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LAUER: Up next, actor Vincent D'Onofrio of NBC's "Law & Order: Criminal Intent," right after these messages.

ANN CURRY, co-host: Actor Vincent D'Onofrio plays such unique characters, you may not always recognize him. Fifteen years ago, he was cast in his first major feature, "Full Metal Jacket," a gritty tale of Vietnam War atrocities. Then there was the 1997 blockbuster sci-fi comedy "Men In Black", where he played an intergalactic villain. In 2000, it was a chilling role as a serial killer in the dark film, "The Cell", with Jennifer Lopez. Well now, Vincent D'Onofrio, is laying down the law on the small screen, starring as Detective Robert Goren in NBC's "Law & Order: Criminal Intent." He also has a new movie opening in theaters today called "Imposter."

Vincent D'Onofrio, good morning and welcome.

Mr. VINCENT D'ONOFRIO ("Imposter"): Good morning to you.

CURRY: You, know, we should tell people that you were originally scheduled to be here some, about three months ago, and

Mr. D'ONOFRIO: That's right.

CURRY: . . . when 9/11 happened. And what you said at the time, you were interviewed by a reporter after -- at that time, and what you said said so much about you. You said, quote, "as an actor, I feel completely insignificant. I feel that what I do for a living has so little to do with anything that is good for us as a people. There is no way for me not to feel effective. Talk to me three months from now and hopefully America will be in a better situation. I'm going to be gung ho about what I do for a living again. We all are, hopefully." It has now been three months later, and what do you have to say about how you now feel about your work in America?

Mr. D'ONOFRIO: Well, I still think it's a -- a trying time, like -- like we all do. I think we're all a bit nervous about the world. But I can tell that New York is -- is back. I mean, it's not so mushy any more and people are stealing cabs from people and, you know, things are happening again in the city.

CURRY: And how about you and how you look at your career and your work? Are you feeling . . .

Mr. D'ONOFRIO: Well, I'm back. I'm back to work and back to taking care of my family and -- and -- and -- and -- and, you know, I'm feeling like I'm a storyteller again and that what happened is not overshadowing my life so much any more as it was. I think as it was for everybody.

CURRY: Critics, you know, think more -- think about your work in this way, they say, they go further. They say that your work on "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" is so good that you actually steal the show, that you are fascinating to watch, not only by the audience but also by the characters who watch you act as this investigator. You play Robert Goren, who's a very unusual guy. Tell us about him.

Mr. D'ONOFRIO: Yeah. It is an interesting character for television, especially for Dick Wolf's "Law & Order." The structure, the way they do those shows. He -- Dick Wolf and -- and Rene Balcer, the head writer, came up with an idea of making an interior character fit into that "Law & Order" format. It's a very difficult thing to do on television, interior characters, because you actually have to stop and let the character think, which is a strange thing for television because it's all about store, story, story, story, story. And it just seems to be working. It's a kind of Sherlock Hoomes character. It just seems to be working.

CURRY: Sherlock Ho--Holmes, really, with sort of an edge. I mean, some might call him eccentric. Would you call him a little eccentric?

Mr. D'ONOFRIO: Yeah, yeah. He leans in that direction. He'll be leaning a little more in that direction as the years go by, you know.

CURRY: You know, looking back at all the clips you've done, some of the clips of the movies you've done, you've done so many, what, 40, 50 feature films, or 40?

Mr. D'ONOFRIO: Something like that.

CURRY: Something like that. It's hard to count. You know, some might say that you kind of choose eccentric characters. I mean, do you . . .

Mr. D'ONOFRIO: I do.

CURRY: . . . think they -- you choose them, they choose you? Or do--do--do they become eccentric in your handling, do you think?

Mr. D'ONOFRIO: Well, I've set -- I've out to be a character actor almost 20 years ago. And that's exactly what I--I've become. And so yeah, I pick things that interest me. I don't care what genre it is or how crazy an idea it is. If it interests me, I'll be there. It doesn't mean the movie's going to be successful or it might be successful, who knows, but that's just what I like to do. It keeps me interested in making films. And now with the television show, I have this -- I have this show that I can stay in the city with my family and -- and do, and then I can still do two films a year. And so I can make it even more specific choices and take my time with the kind of films that I do.

CURRY: Let's take a look at one of your choices lately. It's call the Im -- "Imposter." It's got Gary Sinise and Madeleine Stowe. And your character is out to prove that Sinise is a simulated human out to destroy the earth. Let's take a look at a clip.

(Clip from "Imposter" shown.)

CURRY: You're intense but you're a good guy, really. You're trying to help society in this movie.

Mr. D'ONOFRIO: I'm a patriot, yeah.

CURRY: Yeah, What's the best part about doing this movie?

Mr. D'ONOFRIO: Well, in that scene, I mean, I can't help but think about how good it was to work with Gary Sinise. he's one of the best actors we have around in America. And it was just fabulous. A friend of mine, Gary Fleder, directed it. He's a very good director. He knows how to make this kind of film, which is a very fast-moving, exciting, kind of thriller with this like amazing ending. He's - Gary Fleder's a really good director and -- to work with. It was just a great -- a great time, you know.

CURRY: Well, a lot of us have a great time watching you, Vincent D'Onofrio...

Mr. D'ONOFRIO: Thanks.

CURRY: ... thank you this morning for being here.

Mr. D'ONOFRIO: Thank you.

CURRY: Fun talking with you.

Mr. D'ONOFRIO: Thanks.

CURRY: "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" airs Sunday nights at 9, 8 Central time, right here on NBC. And "Imposter" is in theaters today.