Carrie's Mother on Law & Order: SVU!

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit scored a November sweeps coup by casting three-time Oscar nominee Piper Laurie in tomorrow's episode, "Care" (airing 10 pm/ET on NBC). Best known as the psycho mama to Sissy Spacek's psychic teen in Carrie, she'll play an earthy grandma caught up in a murder investigation on SVU.

"I always like to do new things — it keeps me alive and on my toes," the L&#038O fan tells TV Guide Online. "I'm even happy that they used such an unforgiving lens on me and [no] makeup! It's not flattering, but I think it adds to the character."

As in Carrie, Laurie also played a crazy shrew in the cult phenom Twin Peaks. "It's great release and great fun to be bad," she enthuses. "But on the other hand, it's wonderful to play someone who is genuinely a good person. When I'm not playing nice, everyone on the set does their work and is professional. But when you play a good person, it's amazing how people treat you! They just can't do enough for you... They seem to attach your role to what they feel about you."

Hmm... so how did folks on the SVU set treat the veteran actress? Well, to answer that query might reveal too much about her latest kooky character. "I haven't even told my family and friends," admits Laurie, who begs us to keep the story's twists a secret. Shh! We'll never tell.