Law & Order: SVU‘s Philip Winchester Says He Won’t Return for Season 21
Law & Order: SVU may have just scored a landmark 21st-season renewal at NBC… but not everyone will be back next fall.
Philip Winchester, who plays assistant district attorney Peter Stone on the long-running drama, announced on Twitter that he won’t be returning next season. (An NBC rep declined to confirm Winchester’s exit.)
“Sadly for me, Peter Stone and his ‘the facts don’t care about you’re [sic] feelings’ attitude will not be returning,” he tweeted. “A huge tip of the hat to my amazing fans and not so big of [sic] fans. You ALL make me work harder. Thank you! See you on the next adventure.”
Winchester joined the SVU cast in Season 19 after originating the character of Peter Stone on another Dick Wolf production: the NBC legal drama Chicago Justice, which was axed after just one season. The character of Peter Stone has a strong connection to the Law & Order family, too: He’s the son of L&O‘s executive assistant D.A. Ben Stone, played by Michael Moriarty on the original series.
SVU was renewed earlier on Friday for a record-breaking 21st season, making it the longest-running live-action series in history, topping both Gunsmoke and the original Law & Order. Winchester congratulated his castmates on the renewal, saying he’s “learned much and enjoyed being part of an elite unit.”
Along with playing Peter Stone, Winchester also co-starred with Blindspot‘s Sullivan Stapleton on the Cinemax action series Strike Back for five seasons. Plus, he starred alongside Wesley Snipes on the short-lived NBC drama The Player, which aired just nine episodes in 2015.
I want to congratulate the cast and crew of @nbcsvu for making history today. Also to thank everyone for two great seasons. I have learned much and enjoyed being part of an elite unit. Here’s to you all and a historic run!
— Philip Winchester (@philipwinchestr) March 29, 2019
Good. Bring back Diane Neal or Stephanie March (if they want to come back.)
Yes! Either or but my vote is Stephanie March. Please!!
👍👍👍👍👍👍
Bring back Diane Neal!!!!
The program already has too many women. And had too many female ADAs too. No women. Bring Barba back, so he prepares Carisi and in the future Carisi can be promoted to the ADA and Barba will be a judge, as his “granny” always wanted.
Ummmm Carisi is a cop. ADAs are lawyers. He can’t get promoted to that job without going back to school and getting a law degree. Also, I don’t think the problem is too many women. It’s that they got rid of the side characters like the psychiatrist and the coroner so there’s no breaking things up throughout the season.
I may be misremembering badly but I’m almost certain Carisi did go to law school and does have his law degree. It was a few seasons back, he was going to night school while he was a cop. I think at one point he had a chance to become a lawyer but decided to remain a cop. I suspect in real life you don’t just step into being an ADA without some courtroom experience, but with some handwaving, it could work in SVU-land. Plus, he’d have the advantage of knowing SVU and the kinds of cases they handle really well, something Stone was missing.
And I agree about not enough characters, I’ve been noticing that for a while. There are, what, 5 main characters, and other than suspects/defendents, there’s almost no one else. While I don’t want a cast of thousands, I think it would work better with a group of semi-regulars as well.
In the case of Carisi, Barba was guiding him, even allowing suggestions and the presence of Carisi at his side in court. Barba had said about a vacancy in the prosecution, but Carisi preferred to remain a police officer.
Thanks for verifying and expanding on my memory!
You’re right he did go to night school and does have a law degree
Yes you are correct carrisi did pass the bar however decided to stay a detective there were a few episodes as well where you see barba mentoring carrisi as carrisi had asked him too
Carisi has already passed the test to be a lawyer. He just is not exercising. And yes, the program has many women, if you tell that every week there are only female victims. So if you add the two policemen, plus a female ADA and the coroner, who was a woman, the program will be a real police station for women! No thank you. Also because, as the show simply “forgot” (read ignored) the male victims, I think it’s important that at least there are men to help solve these types of crimes.
How did you miss him getting his law degree
Well, there goes my last reason to even bother watching this show – quality of writing has been consistently horrible this season, storylines dry and repetitive, and characters other than Stone plainly irritating (though he’s started grating on my nerves too).
Yup, grumpy is a perfect name for you hahaha. The story lines are still just as good as they have always been or the fans would not have stayed with it for 21 yrs. It’s nice to have a show to sit and watch with a story that’s interesting and not a damn reality show. I’m so glad it will be around for a while.
I just loved The Player, and the husband watched each moment riveted, practically nose to screen, commenting that the martrial arts were done expertly, without exception in each scene. They need to give us The Player continuing as TV movies!
Loved that show, too. And they ended on a cliffhanger.
I agree. I was so upset that they ended the show. I love his character on this show, will miss him a lot.
I’m starting to think the role is hexed–no one ever stays long!
Please oh please bring back Alex Cabot. She was and is still the best ADA they ever had. She had the best chemistry with Olivia as well.
Bring back the glasses of Justice!
Yes, bring back Alex.
I preferred Chicago Justice.
Yeah, I liked that show, too bad it didn’t last.
The guy was a dud anyways
I never really warmed up to Stone. Maybe go back to a female DA. Casey and Alex were the best.
No, no please bring back Barba!!!
I was starting to think I was the only one who liked Barba lol
I was mad when Barba left. I really liked him!
I totally agree! He was the best ADA ever.
I really like Barba.
Yes!!!!
Yes please bring back Barba! I wanted him and Olivia to be a couple! They had such great chemistry!
Raul was AMAZING. He is, hands down, one of my favorite ADAs. Right behind Jack Mccoy. And I was pretty taken by Alex, too. Poor Stephanie March. She was having so many problems with Bobby Flay at the time.. it just really hosed her career. But for all those yelling for Raul to return and being upset about his exit, I mean… he chose to leave the series. He thought in the years he’d been on the series, he’s accomplished everything the character had set out to do (or be about). I won’t say I think he was wrong. I loved him, hated to see him go, but honestly… this every ADA falling for Liv thing. It’s kind of annoying. =P Plus, I know Raul was missing the theatre. He’s primarily a theatre performer, and so getting back on stage meant a lot to him. =D
And for those asking for Neal’s return, that probably won’t happen either. =)) She ran for office, for real, in 2014, and after that… she’s disappeared into obscurity. Oh, she lost pretty handily too. Again, poor Diane Neal! A history of L&O ADAs, LOL!
As per my comment in the renewal story, this does not make me sad. Bring back Barba.
Yep…Barba.
Bring back Raul Espinoza, hope I’ve spelled his name right.
I’m with you I really liked him.
Do you mean Raul SPARZA? You don’t even know his name.
His name is Raul Esparza.
LOL! Reading thru these comments and I was saying to myself, I can just SEE what’s going to happen! Someone is going to say something incredibly dumb, like Raul SPARZA (and then laugh at the person saying something nasty and dumb) and then someone is going to say, ‘Duh, okay idiot. His real name is Raul Esparza.”
AND THERE IT WAS! =D The Internet. So predictable these days!
And someone taking the time to talk about a predictable internet is even unusual. Seriously, did you take the time to comment on this ?? Nobody deserve…
So glad L&O SVU renewed. Love this show and characters. 💜
This show needs to be cancelled as it is just a pos now. The writers have ran out of ideas…the actors are getting so old…it’s just a waste of a time slot!
No one is forcing you to watch it. If you want to complain, try Comcast, NBC or Dick Wolf, but be ready to get “ripped from the headlines!”
“the actors are getting so old” Ageism is alive and well.
Agreed. Seriously long in the tooth with a glob of makeup. Criminal Intent was my old favorite. All of Dick’s programming is typically aimed at older generations that relates to socio/political, current events; which is pretty much what they’re all based upon. Cheapest to produce in contrast to his FBI drama. My filler shows if i get real bored
fbi is a great show
WOW Lucky you. You must be the only person in the world with a fountain of youth if you are not getting older like everyone else. Seriously tho – just don’t watch – simple as that. That is what the remote is for. Just click a little button and poof SVU is gone from your tv. And we are all happy.
Ah yes, the ADA revolving door on SVU. So much variety, and no two the same. I look forward to whoever shows up next, even if it’s someone returning from the past.
As to Philip Winchester, I suspect we’ll see him soon on his next project, unless he’s taking a break from acting, that is…
No real loss, not much of an actor but I did like him in The Player
I figured he and Liv were heading somewhere, so it makes sense he leave as she will forever be unlucky in love.
Too bad about Philip. I enjoy his work very much!
I used to watch in the past because I liked the actors that left then when Philip Winchester came I watched again now that he is leaving do not care about the show
I liked The Player. Great show. Gone too soon.
Bring back Alex (Stephanie March)
Don’t want to type cast him but he shines in action filled roles. I felt like being a lawyer was too boring for him lol. The Player was great action filled show. Perhaps it would’ve done better on Netflix. Hope he gets a new show soon.
I really enjoyed the premise of the Player. I dunno why it didn’t catch fire, but I wished the suits would have done what the could (new day, new time etc) to give it a chance. Wherever Winchester goes, I will follow.
Bring back Barba. My favorite
Problem is they don’t use they ADA’s much anymore. The ADA used to be a much more integral part of the show. Go back to the way the shows used to be written with more emphasis on the ADA’s involvement with the storyline. Don’t think the current ADA really had a chance to shine. I liked him, but still preferred the others people have mentioned in the comments. Would love for one of the women to return. Side note, it’s become a little too focused on Olivia’s character. I miss her old boss – Captain Kragen (sp?). Brought more balance to the show.
PLEASE bring back Stephanie March (Alex Cabot) for Season 21!!
It seems like from the last episode that was just on with Callie Thorne that they were setting her character up to switch sides as an attorney and become a DA. She kept saying that she now realized what she put all of those other victims through and how could she keep doing her job? I wouldn’t be surpised if suddenly she is the DA at the end of this season.
I can’t think of who Callie Thorne is. I never warmed up to this guy. Loved Barba, Alex, and Casey
Storyline wise, I’m not sure Barba or Cabot could work considering their last appearances on the show. IRL, I think Raul Esparza is back to theatre life, and Diane Neal is…didn’t she run for office? I don’t know if she won, but would she want to come back to a 20+ episode a year drama?