Born on July 3, 1965, Connie Nielsen first gained international notice when she starred opposite Russell Crowe in the Oscar-winning Best Picture "Gladiator." Connie Nielsen joined the eighth season of "Law & Order: SVU" as Detective Dani Beck, taking over from Mariska Hargitay who went on maternity leave. The six-episode run marks Nielsen's first prime time appearance on American television in her extensive film career. Dani Beck is a multi-lingual warrants detective who comes from a specialized unit of the New York City Police. She is assigned to the Special Victims Unit as Elliot Stabler's partner after his previous partner, Olivia Benson, is reassigned to a special temporary operation with the FBI. Beck is portrayed as a dedicated cop, to the point of being described as "overzealous" by Cragen.