The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star had the morbid honor of being Law & Order’s first mysterious dead body.

While legions of stars can say they’ve appeared on Law & Order, only an elite few can say they starred in the pilot that would later inspire a cultural craze. And Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Erika Jayne has the highest honor of all: She was Law & Order’s first victim.

Long before becoming an icon within the Bravoverse, Jayne made a living as an actress and entertainer, making her first-ever acting appearance in Law & Order’s pilot episode. Sure, it wasn’t a big speaking role, but the 18-year-old Jayne left an indelible mark on Dick Wolf’s sprawling TV universe by appearing in the pilot that would later inspire hundreds of investigations.

From portraying the first victim in Law & Order to becoming a celebrated reality TV star and entertainer, Jayne’s career has been anything but boring, which is why we’re looking back at where it all began.

Who did Erika Jayne play on Law & Order?

Jayne made her on-screen debut with a guest appearance in Law & Order’s pilot (“Prescription for Death”). Jayne played Suzanne Morton, a young woman killed by medical negligence after a routine trip to the doctor.

In other words, Jayne played the show’s first mystifying dead body that had the detectives scratching their heads. “I died,” Jayne recalled in an interview with Playbill. “The doctor gave me the wrong medicine, and I died. I wasn’t murdered, but it was negligence.”

Jayne’s appearance in Law & Order’s pilot led to a real who-done-it, but it wasn’t her last time hearing the show’s iconic Dun Dun. Jayne returned to make an uncredited appearance in a 1991 episode of Law & Order, guest starring in Season 1, Episode 14 (“The Violence of Summer”) as the girlfriend of an accused gang leader.

Erika Jayne visits SiriusXM at SiriusXM Studios on January 7, 2025 in New York City; Detective Maxwell “Max” Greevey (George Dzundza), Executive A.D.A. Ben Stone (Michael Moriarty), A.D.A. Paul Robinette (Richard Brooks), Detective Mike Logan (Chris Noth) in Law & Order Season 1. Photo: Theo Wargo/Getty Images; NBC

RHOBH’s Erika Jayne talks about her Law & Order debut

Jayne’s guest appearance was a brief but jaw-dropping debut, an experience that the RHOBH star still looks back on fondly. Despite being a reality TV sensation and applauded Broadway star nowadays, Jayne still remembers her Law & Order era vividly. After previously confirming the procedural cameo on social media in 2019, she reflected on the ill-fated role while speaking with Playbill.

“It’s wild because I remember the day that I auditioned, and the director asked me to lay down on this couch and convulse,” Jayne recalled laughing. “I — hand to God. And I did, and he was like, ‘Well, that’s really good!’”

It was so good, in fact, that it led to several booked roles afterward. The 53-year-old went on to star in several projects, such as the 1992 film Fly By Night and 1996’s Lowball. By the 2000s, Jayne began recording music, delivering several infectious pop singles, and performing in a Las Vegas residency in 2023.

After making a brief appearance in Sharknado 4: The 4th Awakens in 2016, Jayne made waves as the energizing real estate hot-shot Farrah Dubose on the soap opera The Young and the Restless, starring alongside RHOBH alum Eileen Davidson. Since 2015, however, Jayne’s starring role on RHOBH has stolen the spotlight as she continues mingling with her fellow divas on the West Coast.

Watch Law & Order on Thursdays at 8/7c on NBC and the next day on Peacock.