The time has come for Sam Waterston to say goodbye to Law & Order. The long-running NBC police procedural from Dick Wolf debuted in 1990 and is currently in its 23rd season. If you can even remember, there was a time when Law & Order wasn’t on the airwaves. It came storming back in 2022, with Sam Waterston reprising his role as District Attorney Jack McCoy. Waterston has amassed over 400 episodes on Law & Order, and he’s also appeared on spinoffs like Law & Order: SVU, Law & Order: Trial by Jury, and Exited: A Law & Order Movie. But later this month the actor will sign off as the District Attorney for the final time, with Tony Goldwyn (Scandal) taking his place.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Sam Waterston’s final episode on Law & Order will air on Thursday, February 22nd. The actor debuted as District Attorney Jack McCoy in 1994 and was a fixture of the cast until the show ended in 2010. He then returned for the Law & Order revival in 2022 for its 21st season. Tony Goldwyn will play the new district attorney, though the name of his character has yet to be revealed.
“Greetings, you wonderful people,” Waterston said in a statement to the Law & Order fans. “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 comeback, 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.”
Sam Waterston comments on return to Law & Order
“It’s a step back in time. They built the 42 sets in every detail down to the books on the shelves to the linoleum on the floor,” Sam Waterston told Variety in 2022 when Law & Order was making its return to TV. “You know perfectly well that it wasn’t all being done for you, but you can’t escape the feeling that you’re being given this opportunity to step back in time in your own life,” he said, noting that the show is, once again, diving into timely conflicts. “It’s always been the goal of the show to get people throwing their shoes at the television… It feels, to me, like ‘Law & Order’ might have something to contribute to the general conversation because we’re all mad about something. We’re all mad as hell about something right now and mad at each other. For us to get these big issues aired, and to have not a conclusion but a resolution of some kind that you can chew on, might be a useful service.”
