seems based on several other controversial media moguls who have been mentioned in scandalous headlines. L&O has Moore as the man at the top in charge of a Netflix-type streaming content provider.
#SVU21 Congratulations to Carmen Berkeley making her TV debut with the great Ian McShane. pic.twitter.com/MP3CmFi35n
— Peter Blauner (@peterblauner) September 27, 2019
However, his character attempts to use his power to prey upon actresses attempting to land acting work. That leads the SVU team to try to take him down, although it’s a tricky game due to his power, fame, and influence. Ian McShane provides the perfect foil for the squad as Season 21 gets off to a roaring start.
Viewers can watch new episodes of “Law & Order: SVU” every Thursday at 10/9c on NBC.