From CVR to Law & Order – Special Victims Unit

As a teenager in Ormstown, Sarah Hansen Booth used to watch Law and Order – Special Victims Unit. This Wednesday, she will appear in an episode of a program that captivates more than six million American viewers each week.

"I recently moved to Los Angeles with my husband [director and producer Gavin Michael Booth], to follow our dreams," stated the actor. "Landing this role in the United States on the NBC network is huge. It's going to give me so much exposure."

By the end of her audition, however, her expectations were not very high. "I did my audition with my iPhone and sent the clip to New York where shooting was taking place," explained Hansen Booth. The next morning, I heard from my agents that the production team was very interested. They just wanted to know if I was ready to cut my hair and I didn't have to do a second audition."

She will be the guest star on an episode of Law & Order – Special Victims Unit. This spinoff of Law and Order has been airing on the NBC network for 18 years. On February 15, 6.9 million Americans watched the 11th episode of the season live.

A strong character

In the episode No surrender, she interprets the role of Captain Beth Williams, a woman with a strong character serving in the military. "She finds herself in vulnerable situations, but she is a person who is able to shoulder the burden," she outlines. "She doesn't react in a typical way to situations involving sexual aggression. It's as though she has been trained to deal with torture or that kind of aggression."

Although the episode was filmed in November, the actor returned to New York last week. It had been decided to include her character in three new scenes to tie up the episode.

She said it was a real pleasure to work alongside the regular stars in the series like Ice-T and Mariska Hargitay. "I was amazed, I learned so much from her," said the actor. "She's been there since the beginning of the program and has established a Foundation for victims of sexual abuse. She is such a strong woman, I'll always keep track of what she's doing."

Sarah Hansen Booth certainly hopes that her performance will open doors for her. Right now, this actor who appeared in 30 vies in 2011 is doing more auditions in both Canada and the United States. "I filmed four episodes of a series called 21 Thunder for CBC this fall and I'm returning to Toronto in March for a project that I can't talk about," she said. "I would like to continue my career on both sides of the border, but I'm living in the United States to meet people and network."

Translated by Cathleen Johnston