Your favourite stars probably appeared on Law & Order before hitting the big time.

It’s a joke within Hollywood circles that every Tom, Dick and Harry of the acting world got their start on Law & Order during the show’s glory years.

But James Corden has proved this is no joke. The crime drama was basically a star sausage factory.

Corden used his gig as host of Broadway's Tony Awards to show just how closely linked the ceremony is to Law & Order, which every week in its heydey of the 90s and 2000s needed to fill the parts of fresh victims and criminals.

Corden quipped that while viewers might not know their favourite Broadway actors up for awards by name, they would recognise them from the small screen. He went onto rattle off a list of nominees "best known" for their Law & Order guest parts.

The camera first pans to Claire Danes, who Corden says we will know from her "iconic role" of Tracy Brandt in Law & Order. Met with an outpouring of laughter, Corden then diverts to Billy Porter and Hamilton co-stars Daveed Diggs and Leslie Odom Jr who also happened to appear together in the classic TV show.

But the actor at the gala with the most prolific Law & Order CV was Fiddler on the Roof actor Danny Burstein, who scored an impressive six guest spots.

It's worth noting that other A-listers known for whom Law & Order served as a gateway for bigger jobs include Jennifer Garner, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Peter Sarsgaard, Ty Burrell, Rooney and Kate Mara.

And about 30 cast members of Netflix hit Orange is the New Black first did their bit on the long-running crime show.

So there you have it. The roads to great acting begin at Law & Order.

The team behind the Tony Awards has also been praised for its diverse list of nominees and winners - in stark contrast to the Academy Awards which were this year plagued by the #OscarsSoWhite boycott. In fact, four musical acting awards were won by black actors.

For the first time in #TonyAwards history, all four musical acting awards have gone to people of color.

— The Tony Awards (@TheTonyAwards) June 13, 2016

"Think of tonight as the Oscars, but with diversity,” host Corden joked in his opening address. While people are still reeling from the Orlando massacre, many took the time to give kudos to the Tonys, remembering there is some good in the world.

Why I love the Tonys: -diversity is present -genuine and hard working people -the magic of theatre -love is shown to all — Elle Hope (@Ldancingqueen) June 13, 2016