"Law & Order," NBC's mega-hit procedural crime drama, is known for its longevity,
spin-offs, and of course, its characters. The actors behind the fictional detectives
have earned a place in our hearts after many years on the screen.
These are the actors who spent the most time on "Law & Order."
Chris Noth was a relative unknown when he was cast as Det. Mike Logan, making his debut
in the very first episode of "Law & Order" in 1990. As the show's popularity grew,
so did Noth's stardom; by the fifth season, he left the show in search of greener pastures.
It didn't take Noth long to find another role — and an even more iconic one to boot:
Mr. Big in "Sex and the City," and he struck gold again with a role on "The Good Wife."
Noth didn't entirely say goodbye to Logan when he exited "Law & Order" in 1995.
He returned to the role in the 1998 "Law & Order" TV movie "Exiled," and
again in the spin-off "Law & Order: Criminal Intent."
Jesse L. Martin joined "Law & Order" in 1999, and as he told Entertainment Weekly,
he felt that the show's procedural format, focusing on the crime of the
week while ignoring characters' personal lives, suited his acting style, saying -
"To me, that's the best part of acting, just getting the story across. I think
you learn more about a character through the telling of the story."
Martin departed in 2008 following nine seasons. As he explained in
a different interview with Entertainment Weekly,
the one-time Broadway star was eager to return to treading the boards, saying -
True to his word, Martin returned to Broadway in 2010,
starring alongside Al Pacino in a production of Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice."
From the very first season of "Law & Order," Steven Hill was an instant
fan favorite thanks to his portrayal of fast-thinking District Attorney Adam Schiff.
Thanks to the success of "Law & Order," Schiff not only became the longtime actor's most notable
screen role, but it was also his final one; after exiting the show in 2000 after ten seasons,
he never appeared on screen again. He died in 2016 at age 94. Creator Dick Wolf told Variety -
Kelli Giddish has been on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" since 2011,
taking on the role of Det. Amanda Rollins at the start of the show's 13th season.
However, her "Law & Order" journey actually began a few years in 2007,
when she guest-starred on "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" and actually appeared in
a different role on "SVU" as a victim that same year, clearly making an impression.
Prior to joining the "Law & Order" juggernaut, Giddish had already established her television
bona fides as the lead actor in the primetime series "Past Life" and "Chase."
In a 2011 interview with TV Guide, Giddish explained why she jumped at
the opportunity to be part of an ensemble cast, explaining -
No character in the "Law & Order" universe is more beloved than Det. Lennie Briscoe,
portrayed by the late Jerry Orbach. While Orbach wasn't there at the beginning, he was an instant
fan favorite. His 12-season run ended with his 2004 death from prostate cancer at age 69.
Known as a New York theater veteran, he also made a name for himself on the silver screen,
best remembered there as the father of Jennifer Grey's Baby in "Dirty Dancing."
In a 2004 interview with The Boston Globe, Orbach theorized about why the
rigid "Law & Order" story structure resonated with viewers, explaining -
The beloved duo of Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit"
came to an abrupt end in 2011 when Christopher Meloni left the show after 12 seasons,
with Stabler written off "SVU" when the actor's contract negotiations went south.
After appearing in numerous TV series including "True Blood," "Surviving Jack," "Underground,"
and "Happy!", Deadline reported in spring 2020 that Meloni would be returning to the fold,
reprising Stabler in a new spin-off, "Law & Order: Organized Crime."
Speaking with Entertainment Weekly,
Meloni explained why he decided to resurrect Stabler a decade later, saying -
Tony award winner BD Wong made his first appearance in "SVU"'s
second season as FBI psychiatrist Dr. George Huang. Wong left "SVU"
after 10 seasons in order to star in a new series called "Awake."
When "Awake" was quickly cancelled, Wong returned to "SVU" in 2012.
He made one appearance per season on the show until his final one in 2015. Since then,
Wong has appeared in numerous TV series, including "Awkwafina is Nora from Queens,"
"Mr. Robot," "Gotham," and "American Horror Story."
In an interview with KQED,
Wong admitted he wasn't thrilled about the way his "SVU" character was revealed to be gay.
"It's despicable." "I've never seen you this ticked off before."
"Pseudoscience like this insults my intelligence as a psychiatrist and my humanity as a gay man."
According to the openly gay actor,
"I was also kind of torn because, you know,
it's positive... But it did feel a little convenient or kind of lazy or, you know,
kind of not particularly the best way that you want to come out as a character."
Sam Waterston is another "Law & Order" long-timer, joining the show at the start of the fifth season
and playing principled and idealistic District Attorney Jack McCoy until the
final season of "Law & Order" in 2010. He's continued to maintain a busy acting schedule,
most recently in the Netflix hit "Grace and Frankie" — and he returned to the "Law & Order"
fold when he reprised the role of Jack McCoy for "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" in 2018.
In 2010, he opened up to CBS News about the impact that he's had thanks to "Law & Order," marveling -
"I can't tell you the number of people who have come up to me on the street and said,
'I'm a lawyer because of you.'"
The honor of longest tenured cast member of the original "Law & Order"
goes to S. Epatha Merkerson, who joined the series in season 4 and wound up
sticking around for seventeen seasons as NYPD Lieutenant Anita Van Buren.
"You want to indict a guy, because of a dessert?"
"Well it is 'Killer chocolate cake.'" "For you."
When the series was cancelled by NBC in 2010,
Merkerson left the world of "Law & Order," but she didn't stray too far. Just a few years later,
in 2015, she was cast in "Chicago Med," from "Law & Order" creator Dick Wolf.
In 1998, Merkerson spoke to The Washington Post about her "Law & Order" role.
According to Merkerson, her passion remained in theater, and the laid back
"Law & Order" schedule allowed her to stay in touch with her stage roots, explaining -
"I rehearse, they put my wig on, I get dressed, we rehearse again, maybe twice, and we shoot."
Richard Belzer had a singularly unique path to joining "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,"
portraying Det. John Munch since the spin-off's first episode in 1999. Munch had previously been
a fixture in a completely different TV crime drama, "Homicide: Life on the Street." In fact,
Belzer holds the record for the most appearances in other shows by a single television character,
thanks to John Munch appearing in "Arrested Development," "30
Rock," "The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt," and other programs.
Jokingly lamenting that he'd been a TV cop for so long the public had
forgotten he was actually a standup comic, Belzer expressed gratitude for being able
to inhabit the conspiracy-loving detective for so long, saying -
"You know, the part is a gift from God. [...] I'm grateful every day.
I'll do it till I drop, I guess — or drop out."
As it turned out, Belzer opted for the latter; he exited the show later that year, during Season 17.
Dann Florek was a member of the original cast of "Law & Order" when it premiered in 1990,
portraying NYPD Capt. Don Cragen. Florek parted ways with the show
in 1993 when series creator Dick Wolf axed him and co-star Richard Brooks.
Wolf brought Florek back for a single 1995 episode, and again in 1998 for the TV movie
"Exiled." In 1999, the actor joined the cast of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit"
and stuck around, with Florek playing the role until he departed the series in 2014,
though he would return for episodes in 2015 and 2021.
The explanation for Florek's departure was reportedly his
age in relation to the NYPD's actual mandatory retirement policy by age 63.
Since the second season of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," Tamara Tunie has
portrayed medical examiner Dr. Melinda Warner. Since she's not a series regular on "SVU," Tunie
has been free to appear in other series, such as "24" and "Better Call Saul," in addition
to nearly 1,300 episodes of the daytime soap "As the World Turns" between 1987 and 2009.
In addition to her television work, Tunie has also carved
out a career onstage in New York City. A founding member of Black Theatre United,
she's also headlined her own cabaret show, "Yes, I Sing!"
Interestingly enough, Tunie landed her "SVU" role despite missing her audition, telling DuJour -
"So, I said to my agent, 'Come on! I've done all the shows. So, they know me."
Rapper Ice-T was cast as Det. Fin Tutuola in the second season of "Law & Order:
Special Victims Unit." The role has always been steeped in irony given the intense controversy
surrounding his 1992 track "Cop Killer" and his own run-ins with the law when he was a young man.
In a 2019 interview with TV Insider, Ice-T admitted that,
after playing a detective for two decades, his opinion of police was more nuanced, saying -
"I know they work hard and they're underpaid. But I also know,
when you play a cop, you realize there is a blue wall. They do cover for each other,
and it's kind of like them against the world, and the world against them."
As for why he's stuck around "SVU" for so long, he explained -
"Everyone on the show is very cool, no one has harsh words and Dick
Wolf's checks clear, so it's nice work." When it comes to "Law & Order" longevity,
one name stands above all others: Mariska Hargitay, who's portrayed Olivia Benson
since the first episode of "SVU" in 1999. And there's no signs of her stopping,
as Hargitay said in a 2019 interview with The Hollywood Reporter -
"The show is challenging, it's exhausting, it's a marathon. And there are hard days
and there are days when I'm like, 'You know what? I might be done. I'm so tired, I can't
see straight.' And then there are days when I get on my knees and I say, 'Thank you, God.'"
What's also kept her around so long, she added,
are the behind-the-camera opportunities the show has given her, telling The Hollywood Reporter -
"I'm directing; producing is a whole new world. I grew into boss lady,
and I like it. I like it and I'm good at it."
As for how long fans might see her as Olivia Benson, Hargitay trusts her intuition, saying -
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