Law & Order is back with season 23! Here’s a look at the cast, then and now

Sam Waterston (Jack McCoy)

Coming into Law & Order, Sam Waterston was perhaps the most accomplished cast member. He had previously earned a Golden Globe nomination for his work in The Great Gatsby (1974). The actor continued to impress in later years, appearing in films like 1984’s The Killing Fields (netting an Oscar nomination for Best Actor) and multiple Woody Allen movies, including  Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) and Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989). However, he’s best known for his tenure as District Attorney Jack McCoy on Law & Order, serving from 1994 to 2010 and then returning for the series revival in 2022 at age 81.

“I think Law & Order is a show to be proud of being in. And the other things that I might have done were not as exciting,” 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.”

After the show initially ended with season 20 in 2010, Waterston kept busy: For his work helping refugees, the actor received the Goodermote Humanitarian Award from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. He’s also been politically active, even getting arrested alongside Jane Fonda in 2019 for protesting the climate change policies enacted by the Trump administration.

After getting divorced from Barbara Johns in 1975, Waterston married Lynn Louisa Woodruff. In addition to his son from the previous marriage, Waterston had three children with Woodruff.

Since his initial departure from Law & Order, Waterston took on notable television roles on The Newsroom (2012–2014), Grace and Frankie (2015–2022), and The Dropout (2022). And, of course, he continues to star as Jack McCoy in Dick Wolf’s revived series, earning three Emmy nominations in the process.

S. Epatha Merkerson (Anita van Buren)

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 (1986–1989). 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 generated awards buzz for her turn 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 (2012–present) and its spinoffs, bringing her impressive body of procedural experience to a new Dick Wolk franchise. However, perhaps her most shocking TV appearance was on a 2019 episode of Henry Louis Gates' Finding Your Roots. There, she discovered that she shares ancestry with Isaac Hawkins and other enslaved people affected by the 1838 Jesuit slave sale.

Never one to stand still, Merkerson has stayed busy as an actor. She will soon appear in the films Somewhere in Dreamland and Sexual Healing, where she will once again act alongside her Law & Order costar Jesse L. Martin.

Jerry Orbach (Lennie Briscoe)

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), Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989) with his future Law & Order costar Sam Waterston, and Murder, She Wrote (1985–1991). Disney fans may also recognize him as the voice of Lumiere in Beauty and the Beast (1991). 

Even with that stacked resume, Orbach is still best remembered for his 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. “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, Orbach was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1994. 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. The legendary actor appeared in two episodes of the spinoff Law & Order: Trial by Jury posthumously in 2005.

Chris Noth (Mike Logan)

While Chris Noth would go on to appear in multiple major franchises throughout his career, Law & Order was effectively his big break. Before that show, he was mostly known as a theatrical actor who made minor appearances in TV and film. He starred as NYPD Detective Mike Logan, whose womanizing ways softened over time, in Law & Order from 1990 to 1995. The character would eventually headline the spinoff series Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2005–2008).

He may have starred in more episodes and spinoffs if he had a better working relationship with Dick Wolf. “I think I’ve been a thorn in his side,” Noth told EW about the showrunner in 1995. “I’ve been very outspoken about the cast changes and the direction of the show.”

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 (1998–2004) and the subsequent films. He later appeared in over 100 episodes of The Good Wife (2009–2016) as Peter Florrick. The actor also began dating Canadian 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 (the purchase of his tequila brand Ambhar fell through, and his Peloton commercial with Ryan Reynolds got scrapped). The allegations also affected his acting career: His character was killed offscreen in The Equalizer, and plans to bring Mr. Big back for the season 1 finale of And Just Like That were canceled. 

Still, Noth is currently slated to star in the upcoming films Brooklyn All American and Someday Sometime.

Steven Hill (Adam Schiff)

Steven Hill had appeared in several films, including The Goddess (1958), The Slender Thread (1965), and Running on Empty (1988). On the small screen, he was initially best known for headlining the original Mission: Impossible series from 1966 to 1967. He eventually netted two Emmy nominations through 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, the actor and showrunner Dick Wolf saw the character in different ways. 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 in 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 due to cancer in 2016 at age 94.

Jesse L. Martin (Ed Green)

Jesse L. Martin first established his acting chops by playing Tom Collins in the original production of Rent (1996). Once he was cast in season 10 of Law & Order as Detective Ed Green, who was never afraid to ruffle some feathers if it meant cracking a case, the world got to see what Broadway 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. He always says if an actor is ready to leave, is ready to go, that he’ll allow them to go… I’m really glad. 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 began starring in NBC’s The Irrational.

Next up for the actor are roles in the films Silent Rhythm and Sexual Healing. The latter will see him play Marvin Gaye alongside his former Law & Order costar, S. Epatha Merkerson.

Leslie Hendrix (Elizabeth Rodgers)

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 the spinoffs Special Victims Unit, Criminal Intent, and Trial by Jury, plus a 2012 episode of Community.

Hendrix continued to act on Law & Order until the show initially ended in 2010. She next appeared in episodes of Blue Bloods (2014), Elementary (2014), and The Blacklist (2016) before landing a recurring role in the Batman prequel series Gotham (2016–2017). She hasn’t been in a project since 2020, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see this procedural veteran return to prime-time TV.

Fred Thompson (Arthur Branch)

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. 

”Frankly, I hadn’t watched [Law & Order] much,” Thompson told EW in 2003. “When I have a little time, I usually try to catch sports. But it was my wife’s favorite show. [When they offered me the job,] I called her up and said, ‘You’re not going to believe the call I just got.”’

Thompson wasn’t a rookie actor, though. He’d previously had roles in films like Die Hard 2 (1990), Days of Thunder (1990), The Hunt for Red October (1990), and more, as well as television shows like Matlock. 

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. He didn’t succeed, but he later supported John McCain. Thompson continued to make appearances on the small screen with roles on The Good Wife (2011–2012) and Allegiance (2015).

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 (two with Kehn and three with his first wife, Sarah Knestrick).

Dann Florek (Donald Cragen)

Dann Florek was no stranger to police procedurals before collaborating with Dick Wolf, having appeared in 22 episodes of L.A. Law between 1988 and 1993. He soon joined Law & Order in 1990 as Captain 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 (2022). He also appeared in films like Disney+’s Crater (2023) and shows like Under the Dome (2015).

Florek has been married to his wife, Karen, since 1980.

Michael Moriarty (Benjamin Stone)

Michael Moriarty brought quite the acting pedigree to Law & Order, having won an Emmy and Golden Globe award for the 1978 miniseries Holocaust. He was also a Tony-winning theatrical actor thanks to his performance in Find Your Way Home. On 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 in television shows like The Dead Zone (2002) and The 4400 (2004) and movies such as Courage Under Fire (1996), Shiloh (1996), and others.

George Dzundza (Max Greevey)

George Dzundza had quite the storied resume heading into Law & Order. He was already known for television shows such as The Waltons (1975) and films like The Deer Hunter (1978). Still, landing a role in season 1 of Law & Order as Sergeant 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 (1993–1995) and Superman: The Animated Series (1996–1999) and had a brief arc on Grey’s Anatomy (2005–2007). It appears he’s retired from acting, though, with his last credit being the 2011 TV movie Danni Lowinkski. 

Dzundza has been married to Mary Jo Vermeulen since 1982. The couple shares three daughters and two grandchildren.

Richard Brooks (Paul Robinette)

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 (2013–2019), The Flash (2017–2018), and The Rich & The Ruthless (2017–2021). You may have also spotted him in recent episodes of Chicago P.D. and Abbott Elementary. Those wishing to discover a completely different side of Brooks can check out his debut album, Smooth Love, which was distributed by the actor’s very own Flat Top Records.

Paul Sorvino (Phil Cerreta)

When Paul Sorvino was cast in Law & Order, it felt a bit ironic. After all, the larger-than-life actor was mostly known for playing a gangster in the legendary Martin Scorcese film Goodfellas (1990). He wasn’t on the show very long, but having an onscreen career criminal play a good guy (specifically Sergeant Phil Cerreta, a homicide detective who replaced the deceased Max Greevey) ended up being a stroke of genius. Still, the role took some getting used to for the veteran actor because it was so different from what he had played before. 

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 Baz Luhrman’s Romeo + Juliet (1996), and he starred in dozens of episodes of the show That’s Life (2000–2002). He channeled some of that manic Capulet energy into one of his famously over-the-top performances in Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008), and returned to the mob genre in the TV show Godfather of Harlem (2019–2021).

Offscreen, Sorvino sometimes made more headlines than his onscreen characters. When a man allegedly made death threats against his daughter Amanda in 2007, a gun-toting Sorvino arrived at her hotel room even before the police did. And after he found out that Harvey Weinstein allegedly blacklisted and sexually harassed his daughter, Academy Award-winning actress Mira Sorvino, the actor bluntly told TMZ, “He’s going to go to jail. Oh yeah. That son of a b—-. Good for him if he goes, because if not, he has to meet me. And I will kill the motherf—-r. Real simple.”

Sorvino died of natural causes in 2022. He is survived by his wife Dee Dee Benkie and his three children, including actor Michael Sorvino. He still has posthumous roles in the works, though, including the films The Ride and Pursued starring Molly Ringwald.

Benjamin Bratt (Rey Curtis)

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 premiered in 2000. He later reprised his Law & Order role in a season 20 episode and he went on to star in shows like Private Practice (2011–2013) and Poker Face (2023). His other notable movies include The Infiltrator (2016), Doctor Strange (2016), and Coco (2017),  

Fans can look forward to seeing Bratt star in the upcoming film Mother of the Bride. He will also reprise his villainous role in season 2 of Poker Face.

Bratt married former Bond girl Talisa Soto in 2002. The couple has two children together.