Waterston's final portrayal of District Attorney Jack McCoy, which he played in more than 400 episodes, airs Thursday, February 22.
When Waterston (pictured) leaves, the cast will be strengthened by Scandal actor Tony Goldwyn, who will play the new district attorney. Goldwyn previously starred in the Law & Order spin-off Law & Order: Criminal Intent as Frank Goren, a character who died in the series. Goldwyn will play a new character on Law & Order.
Waterston made his series debut in the season five (1994) premiere episode entitled Second Opinion. He scored a SAG Award and three Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 1997, 1999 and 2000, for his role of McCoy. He has also reprized the role in several other projects, including spin-off series: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Law & Order: Trial by Jury.
Waterston shared a message with fans of the series in a special message below:
“Greetings, you wonderful people. It’s a pleasure to talk directly like this to the backbone of Law & Order‘s absolutely amazing audience. The time has come for me to move on and take Jack McCoy with me. There’s sadness in leaving, but I’m just too curious about what’s next. An actor doesn’t want to let himself get too comfortable. I’m more grateful to you than I can say. L&O’s continuing and amazing long run, along with its astounding come-back, is all thanks to you and Dick Wolf, but for whose vision, patience, perseverance, and unique combination of creative and business talents, none of this would have happened. I feel very blessed. I hope to see you all on the flip side. Thank you, Sam”
Law & Order is a police procedural and legal drama that gives viewers an inside look at a case inspired by real crimes "from the headlines" - from the point of view of the police and prosecutors. It is the longest-running law enforcement series on television, currently in its 23rd season. New episodes air Thursday nights at 8pm on NBC.
This season stars Hugh Dancy, Mehcad Brooks, Reid Scott, Camryn Manheim and Odelya Halevi.
Dick Wolf is creator and executive producer. Rick Eid, Pamela Wechsler, Alex Hall, Arthur Forney and Peter Jankowski serve as executive producers. Law & Order is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, in association with Wolf Entertainment.
Goldwyn (pictured) recently wrapped production on his latest directorial project, Ezra, co-starring with Bobby Cannavale and Robert DeNiro. He's also coming off promotions for his work in the highly acclaimed film Oppenheimer, during a busy awards season. Goldwyn portrayed real-life lawyer and government official Gordon Gray in Christopher Nolan's film.
Other recent roles include Murder Mystery 2, the sequel to the hit Netflix comedy starring Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler, the award-winning ensemble of King Richard with Will Smith and National Geographic's limited series The Hot Zone: Anthrax.
Goldwyn is also known for his role as President Fitzgerald Grant in the hit ABC/Shondaland series Scandal alongside Kerry Washington. Other roles on the small screen include HBO's Lovecraft Country, Netflix's Chambers (2019), CBS's The Good Wife and Showtime's Dexter.