Why You Recognize Chicago Med Guest Star CCH Pounder
CCH Pounder has been delivering dynamite guest performances for Dick Wolf since the 1980s.
With a four-decade career in film and television under her belt, CCH Pounder is a Hollywood veteran. And she's making her way over to Chicago Med for a guest appearance.
She's more than ready for the job. Whether it's a crime drama like Law & Order or a sci-fi blockbuster like Avatar, Pounder always delivers a dynamite performance packed with magnetic energy and infallible chemistry with her co-stars. She'll continue this trend in Season 10, Episode 12 of Chicago Med (airing February 5), where she plays the therapist of Sharon Goodwin (S. Epatha Merkerson).
But before you watch CCH Pounder take on Gaffney Chicago Medical Center, let's revisit some of her best-known projects, including her stint on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit:
Who did CCH Pounder play on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit?
Pounder played Carolyn Maddox on SVU, a whip-smart defense attorney with a private practice. Notorious for her high-profile clientele and aggressive courtroom strategies, Maddox was one of the most feared defense lawyers in the Big Apple, causing many a headache for Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni) on SVU.
Maddox excelled in sowing doubt amongst the jury, making her first SVU appearance in Season 3, Episode 10 ("Ridicule"), when she was asked to represent a fellow defense attorney. Pounder's Maddox would go on to make four additional guest appearances on SVU, typically on the opposing end of the courtroom chaos.
After appearing in Season 5 and Season 7 to duke it out against the squad, Season 10, Episode 3 ("Swing") saw Maddox in a new light after Stabler tapped her for help on a personal case. Stabler was desperate for a courtroom miracle after his daughter got into legal trouble, which inspired him to call Maddox. She was surprised to get the call, but Stabler needed a legal shark, and Maddox was "the deadliest" one he knew.
Maddox's final SVU appearance was in Season 12, Episode 9 ("Gray"), when she represented a murderer named Chuck Mills, played by Chicago Fire star Charlie Barnett.
RELATED: 25 Celebrities Who Guest Starred On Law & Order: SVU
CCH Pounder's movies and TV shows
Pounder began acting in the late 1970s, but her breakthrough came in the 1980s after she joined the cast of several iconic films, such as 1985's Prizzi's Honor, where she starred alongside Hollywood heavyweights Jack Nicholson and Kathleen Turner.
Pounder continued to showcase her versatility in films like RoboCop 3 (1993) and Face/Off (1997), where she delivered strong supporting performances. Pounder continued this trend in 2009 after she stepped into the world of James Cameron's Avatar, where she played Mo'at, the spiritual leader of the Na'vi. Pounder reprised her role as Mo'at in the 2022 sequel Way of Water.
Pounder's connection to Dick Wolf goes back decades; she made her television debut in a 1981 episode of Hill Street Blues (of which Wolf was a writer on). Outside of the Wolf universe, she scored her first Emmy nomination in 1995 thanks to a guest appearance on The X-Files. She then appeared on ER as Dr. Angela Hicks, which earned her another Emmy nomination in 1997.
RELATED: Where to Watch and Stream Chicago Med
Pounder made a lasting impression as Detective Claudette Wyms in the action series The Shield, scoring another Emmy nomination. She's also appeared in Sons of Anarchy, L.A. Law, Revenge, NCIS: New Orleans, and The Good Fight.
Watch Chicago Med Wednesdays at 8/7c on NBC and the next day on Peacock.
