Newlywed Alana De La Garza was 12 when Law & Order premiered. She’s the seventh A.D.A. on the show, sixth in a run of pretty actresses, including Elisabeth Rohm and Angie Harmon, who followed the original assistant, Richard Brooks.

The show goes into its 19th season in January, the longest-running drama currently on TV. It has Gunsmoke’s 20-season all-time record clearly in its sights.

De La Garza, who plays Connie Rubirosa, understands that her role is the most frequent visitor to the show’s well-known casting revolving door. Three seasons is about average, and this one will be her third.

“I’m enjoying it while it lasts,” she told me. “It’s a gift, regardless. If it ends, I can move on with no regrets.”

The blushing bride was reluctant to talk about her personal life, but she says she's having a ball on L & O, especially with all the great Broadway and film actors who drop in for guest roles.

“It’s really hard not to get star-struck,” De La Garza said. “I stand there, ‘Don’t be star-struck! Don’t be star-struck!’”

“This is a special place to be. It’s cool.”

She may be married and all, but it didn’t take De La Garza a very long time to name her all-time favorite male Law & Order cast member” “Benjamin Bratt! Smoking! (and married.).”