Diane Neal

Diane Neal is an American-Israeli actress born on November 17, 1975, in Alexandria, Virginia, the youngest of three daughters born to Colleen Neal, a math teacher of Jewish descent, and Christopher Neal, a federal attorney of Irish descent. She grew up in Littleton, Arapahoe County, Colorado, alongside her older sisters Leigh and Erin, and later also lived in Ohio. After completing her education at Heritage High School in Littleton, Neal relocated to Hawaii to pursue college studies before leaving to work as a model, appearing in advertisements for Shiseido and Pond's skin-care products. She subsequently enrolled at Harvard University's Extension School in 2009 and earned an associate degree in May 2018.

Neal is best known for her television work, particularly her portrayal of New York Assistant District Attorney Casey Novak on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. She first appeared on the series as a guest star in the Season 3 episode "Ridicule," playing a rapist, before joining the cast as Novak in Season 5, taking over the role from Stephanie March. She continued in the role through Season 9, when the character was written out after being censured by the New York State Bar. Neal returned to the series in the Season 12 episode "Reparations," reprising Novak as a temporary ADA, and subsequently became a recurring presence in Season 13, with her final appearance in the episode "Valentine's Day." Her television work also includes the recurring role of Coast Guard Investigative Service Special Agent Abigail Borin in the NCIS franchise. In 2021, she starred as Peggy Sue Thomas in the Lifetime film Circle of Deception.

Neal's stage work includes Broadway appearances spanning 2007 to 2009, as well as participation in The 24 Hour Plays in 2004. On January 14, 2022, she announced she would host a comedy and talk podcast titled Hear Say with Diane Neal.

In 2013, Neal sustained a spinal fracture in a car crash, and the extended recovery period led her to pause her acting career. On February 6, 2018, she announced a run for the U.S. House of Representatives in New York's 19th congressional district as an independent candidate, ultimately receiving one percent of the vote. Neal married Irish former model and engineer Marcus O. Fitzgerald in the Dominican Republic on July 9, 2005; the couple divorced in 2014. She was later in a relationship with magician JB Benn, which ended in litigation in November 2019 when Neal filed a lawsuit alleging fraud, identity theft, and physical and sexual abuse. In 2023, Neal relocated to Israel and obtained Israeli citizenship.