:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/LAW-and-ORDER-WATN-022026-14daeaddc33b4e288cf2246ec07bb0c8.jpg "The cast of Law & Order, then and now: See Sam Waterston and his costars through the years")
In the Dick Wolf television universe, dozens of actors have come and gone. These are their stories. The cast of Law & Order, then and now: See Sam Waterston and his costars through the years In the Dick Wolf television universe, dozens of actors have come and gone. These are their stories. By Chris Snellgrove and Kevin Jacobsen March 12, 2026 8:00 a.m. ET :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/LAWandORDERWATN02202614daeaddc33b4e288cf2246ec07bb0c8.jpg) S. Epatha Merkerson as Lt. Anita Van Buren, Chris Noth as Det. Mike Logan, Sam Waterston as EADA Jack McCoy, Jerry Orbach as Det.
In the Dick Wolf television universe, dozens of actors have come and gone. These are their stories.
The cast of Law & Order, then and now: See Sam Waterston and his costars through the years
In the Dick Wolf television universe, dozens of actors have come and gone. These are their stories.
By Chris Snellgrove
and Kevin Jacobsen
March 12, 2026 8:00 a.m. ET
S. Epatha Merkerson as Lt. Anita Van Buren, Chris Noth as Det. Mike Logan, Sam Waterston as EADA Jack McCoy, Jerry Orbach as Det. Lennie Briscoe, Jill Hennessy as ADA Claire Kincaid on 'Law & Order'. Credit:
NBCU Photo Bank/Getty
*Law & Order* has expanded into a vast media franchise, with spinoffs, video games, and books. But it all started with the original series, which premiered in 1990 with a then-innovative concept: Each episode features New York City detectives investigating a crime, followed by the prosecution of the apprehended criminals.
While the format kept people hooked, it was the cast that helped audiences grow attached to the show, from early stars like Chris Noth, Michael Moriarty, and Steven Hill to series mainstays like Jerry Orbach, Sam Waterston, and S. Epatha Merkerson. Each played their respective roles with admirable consistency, providing comfort to long-term viewers through the show's initial conclusion in 2010. While NBC revived the series in 2022, we'll always have a fondness for original variety *Law & Order*.
Ahead, read what the original cast of *Law & Order* has been up to lately.
Sam Waterston (Jack McCoy)
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Sam Waterston as Jack McCoy on 'Law & Order'; Sam Waterston attends the 'X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X' opening night at the Metropolitan Opera on Nov. 3, 2023, in New York City.
Jessica Burstein/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty; John Nacion/Getty
Coming into *Law & Order*, Sam Waterston was perhaps the most accomplished cast member. The actor impressed in films like 1984's *The Killing Fields* (netting an Oscar nomination) and multiple Woody Allen movies, including *Hannah and Her Sisters* (1986). However, he's best known for his tenure as DA Jack McCoy on *Law & Order*.
"I think *Law & Order* is a show to be proud of being in," he told NPR's *Fresh Air *podcast in 2022. "It also permitted me and even enabled me to do other things like Shakespeare plays and *Long Day's Journey into Night* on the spur of the moment, with my son playing my son. These things were made possible by...the celebrity that came with doing *Law & Order*."
Since his initial departure from *Law & Order*, Waterston took on notable television roles on *The Newsroom** *and *Grace and Frankie*. And, of course, he reprised his role as Jack McCoy in Dick Wolf's revived series from 2022 to 2024.
After getting divorced from Barbara Johns in 1975, Waterston married Lynn Louisa Woodruff. In addition to his son from the previous marriage, Waterston has three children with Woodruff.**
S. Epatha Merkerson (Anita van Buren)
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S. Epatha Merkerson as Anita Van Buren on 'Law & Order'; S. Epatha Merkerson attends the 2022 NBCUniversal Upfront at Mandarin Oriental Hotel on May 16, 2022, in New York City.
Jessica Burstein/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty; Roy Rochlin/Getty
S. Epatha Merkerson started her career with small roles in films like *Jacob's Ladder* (1990), and she delighted audiences as Reba the Mail Lady on *Pee-Wee's Playhouse*. However, it was *Law & Order* that put her on the map as a serious dramatic actor. She first appeared in a one-off role as a grieving mother in season 1, and her strong performance left a lasting impression on the producers, who later recruited her to the main cast in season 4. Merkerson's new character, Anita van Buren, even became a lieutenant before any real woman in the NYPD broke that glass ceiling.
During her tenure on the series, the actress starred in the 2005 TV movie *Lackawanna Blues*, winning an Emmy, Golden Globe, and SAG award in the process.
After *Law & Order* first ended in 2010, the actor seemed excited about starting the next chapter of her career. "I'm taking all the good with me," she told EW. "It was 16 years of employment — actors rarely have that experience. And so I know that I'm really, really lucky, because that's what we look for — the next gig. And I've always been able to say, 'I'm going back to *Law & Order*."
As it turns out, her confidence wasn't misplaced. Merkerson ended up joining the world of *Chicago Fire* and its spinoffs.
Jerry Orbach (Lennie Briscoe)
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Jerry Orbach as Lennie Briscoe on 'Law & Order' in 2000 and 2003.
Jessica Burstein/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty; NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty
The late Jerry Orbach was a Broadway veteran long before he became a film and television actor, notably originating the role of Billy Flynn in *Chicago *and winning a Tony in 1969 for *Promises, Promises*. He soon appeared in blockbusters like the pop culture sensation *Dirty Dancing** *(1987) and as the voice of Lumière in *Beauty and the Beast *(1991).
Even with that stacked résumé, Orbach is still best remembered for *Law & Order *character Lennie Briscoe, a patient, methodical, and wry detective whom he played for 12 seasons.
"When I'd gotten the job, I saw [*Law & Order *costar Paul] Sorvino at Billy Crystal's roast at the Friars' Club, and I hugged and kissed him and said, 'My whole family thanks you," Orbach told EW in 1992. "I'm getting really busy, but as Damon Wayans says, 'Mo' money, mo' money, mo' money!"'
The actor married Marta Curro in 1958 and had two children together. Following their divorce in 1975, he married fellow Broadway star Elaine Cancilla in 1979.
Just two years after joining the cast of *Law & Order* in 1992, Orbach was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He continued to star in the series while quietly undergoing treatments. Orbach eventually left the show at the end of season 14 and died from his illness on Dec. 28, 2004, at age 69.
Chris Noth (Mike Logan)
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Chris Noth as Mike Logan on 'Law & Order'; Chris Noth attends Ice-T and Noel Ashman host Mark Minevich's book 'Our Planet Powered by AI' at a private residence on Dec. 14, 2023, in New York City.
NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty; Sean Zanni/Patrick McMullan via Getty
While Chris Noth would go on to appear in multiple major franchises throughout his career, *Law & Order* was effectively his big break. He starred as NYPD Det. Mike Logan, whose womanizing ways softened over time, on *Law & Order* from 1990 to 1995. The character would eventually headline the spinoff series *Law & Order: Criminal Intent*.
He may have starred in more episodes and spinoffs if he had a better working relationship with Dick Wolf. The repetitive procedural aspect wasn't a highlight for Noth, either. "I started to get bored and the magic sort of wore off," he told the *Chicago Tribune* in 2021.
Following his departure from the series, Noth stayed active both personally and professionally. His biggest role outside the *Law & Order* universe was playing Mr. Big on *Sex and the City* and the subsequent films. He later appeared in more than 100 episodes of *The Good Wife*. The actor also began dating model Tara Lynn Wilson around 2001, and the couple had a son together before tying the knot in 2012. They had another son in 2020.
In 2021, Noth was accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women. The fallout cost him some business deals and affected his acting career: His character was killed offscreen on *The Equalizer*, and plans to bring Mr. Big back for the season 1 finale of *And Just Like That* were canceled.
Steven Hill (Adam Schiff)
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Steven Hill as Adam Schiff on 'Law & Order'.
Jessica Burstein/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty
On the small screen, Steven Hill was initially best known for headlining the original *Mission: Impossible* series from 1966 to 1967. He eventually netted two Emmy nominations for *Law & Order* as District Attorney Adam Schiff, whose gentle nature often helped Jack McCoy get away with quite a few things over the years.
Interestingly, Hill and showrunner Dick Wolf saw the character differently. Wolf told *The Washington Post* in 1996 that he considered Hill to be "the Talmudic influence on the entire Zeitgeist of the series. Steven has more moral authority than anyone else on episodic TV. He is *Law & Order's* moral keystone." In response, a somewhat embarrassed Hill said, "I take Dick's statement as a compliment. I always saw Schiff as a man simply trying to do his job on a case-by-case basis."
Hill had starred on *Law & Order *since the beginning, and after an impressive 229-episode run, he left the series in 2000 and effectively retired from acting.
As for his personal life, Hill had been married twice, first to Selma Stern from 1951 to 1964, then to Rachel Schenker in 1967, with whom he shared five children. Hill died of cancer in 2016 at age 94.
Jesse L. Martin (Ed Green)
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Jesse L. Martin as Ed Green on 'Law & Order'; Jesse L. Martin as Alec Mercer on 'The Irrational'.
Patrick Harbron/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty; Sergei Bachlakov/NBC via Getty
Jesse L. Martin established his acting chops by playing Tom Collins in the original Broadway production of *Rent* in 1996. Once he was cast in season 10 of *Law & Order *as Det. Ed Green, who was never afraid to ruffle some feathers if it meant cracking a case, the world got to see what theater fans had been raving about.
Martin exited the show after season 18 to further pursue stage acting, and he left on good terms with Dick Wolf. "I honestly couldn't leave, according to my contract. I could have said, 'Hey, I'm ready to go,' but they could have easily said no," he told EW in 2008. "But Dick has always been really cool about that sort of thing...I had a great time there. I feel like I went to actor boot camp and I'm coming out a colonel."
It didn't take Martin long to land another iconic role, though. In 2014, he joined the cast of the long-running CW superhero dramedy *The Flash* as Joe West. After that series ended in 2023, he starred on NBC's *The Irrational* until its end in 2025.
Leslie Hendrix (Elizabeth Rodgers)
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Leslie Hendrix as Dr. Elizabeth Rodgers on 'Law & Order'; Leslie Hendrix as Kathryn Monroe on 'Gotham'.
NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty; FOX Image Collection via Getty
Leslie Hendrix had little acting experience before joining the cast of *Law & Order *as the brusque but effective Medical Examiner Elizabeth Rodgers. Previously, she only played small parts in a handful of shows like *Another World* and *Guiding Light*. She later carried the role of Dr. Rodgers into *Special Victims Unit*, *Criminal Intent*, and *Trial by Jury*.
Hendrix continued to act on *Law & Order* until the show initially ended in 2010. She next appeared in episodes of *Blue Bloods*, *Elementary*, and *The Blacklist* before landing a recurring role in the Batman prequel series *Gotham*. She hasn't been in a project since 2020, but we wouldn't be surprised to see this procedural veteran return to primetime TV.
35 actors you didn't know guest-starred on 'Law & Order' (including future Oscar winners)
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The cast of 'Law & Order: SVU,' then and now: See how the squad has changed over 27 seasons
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Fred Thompson (Arthur Branch)
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Fred Thompson as Arthur Branch on 'Law & Order'; Fred Thompson attends 'Persecuted' screening at Lighthouse International Theater on July 18, 2014, in New York City.
NBCU Photo Bank; Ilya S. Savenok/Getty
While *Law & Order *put many of his costars on the map, Fred Thompson had already made a name for himself as a Republican senator for Tennessee. He joined the cast of the hit NBC series in 2002, just months before his 12-year tenure in the Senate ended, playing no-nonsense Manhattan DA Arthur Branch.
He appeared on *Law & Order* and its spinoffs until 2007. After leaving the show, he returned to politics by campaigning for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008. Thompson continued to make appearances on the small screen with roles on *The Good Wife* and *Allegiance*.
Thompson died in 2015 at age 73 due to a recurrence of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, which he was first diagnosed with in 2004. He was survived by his second wife, Jeri Kehn, and his five children.
Dann Florek (Donald Cragen)
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Dann Florek as Donald Cragen on 'Law & Order'; Dann Florek at the 'Law & Order: SVU' 25th anniversary celebration held at the Peak Restaurant on Jan. 16, 2024, in New York City.
Alice S. Hall/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty; Kristina Bumphrey/Variety via Getty
Dann Florek was no stranger to police procedurals before collaborating with Dick Wolf, having appeared in 22 episodes of* L.A. Law*. He soon joined *Law & Order* in 1990 as Capt. Donald Cragen, a recovering alcoholic and fiercely loyal leader, though he's best known for his longtime starring role on the spinoff *Law & Order: Special Victims Unit*.
When it comes to his early days on the original show, Florek shared an odd anecdote with PEOPLE in 2015, explaining, "I remember starting on the show years ago. We were at Chelsea Piers. And nobody was down there then. And my buddy Chris Noth and I used to take the golf carts and drive all the way around there...It was a lot of fun to go out there and we actually would go hunting for vermin. We found and we conquered."
The actor's last appearance on the original *Law & Order* was in 2004, though he would continue to helm *SVU* until 2021 and reprised the role of Captain Cragen in some episodes of the spinoff *Law & Order: Organized Crime*.
Florek has been married to his wife, Karen, since 1980.
Michael Moriarty (Benjamin Stone)
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Michael Moriarty as Ben Stone on 'Law & Order'.
NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty
Michael Moriarty brought quite the acting pedigree to *Law & Order*, having won an Emmy for the 1978 miniseries *Holocaust*. He was also a Tony-winning stage actor thanks to his performance in *Find Your Way Home*. In seasons 1 through 4 of *Law & Order*, he dazzled as District Attorney Benjamin Stone, whose Catholic faith colors his views of social justice, though his tenure was ironically cut short due to real-world legal drama.
Moriarty claims he was written out of the series after publicly lashing out against Attorney General Janet Reno, who partially attributed violence in America to TV shows like *Law & Order*. "Television is the most open, it's the most potentially rebellious — we've got new channels coming in every day, and young, new people with fresh ideas," he told the *L.A. Times* in 1994. "But because it is this mass medium and it has to turn out so much product, there is a caste system, and a contempt and self-loathing I despise."
Regardless of why he departed, Moriarty made his last appearance on *Law & Order* in 1994. He then moved to Canada and declared himself a political exile, but this didn't keep him from continuing to find work. He later appeared on television shows like *The Dead Zone* and *The 4400* and in movies such as *Courage Under Fire* (1996).
George Dzundza (Max Greevey)
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George Dzundza as Max Greevey on 'Law & Order'; George Dzundza arrives at the Griffith Observatory re-opening Galactic Gala held in Griffith Park.
NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty; Frank Trapper/Corbis via Getty
George Dzundza had quite the storied résumé heading into *Law & Order*. He was already known for television shows such as *The Waltons* and films like *The Deer Hunter *(1978). Still, landing a role in season 1 of *Law & Order* as Sgt. Max Greevey, an investigative officer and friend of Captain Cragen, was quite the opportunity for the actor.
After leaving *Law & Order* in 1991, Dzundza went on to appear in some of the biggest films of the '90s, including *Basic Instinct** *(1992), *Crimson Tide *(1995), and *Dangerous Minds *(1995). He also did voice work for shows like *Batman: The Animated Series* and *Superman: The Animated Series*, and had a brief arc on *Grey's Anatomy*. It appears he's retired from acting, though, with his last credit being the 2011 TV movie *Danni Lowinski*.
Dzundza has been married to Mary Jo Vermeulen since 1982. The couple shares three daughters and two grandchildren.
Richard Brooks (Paul Robinette)
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Richard Brooks as Paul Robinette on 'Law & Order'; Richard Brooks attends Netflix's 'The Black Godfather' premiere at Paramount Studios Theatre on June 3, 2019, in Los Angeles.
NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty; Lisa O'Connor/AFP via Getty
Richard Brooks appeared intermittently on *Law & Order* between 1990 and 2006. Still, he left his mark as Paul Robinette, the only Black male district attorney in the series.
"Of course, *Law & Order* in Paul Robinette had a more transformative role for me because I had to really grow as a man, as an intellect, as a scholar," Brooks told Andscape in 2017. "I had to become more versed in current affairs, and law, and politics and things like that… my research for it actually influenced me as a person a lot… To grow into that role, I think, has helped me with the rest of my career to take on more challenging parts and things like that."
The rest of his career has proven to be quite impressive. Since leaving *Law & Order*, Brooks has appeared in multiple episodes of shows like BET's *Being Mary Jane*, *The Flash*, and *The Rich & The Ruthless*. You may have also spotted him in episodes of *Abbott Elementary*, *9-1-1*, and *Reasonable Doubt*. Those wishing to discover a completely different side of Brooks can check out his debut album, *Smooth Love*.
Paul Sorvino (Phil Cerreta)
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Paul Sorvino as Phil Cerreta on 'Law & Order'; Paul Sorvino at the 'Mary Poppins Returns' film screening after party in New York on Dec. 17, 2018.
NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty; Stephen Lovekin/Variety/Penske Media via Getty
When Paul Sorvino was cast on *Law & Order*, it felt a bit ironic. After all, the larger-than-life actor was mostly known for playing a gangster in *Goodfellas* (1990). He wasn't on the show very long, but having an onscreen career criminal play a good guy (specifically Sgt. Phil Cerreta, a homicide detective who replaced the deceased Max Greevey) ended up being a stroke of genius.
In a 1991 interview with *Today*, Sorvino revealed that the role posed a unique challenge because, "To my knowledge, I've never played myself, and this will be the first time I'm doing that." He clarified that he had built a career off of playing robust characters known for their outsized lines and big personalities. On *Law & Order*, however, he had to channel a quieter performance, and it was one that quickly won audiences over.
Sorvino left the show in 1992, and he had quite the career afterward. He played the head of the Capulet family in *Romeo + Juliet* (1996), and starred in dozens of episodes of the show *That's Life*.
Sorvino died of natural causes in 2022 at the age of 83. He is survived by his wife, Dee Dee Benkie, and his three children, including actors Michael and Mira Sorvino.
Benjamin Bratt (Rey Curtis)
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Benjamin Bratt as Rey Curtis on 'Law & Order'; Benjamin Bratt attends the 29th annual Critics Choice Awards at the Barker Hangar on Jan. 14, 2024 in Santa Monica, Calif.
Chris Haston/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty; Taylor Hill/FilmMagic
Benjamin Bratt was mostly known to film lovers for his supporting roles in memorable movies such as *Demolition Man *(1993) and *Clear and Present Danger *(1994). He then joined *Law & Order* in 1995 as homicide detective Rey Curtis, who often had very strident religious views.
After initially leaving the series in 1999, Bratt starred in two of his most famous films, *Miss Congeniality* and *Traffic*, both of which were released in 2000. He later reprised his *Law & Order* role in a season 20 episode, and he went on to appear on shows like *Private Practice*, *Poker Face*, and *Andor*.
Bratt married former Bond girl Talisa Soto in 2002. The couple has two children together.
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Published: March 13, 2026 at 04:57AM on Source: PRIME TIME
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In the Dick Wolf television universe, dozens of actors have come and gone. These are their stories. The cast of Law & Ord...
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