Exclusive: Law & Order: SVU Recruits True Blood's Denis O'Hare -- But There's a Twist!

True Bloodalum Denis O'Hare will guest-star on Law & Order: SVU, TVGuide.com has learned, but this time he'll be answering to a different (read: higher) power than the Vampire Authority.

The Tony winner will play Father Shea, a priest who is pulled from his car and brutally beaten. When the police arrive, they arrest Fin's ex-wife's brother, Sam Randall (Boardwalk Empire's Erik LaRay Harvey). Despite Sam's former criminal record and various stints behind bars, Fin (Ice-T) doesn't think Sam is their man and asks his SVU partners for help getting to the bottom of the case. The episode is tentatively set to air sometime in January.

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In a surprising twist, the episode marks O'Hare's second time playing Father Shea. He originated the character on a 2008 episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent co-written by current SVU showrunner Warren Leight. This is also O'Hare's second stint on SVU, following an appearance in 2000. He guest-starred on the original Law & Order four times, most recently in 2003 playing — wait for it — a priest, Father Hogan.

Aside from his scene-stealing role as Russell Edgington on True Blood, O'Hare earned an Emmy nomination last year for his work on American Horror Story. He most recently reprised his role as Judge Abernathy on The Good Wife.

Law & Order: SVU airs Wednesdays at 9/8c on NBC.