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Emil Skoda (Law & Order)
Encyclopedia
Emil Skoda, M.D. is a fictional character
on the TV crime dramas Law & Order
and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
. He also appeared once each in Law & Order: Criminal Intent
and New York Undercover
. He is portrayed by J. K. Simmons
.
Dr. Skoda is a psychiatrist
who works with the New York Police Department. In addition to his own private practice, he often testifies for the prosecution as an expert witness
on whether a defendant is legally sane to stand trial. He also profiles suspects and offers advice to the District Attorney
s regarding witnesses' and suspects' mental state.
Skoda has appeared in three of the four American-based incarnations of Law & Order
: the original series, Law & Order: Criminal Intent
, and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
. He has also made a crossover
appearance on New York Undercover
, another series produced by Dick Wolf
and set in the same fictional universe.
Unlike his predecessor, Dr. Elizabeth Olivet
, almost nothing has been revealed about Skoda's personal life. One exception occurs in the episode "Burned," in which he compares a teenage suspect to his own son and admits that he enjoys rollerblading and Nintendo
.
Skoda is also far more skeptical than Olivet of defendants pleading insanity, and quicker to believe they were faking to avoid prison. In more than one episode, both Skoda and Olivet are hired to evaluate a suspect, and argue over the appropriate diagnosis. The two doctors have radically different training and education: Olivet is a clinical psychologist
with a Ph.D.
earned through graduate studies and a research-based dissertation; whereas Skoda is a physician, a doctor of medicine
specializing in psychiatry. Skoda also has differences in philosophy with Captain Donald Cragen
, with whom he argued passionately on cases.
As has often taken place in the Law & Order franchise, Simmons first appeared as a different character — Jerry Luppin in the Season 4 episode "Sanctuary".
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
on the TV crime dramas Law & Order
Law & Order
Law & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,...
and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it is also primarily produced...
. He also appeared once each in Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Law & Order: Criminal Intent is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it was also primarily produced. Created and produced by Dick Wolf and René Balcer, the series premiered on September 30, 2001, as the second spin-off of Wolf's successful crime drama...
and New York Undercover
New York Undercover
New York Undercover is an American police drama that aired on the FOX television network from 1994 to 1998. The series starred Malik Yoba as Detective J.C. Williams and Michael DeLorenzo as Detective Eddie Torres, two undercover detectives in New York City's 4th Precinct who were assigned to...
. He is portrayed by J. K. Simmons
J. K. Simmons
Jonathan Kimble "J. K." Simmons is an American actor. He is best known for his roles on television as Dr. Emil Skoda in NBC's Law & Order , Assistant Police Chief Will Pope in TNT's The Closer, neo-Nazi Vernon Schillinger in the HBO prison drama Oz, on film as J...
.
Dr. Skoda is a psychiatrist
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
who works with the New York Police Department. In addition to his own private practice, he often testifies for the prosecution as an expert witness
Expert witness
An expert witness, professional witness or judicial expert is a witness, who by virtue of education, training, skill, or experience, is believed to have expertise and specialised knowledge in a particular subject beyond that of the average person, sufficient that others may officially and legally...
on whether a defendant is legally sane to stand trial. He also profiles suspects and offers advice to the District Attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
s regarding witnesses' and suspects' mental state.
Skoda has appeared in three of the four American-based incarnations of Law & Order
Law & Order franchise
The Law & Order franchise is a number of related American television series created by Dick Wolf and originally broadcast on NBC, all of which deal with some aspect of the criminal justice system...
: the original series, Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Law & Order: Criminal Intent is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it was also primarily produced. Created and produced by Dick Wolf and René Balcer, the series premiered on September 30, 2001, as the second spin-off of Wolf's successful crime drama...
, and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it is also primarily produced...
. He has also made a crossover
Fictional crossover
A fictional crossover is the placement of two or more otherwise discrete fictional characters, settings, or universes into the context of a single story. They can arise from legal agreements between the relevant copyright holders, or because of unauthorized efforts by fans, or even amid common...
appearance on New York Undercover
New York Undercover
New York Undercover is an American police drama that aired on the FOX television network from 1994 to 1998. The series starred Malik Yoba as Detective J.C. Williams and Michael DeLorenzo as Detective Eddie Torres, two undercover detectives in New York City's 4th Precinct who were assigned to...
, another series produced by Dick Wolf
Dick Wolf
Richard Anthony "Dick" Wolf is an American producer, specializing in crime dramas such as Miami Vice and the Law & Order franchise. Throughout his career he has won several awards including an Emmy Award and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.-Early life:Wolf was born in New York City, the son...
and set in the same fictional universe.
Unlike his predecessor, Dr. Elizabeth Olivet
Elizabeth Olivet
Dr. Elizabeth Olivet is a fictional character on the TV crime drama Law & Order. She was portrayed by Carolyn McCormick from 1991 to 1997 and in 1999. The character was revived in 2002, but made far less frequent appearances on the show....
, almost nothing has been revealed about Skoda's personal life. One exception occurs in the episode "Burned," in which he compares a teenage suspect to his own son and admits that he enjoys rollerblading and Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
.
Skoda is also far more skeptical than Olivet of defendants pleading insanity, and quicker to believe they were faking to avoid prison. In more than one episode, both Skoda and Olivet are hired to evaluate a suspect, and argue over the appropriate diagnosis. The two doctors have radically different training and education: Olivet is a clinical psychologist
Clinical psychology
Clinical psychology is an integration of science, theory and clinical knowledge for the purpose of understanding, preventing, and relieving psychologically-based distress or dysfunction and to promote subjective well-being and personal development...
with a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
earned through graduate studies and a research-based dissertation; whereas Skoda is a physician, a doctor of medicine
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
specializing in psychiatry. Skoda also has differences in philosophy with Captain Donald Cragen
Donald Cragen
Donald "Don" Cragen is a fictional character in the police procedural and legal drama television series Law & Order and its spinoff Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, played by Dann Florek.-Character appearances:...
, with whom he argued passionately on cases.
As has often taken place in the Law & Order franchise, Simmons first appeared as a different character — Jerry Luppin in the Season 4 episode "Sanctuary".
External links
- Dr. Emil Skoda at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...