Diane Neal

{{short description|American actress (born 1976)}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Diane Neal

| image = Diane Neal - Monte-Carlo Television Festival.JPG

| caption = Neal at the 2012 Monte-Carlo Television Festival

| birth_date = {{nowrap|{{birth date and age|1976|11|17}}}}

| birth_place = Alexandria, Virginia, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| party = Independent

| otherparty = Libertarian
Progressive

| citizenship = {{Flatlist|

  • Israel
  • United States

}}

| education = Harvard University (AA)

| occupation = {{Flatlist|

  • Actress
  • model
  • podcaster

}}

| years_active = 2001–present

| credits = {{Plainlist|

}}

| spouse = {{marriage|Marcus O. Fitzgerald|2005|2014|end=div}}

}}

Diane Neal (born November 17, 1976{{r|Old bio}}) is an American actress. She is best known for portraying New York Assistant District Attorney Casey Novak in the television series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit from 2003 to 2012. She is also known for portraying Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS) Special Agent Abigail Borin in the NCIS franchise.

Early life

File:Gday usa2008 dianeneal a.jpg

Neal was born in Alexandria, Virginia,{{r|Old bio}} the youngest of three daughters to Colleen Neal, a math teacher or professor of Jewish descent,{{cite web|url=https://www.thejc.com/life-and-culture/law-order-actress-diane-neal-made-aliyah-after-being-victim-of-unpleasant-antisemitism-in-us-sb5oczcg|title=Law & Order actress Diane Neal made aliyah after being victim of 'unpleasant' antisemitism in US|publisher=The Jewish Chronicle|last=|first=|date=June 14, 2023|access-date=October 10, 2024}} and Christopher "Chris" Neal, a federal attorney of Irish descent. She was raised in Littleton, Arapahoe County, Colorado, with her older sisters Leigh and Erin.{{Cite tweet |user=DianeNeal |number=429993844521054208 |title=I'm from Littleton, Colorado... |date=February 2, 2014}} and Ohio.{{cite web|title=Law & Order: SVU's Diane Neal|url=https://people.com/archive/law-order-svus-diane-neal-vol-62-no-14/|url-status=live|access-date=February 7, 2021|website=People|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170902045650/http://people.com/archive/law-order-svus-diane-neal-vol-62-no-14/ |archive-date=2017-09-02 }} After Neal graduated from Littleton's Heritage High School, she moved to Hawaii to attend college, but later left school to become a model and travel. Neal started modeling for Shiseido and Pond's skin-care ads. After deciding to resume her education, Neal began attending Harvard University's Extension School in 2009, and graduated with an associate degree in May 2018.{{cite news |last=Kemble |first=William J. |date=February 5, 2018 |title=Actress Diane Neal, a Hurley resident, launches independent bid for 19th Congressional District seat |url=http://www.dailyfreeman.com/article/DF/20180205/NEWS/180209829 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180912120456/http://www.dailyfreeman.com/article/DF/20180205/NEWS/180209829 |archive-date=September 12, 2018 |work=The Daily Freeman |location=Kingston, NY}}{{cite news |last=Walsh |first=Colleen |date=May 22, 2018 |title=Diane Neal moves from 'Law & Order' to take aim at making laws in Congress |url=https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2018/05/former-law-order-actress-arresting-new-goal-after-extension-school/ |work=The Harvard Gazette |location=Cambridge, MA}}

Career

= Acting =

Neal first appeared on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as a guest star, playing a rapist in the Season 3 episode "Ridicule". Neal first appeared as Assistant District Attorney Casey Novak in the show's fifth season, replacing Stephanie March, who played Alexandra Cabot.

Neal portrayed Novak through the end of Season 9, when the character exited the series after being censured by the New York State Bar. In 2011, Neal reprised her role as Novak in the Season 12 episode "Reparations", when Novak returned to SVU as their temporary ADA. After that appearance, she became a recurring character in Season 13. She was last seen in the episode "Valentine's Day". Neal said of her return to the series in Season 13 to TV Guide, "It's back on track to what the original SVU was intended to be, which is about sex crimes and crimes against children, it's got more of a nitty-gritty feel." She says that March's and her return to the fictional universe of the series provided a familiarity for viewers following original cast member Chris Meloni's departure. "I think they should put us in the court room together!" she says about March.{{cite news|last=Ross|first=Robyn|date=August 9, 2011|title=VIDEO: Law & Order: SVU's Diane Neal Says Season 13 Has a Nitty-Gritty Feel|work=TV Guide|url=https://www.tvguide.com/news/svu-season-13-1036245/|access-date=February 7, 2018}}

In 2021, Neal starred as Peggy Sue Thomas in the Lifetime movie Circle of Deception.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nickiswift.com/348201/the-one-circle-of-deception-scene-that-made-diane-neal-uncomfortable-exclusive/|title=The One Circle Of Deception Scene That Made Diane Neal Uncomfortable - Exclusive|first=Carson|last=Mlnarik|date=March 4, 2021|website=NickiSwift.com}}

= Congressional run =

{{see also|2018 United States House of Representatives elections in New York#District 19}}

On February 6, 2018, Neal announced that she would run for the U.S. House of Representatives in New York's 19th congressional district as an independent.{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Culture/law-order-svu-star-diane-neal-running-congress/story?id=52904675|title='Law & Order: SVU' star Diane Neal running for Congress in NY|first=George|last=Costantino|date=7 February 2018|website=ABC News|access-date=8 February 2018}} She described her political views as "a little libertarian, I'm a lot liberal, mostly progressive, but I have this amazing ability to be able to take really complicated policy and break it down into edible sound bites, which is something most progressive liberals cannot do." Neal finished with 1% of the vote.{{cite web |url=https://ballotpedia.org/New_York%27s_19th_Congressional_District_election,_2018 |title=New York's 19th Congressional District election, 2018 |date=November 7, 2018 |website=Ballotpedia.org |publisher=Lucy Burns Institute |location=Middleton, Wisconsin}}

= Podcast =

On January 14, 2022, Neal announced that she would be the host of a new comedy and talk podcast named "Hear Say with Diane Neal".{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/DianeNeal/status/1482126068786118659|title='Hear Say with Diane Neal' Announcement|first=Diane|last=Neal|date=22 January 2022|website=Twitter|access-date=3 February 2022}} The podcast is intended to "amuse and enlighten".{{cite web|url=https://westbury.media/podcast/hear-say/introducing-hear-say-with-diane-neal|title=Introducing Hear Say, with Diane Neal|first=Daniel|last=Candelaria|date=22 January 2022|website=Westbury Media|access-date=3 February 2022}}

Personal life

On July 9, 2005, Neal married Irish former model and engineer Marcus O. Fitzgerald in a ceremony in the Dominican Republic.{{cite magazine|date=July 14, 2005|title=Law & Order Star Diane Neal Marries|url=https://people.com/celebrity/law-order-star-diane-neal-marries/|magazine=People|publisher=Time, Inc.|location=New York City}} Neal and Fitzgerald divorced in 2014.{{cite magazine|last=Lim|first=Gene Paul|date=September 3, 2019|title=The Female Stars of NCIS|url=https://www.heraldweekly.com/the-female-stars-of-ncis/26/|magazine=Herald Weekly|location=Ramat Hasharon, Israel}}

Neal was later involved in a relationship with magician JB Benn.{{cite news |last1=Hitt |first1=Tarpley |last2=Briquelet |first2=Kate |date=November 16, 2019 |title='Law & Order SVU' Actress Threatens Ex on Leaked Tape |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/law-and-order-svu-actress-diane-neal-threatens-magician-ex-jb-benn-on-leaked-tape |work=The Daily Beast}} It ended acrimoniously, and in November 2019, Neal became the plaintiff in a lawsuit in which she made allegations against Benn including fraud and identity theft, and she claimed Benn had subjected her to physical and sexual abuse.

In 2013, Neal was involved in a car accident which fractured her spine. In announcing her 2018 Congressional candidacy, Neal indicated that the long recuperation from her injuries had caused her to place her acting career on hold.{{cite news|last=Esch|first=Mary|date=May 2, 2018|title=Law and Order' actress Diane Neal seeks House seat|work=APNews.com|url=https://apnews.com/549bbe13804a453cad946aeb3043c4dd}}

In 2023, after experiencing anti-Semitism in the US, Neal moved to Israel and became an Israeli citizen.{{cite news|last=Swissa|first=Eran|date=March 29, 2023|title=Law & Order's Diane Neal makes aliyah|work=Israel Hayom|url=https://www.israelhayom.com/2023/03/29/law-orders-diane-neal-makes-aliyah/}}

Filmography

= Film =

class="wikitable sortable"
Year

! Title

! Role

! class="unsortable" | Notes

2002Asterix & Obelix: Mission CleopatraCleopatra (voice)English version
2003Dracula II: AscensionElizabeth BlaineVideo
2003Second BornNatasha
2005Dracula III: LegacyElizabeth BlaineVideo
2007BelzerVizionDr. RyanShort film
2011Dirty MovieNancy
2013NewlyweedsManny
2013Mr. JonesThe Scholar
2013Santorini BlueFlorist—"Flowers of the World"
2014AfterKat
2014{{sortname|A|Warden's Ransom|nolink=1}}Warden Samantha Brandt
2015{{sortname|The|Emissary|nolink=1}}ChristineShort film
2021Circle of DeceptionPeggy Sue Thomas

= Television =

class="wikitable sortable"
Year

! Title

! Role

! class="unsortable" | Notes

2001EdVanessa"Loyalties"
2001FlingPrudence Fisher"At the End of the Day"
2001Law & Order: Special Victims UnitAmelia Chase"Ridicule"
2002{{sortname|The|American Embassy}}Molly"Pilot"
2002HackPatricia Bennet"Husbands and Wives"
2003Future TenseTV film
2003–2012Law & Order: Special Victims UnitA.D.A. Casey NovakMain cast: 2003-2008, recurring role: 2011-2012
2005Law & Order: Trial by JuryA.D.A. Casey Novak"Day"
200830 RockErin"Reunion"
2009My Fake FiancéBonnieTV film
2010White CollarKimberly Rice"Front Man"
2010–2014NCISCGIS Special Agent Abigail Borin{{plainlist|

  • Recurring role: Seasons 7–12;
  • "Jurisdiction",
  • "Ships in the Night",
  • "Safe Harbor",
  • "Lost at Sea",
  • "The Namesake",
  • "Oil & Water",
  • "The San Dominick"

}}

2012{{sortname|A|Gifted Man}}Attorney Kim Fletcher"In Case of Complications"
2012–2014SuitsAllison Holt{{plainlist|

  • "Break Point",
  • "Blood in the Water",
  • "Rewind"
  • "No Way Out"

}}

2013Captain BlackoutDaphneTV film
2013This Magic MomentHelena HarrisTV film
2014PowerCynthia SheridanRecurring role
2015NCIS: New OrleansCGIS Special Agent Abigail Borin{{plainlist|

  • "The Abyss",
  • "The Walking Dead",
  • "Rock-a-Bye Baby"

}}

2015{{sortname|The|Following}}Lisa Campbell{{plainlist|

  • "Demons",
  • "A Simple Trade",
  • "Dead or Alive",
  • "The Reckoning"

}}

2015Blue BloodsKelly Blake"Hold Outs"

References

{{cite news|last=Swissa|first=Eran|date=March 29, 2023|title=Law & Order's Diane Neal makes aliyah|work=Israel Hayom|url=https://www.israelhayom.com/2023/03/29/law-orders-diane-neal-makes-aliyah/}}

{{reflist|30em|refs=

{{cite web | title = Big D | website = DianeNeal.com | access-date = 26 December 2015 | url = http://www.dianeneal.com/Diane_Neal/About_Me.html | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090603044949/http://www.dianeneal.com/Diane_Neal/About_Me.html | archive-date = June 3, 2009 | url-status = unfit}}

}}