Veep Star Reid Scott Joins the Cast of Law & Order in Season 23

Law & Order recently lost one of its lead actors, but the show has announced a new actor is jumping into the franchise for season 23. Deadline is reporting that Mrs. Maisel and Veep star Reid Scott will join the new season of the flagship show as an NYPD Detective in a recurring role, though the name of his character hasn’t been revealed just yet. Scott will join Mehcad Brooks (Jalen Shaw) and Camryn Mannheim (Kate Dixon) on the detective side of the show, while the court side will be represented by returning stars Hugh Dancy (Nathan Price), Odelya Halevi (Samantha Maroun), and Sam Waterston (Jack McCoy).

Scott will take over for departing series regular Jeffrey Donovan (Frank Cosgrove), who joined the show when it made its grand return. Donovan reportedly exited the series over creative differences, and that will make the second partner change since the series was brought back for season 21.

When the show made its anticipated return, it brought back Anthony Anderson, who had previously played the role of Detective Kevin Bernard before the series wrapped its run. Anderson only stayed for the first return season, and it was a role he reached out Dick Wolf about returning for. In an interview with People TV, Anderson revealed the phone call that led to his return.

“We were, you know, we were two weeks out from ending our show Black-ish. They made the announcement that Law & Order was coming back. So, I picked up the phone and called Dick Wolf up and said, Hey Dick, is it true?” He said, ‘It is.’ I was like, ‘Well, you know, I’m a free agent as of Nov. 19th,’” Anderson said. “And [Wolf] was like, ‘Anthony, you have no idea how happy this phone call makes me.”

“Black-ish coming to an end is bittersweet,” Anderson said. “We had eight wonderful seasons. I believe the show could have gone on for infinity, but all the things come to an end. And, and, and as, as they say, one door closes and another one opens. I’m happy to be invited back to Law & Order to reprise my role as Detective Kevin Bernard.”

Anderson eventually left after one season, and in later interviews, Anderson would reveal it was so he could create more shows like Black-ish. It remains to be seen if the character will ever return again down the road, but for right now it appears that season 23 will have the NYPD Detective duo of Scott and Brooks. After Brooks’ fantastic debut last season, we have high hopes for what Scott can bring to the mix.

Are you excited for Scott’s Law & Order debut? Let us know in the comments and as always you can talk all things Law & Order with me on Threads @mattaguilarcb!