BRAVO'S 'INSIDE THE ACTORS STUDIO' SPRINGS INTO MAY WITH BACK-TO-BACK WEEKS OF STAR-STUDDED PREMIERES

NEW PREMIERES TO FEATURE LANDMARK 200TH GUEST DUSTIN HOFFMAN, THE FIRST EVER ENCORE GUEST TOM HANKS, AS WELL AS VETERAN ACTORS TIM ALLEN, DON CHEADLE, ROBERT DOWNEY JR., AND THE CAST OF 'LAW & ORDER' IN ALL NEW PREMIERES BEGINNING SUNDAY, MAY 7 AT 9:00PM/ET

NEW YORK -- April 5, 2006 -- Bravo rolls out the red carpet this spring with back-to-back weeks of Hollywood's brightest stars on "Inside the Actors Studio". New premieres will feature "Inside the Actors Studio's" 200th guest Dustin Hoffman and the first ever encore guest Tom Hanks, plus reknown actors Tim Allen, Don Cheadle, Robert Downey Jr, and the cast of "Law & Order" as they sit down with host James Lipton to share their craft. The eleven time-nominated series kicks-off the star-packed schedule with the cast of "Law & Order", airing on Sunday, May 7, at 9:00pm/ET.

Below are brief bios and airdates of our upcoming guests:

CAST OF "LAW & ORDER": The longest running crime series on TV, "Law & Order" is entering its 16th season and has spawned an entire chain including "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit." Filmed entirely in New York City, each series follows a crime from the initial investigation to the intricate workings of the criminal court system. Series creator Dick Wolf joins cast members Chris Noth ("Law & Order," "Law & Order: CI"), Christopher Meloni ("Law & Order: SVU") and S. Epatha Merkeson ("Law & Order") to discuss the wildly popular franchise that has become a pop culture phenomenon. Premieres Sunday, May 7, 9:00pm ET

TOM HANKS: Oscar award-winning actor Tom Hanks is known as one of America's most sought after stars. Hanks rose to stardom as a romantic comedy lead in 80's and 90's films that have become cinema classics such as "The Money Pit," "Splash," "Big," and "Sleepless in Seattle." Not one to be type-cast, Hanks moved seamlessly into drama, scoring back-to-back Oscars for his landmark role as a gay man infected with AIDS in "Philadelphia" and for his simple and honest portrayal of the title role in "Forrest Gump." Hanks continues to be one of the most in demand actors of today, having starred in recent blockbusters such as "Cast Away," "Catch Me If You Can" and "The Polar Express." He also plays the title role in the to be released adaptation of the best-selling novel "The Da Vinci Code." Premieres Sunday, May 14, 9:00pm ET

DON CHEADLE: Originally known for his portrayal of the district attorney on the popular show "Picket Fences," Cheadle has risen to fame steadily in some of Hollywood's biggest films. Roles in prominent movies such as "Boogie Nights," "Out of Sight," "Traffic," "Swordfish," "Ocean's Eleven," and "Ocean's Twelve" made Cheadle a household name and a name at the top of many director's lists. Steven Soderbergh, his director for multiple films during his career, has been quoted as saying Cheadle is one of his favorite actors to work with. His performance in "Hotel Rwanda" earned him best actor nominations for both the Golden Globes and the Academy Awards in 2005. Most recently he appeared in the Oscar-winning ensemble drama "Crash." Premieres Sunday, May 21, 8:00pm ET

TIM ALLEN: One of America's favorite funny men, Tim Allen has stretched the landscape of entertainment - in TV, film and literature - throughout his career. Though he started off as a stand-up comedian, Allen found notoriety in TV. At one point in the mid- '90s, Allen experienced exposure across multiple media - TV, film and publishing. He was the star of the most watched TV show, "Home Improvement", the leading man of the #1 movie in America, "The Santa Clause", and author of the best-selling book "Don't Stand Too Close to a Naked Man" simultaneously. "Home Improvement" had a successful run from 1991-1999 and won Allen a Golden Globe. Allen was able to shift easily into other major films such as "Toy Story" and "Toy Story 2," "The Santa Clause" and "The Santa Clause 2," "Joe Somebody," "Christmas with the Kranks" and starred in the recently released "Shaggy Dog." Premieres Sunday, May 28, 9:00pm ET

ROBERT DOWNEY JR.: Born in New York City as the son of an underground filmmaker, Downey was exposed to film and the arts at a young age. He held down a number of odd jobs in New York before joining the cast of "Saturday Night Live" when he was just 20 years old. After one season, he moved to Hollywood to pursue film, and quickly became a teenage heartthrob. After roles in movies like "Weird Science," "Less Than Zero," and "Chances Are," Downey was ready to leave behind his teen image and show his serious side in the title role of "Chaplin." He was rewarded with an Oscar nomination. Though his career is peppered with drug addiction and trouble with the law, Downey rebounded with his successful stint on the popular TV series "Ally McBeal," and was able to make his mark in films such as "Wonder Boys," "Gothika," "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang," and "Good Night, and Good Luck." Premieres Sunday, June 4, 9:00pm ET

DUSTIN HOFFMAN: Widely considered one of the most prominent actors of his time, Hoffman has dotted the film landscape with his memorable performances and landmark roles. Born in Los Angeles, Hoffman originally planned to be a concert pianist before turning to acting. He gained experience at the Pasadena Playhouse for two years, honing his craft before moving to New York City. There Hoffman worked a series of odd jobs before landing bit parts in Broadway and off-Broadway shows. He made his film debut with "The Tiger Makes Out", but didn't gain infamy until his breakout role in "The Graduate." His performance earned him an Oscar nomination, and led to other memorable and Oscar-nominated roles in "Midnight Cowboy," "Rainman" and "Kramer vs. Kramer." Hoffman also went on to produce and star in many movies such as "Tootsie" and "Wag the Dog," and also returned to Broadway as Willy Loman in "Death of a Salesman." Premieres Sunday, June 11, 9:00 pm ET

Bravo is the cable network that plugs people into arts, entertainment and pop culture with original programming, acclaimed drama series, movies, comedy and music specials, and by showing a whole different side of celebrities. Currently available in more than 80 million homes, Bravo is known for breaking exciting new personalities, shaking up the way we look at style, media, fame and Hollywood, pulling back the curtain on the creative process and making influential and inventive original programming. Its critically acclaimed and award-winning original programming includes "Blow Out", "Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List", "Inside the Actors Studio," "Celebrity Poker Showdown," as well as the 2004 Emmy winner for Outstanding Reality Program, "Queer Eye" and the Emmy-nominated hit competition series, "Project Runway."

Bravo is a program service of NBC Universal Cable Entertainment, a division of NBC Universal one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Bravo has been a NBC Cable Network since December 2002 and was the first television service dedicated to film and the performing arts when it launched in December 1980. For more information visit www.bravotv.com.