Tatum O'Neal Arrested

A quick list of things the staff at SOAPnet would like to do in order to "research a role:" Drive without our clothes on, slap our friends around for no good reason, steal better shoes.

Last night, around 7:30 pm, "Rescue Me" star Tatum O'Neal was arrested for allegedly buying crack cocaine near her home in Manhattan. She spent the night in jail and is scheduled to be arraigned today on a misdemeanor charge of criminal possession of a controlled substance. According to the New York Post, Tatum asked officers, "You know who I am, right?" and also claimed she was "researching a part -- I'm doing this for a part as a junkie."

The Daily News reports that Tatum pleaded with cops to let her go. "I've been clean for a long time," she reportedly said. "Today was the first time I was relapsing, but you guys saved me! Can you let me go?"

O'Neal, who won an Oscar at age 10 for her turn in 1973's "Paper Moon," has publicly written about her own past drug abuse -- she says she started using marijuana at 14 before graduating to cocaine and heroin. She had claimed to be clean since a 1996 stint in rehab.

Relapsing or research, she's gotten herself into some trouble.

What kind of things would YOU like to do when "researching a role?"