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List of Law & Order characters

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Law & Order follows the fictional cases of a group of police detectives and prosecutors who represent the public in the criminal justice system. Since its September 1990 debut, each season features a main cast of six main characters: two detectives and their supervising officer (Law) within the New York City Police Department, alongside two prosecuting district attorneys and the Manhattan District Attorney (Order). The first season followed detectives Max Greevey (George Dzundza) and Mike Logan (Chris Noth), and Captain Donald Cragen (Dann Florek); ADAs Ben Stone (Michael Moriarty) and Paul Robinette (Richard Brooks), and District Attorney Adam Schiff (Steven Hill).

The series, with a run of more than 20 seasons to date, is known for its revolving cast, with most of its original cast having left the show within the first five seasons.[1] The longest-serving main cast members of the series are Sam Waterston as EADA/DA Jack McCoy (1994–2010, 2022–2024), S. Epatha Merkerson as Lieutenant Anita Van Buren (1993–2010), and Jerry Orbach as Detective Lennie Briscoe (1992–2004). The following is a list of characters by role type who have appeared over the various seasons since the series's premiere.

Main characters

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Law & Order main characters
Character Portrayed by Position Seasons
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 M 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
Max Greevey George Dzundza Senior Detective
Sergeant		 Main Does not appear
Mike Logan Chris Noth Junior Detective Main Does not appear Main Does not appear
Donald Cragen Dann Florek Captain Main Does not appear Guest Does not appear Main Guest Does not appear Guest Does not appear
Ben Stone Michael Moriarty Executive Assistant DA Main Does not appear
Paul Robinette Richard Brooks Assistant DA Main Does not appear Guest Does not appear Guest Does not appear
Adam Schiff Steven Hill District Attorney Main Does not appear Main Does not appear
Phil Cerreta Paul Sorvino Senior Detective
Sergeant		 Does not appear Main[a] Does not appear
Lennie Briscoe Jerry Orbach Senior Detective Does not appear Main[b] Does not appear
Anita Van Buren S. Epatha Merkerson Lieutenant Does not appear Main Does not appear
Claire Kincaid Jill Hennessy Assistant DA Does not appear Main Does not appear
Jack McCoy Sam Waterston Executive Assistant DA
Interim DA
DA		 Does not appear Main Does not appear
Rey Curtis Benjamin Bratt Junior Detective Does not appear Main Does not appear Guest Does not appear
Jamie Ross Carey Lowell Assistant DA Does not appear Main Does not appear Guest Does not appear Guest Does not appear
Abbie Carmichael Angie Harmon Does not appear Main Does not appear Main Does not appear
Ed Green Jesse L. Martin Junior Detective
Senior Detective		 Does not appear Main[c] Does not appear
Nora Lewin Dianne Wiest Interim District Attorney Does not appear Main Does not appear
Serena Southerlyn Elisabeth Röhm Assistant DA Does not appear Main Does not appear
Arthur Branch Fred Thompson District Attorney Does not appear Main Does not appear
Joe Fontana Dennis Farina Senior Detective Does not appear Main Does not appear
Nick Falco Michael Imperioli Junior Detective Does not appear Main[d] Guest Does not appear
Alexandra Borgia Annie Parisse Assistant DA Does not appear Main Does not appear
Nina Cassady Milena Govich Junior Detective Does not appear Main Does not appear
Connie Rubirosa Alana de la Garza Assistant DA Does not appear Main Does not appear
Cyrus Lupo Jeremy Sisto Junior Detective
Senior Detective		 Does not appear Main Does not appear
Michael Cutter Linus Roache Executive Assistant DA Does not appear Main Does not appear
Kevin Bernard Anthony Anderson Junior Detective
Senior Detective		 Does not appear Main Does not appear
Frank Cosgrove Jeffrey Donovan Does not appear Main Does not appear
Kate Dixon Camryn Manheim Lieutenant Does not appear Main Does not appear
Nolan Price Hugh Dancy Executive Assistant DA Does not appear Main
Samantha Maroun Odelya Halevi Assistant DA Does not appear Main
Jalen Shaw Mehcad Brooks Junior Detective Does not appear Main Does not appear
Vincent Riley Reid Scott Senior Detective Does not appear Main
Nicholas Baxter Tony Goldwyn District Attorney Does not appear Main
Jessica Brady Maura Tierney Lieutenant Does not appear Main
Theo Walker David Ajala Junior Detective Does not appear Main
Rob Calvino James Badge Dale Senior Detective Does not appear Main[e]

Police

[edit]

Max Greevey

[edit]
Max Greevey (pictured) was portrayed by George Dzundza during the first season (1990–1991). An uncredited actor appeared in the role for the character's final appearance.

Following the conclusion of the first season, Dzundza exited the role.[2]

Mike Logan

[edit]
Chris Noth portrayed Mike Logan for the first five seasons of the series. He later reprised the role for Exiled: A Law & Order Movie (1998).
  • Portrayed by Chris Noth (1990–1995)
  • Episodes: "Prescription for Death" – "Pride"

Donald Cragen

[edit]
Dann Florek portrayed Donald Cragen for the first three seasons of the series. He later reprised the role for several episodes during subsequent seasons, and Exiled: A Law & Order Movie (1998).

Phil Cerreta

[edit]

Sorvino exited the role, citing the exhausting filming schedule, a need to broaden his horizons, and the desire to preserve his vocal cords for singing opera. As a result, Phil departed the series after he was shot in the line of duty and transferred to an administrative position in another precinct.[3]

Lennie Briscoe

[edit]
Jerry Orbach portrayed Lennie Briscoe from 1992 to 2004. He holds the distinction of being one of the series' longest-running cast members, appearing on over 275 episodes.[4]

Anita Van Buren

[edit]
S. Epatha Merkerson portrayed Anita Van Buren from 1993 to 2010. Se holds the distinction of being one of the series' longest-running cast members, appearing on over 390 episodes, and is the longest-tenured actor during the series' original run (1990–2010).[4]

Rey Curtis

[edit]
Benjamin Bratt portrayed Rey Curtis from 1995 to 1999. He reprised the role in 2009 when Rey's wife dies from multiple sclerosis (MS).

Ed Green

[edit]
Jesse L. Martin joined the cast as Ed Green in 1999. He briefly exited the role during the fifteenth season to shoot Rent (2005). He returned that same year and exited the role in 2008 during the eighteenth season.

Joe Fontana

[edit]

Nick Falco

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Nina Cassidy

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Cyrus Lupo

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Kevin Bernard

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Frank Cosgrove

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Kate Dixon

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Jalen Shaw

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Vincent Riley

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Jessica Brady

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Theo Walker

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Rob Calvino

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  • Portrayed by: James Badge Dale (since 2026)
  • Episodes: "Into the Mystic" – present)

Prosecutors

[edit]

Executive Assistant District Attorneys

[edit]
Name Portrayed by Year Partners Episodes Notes
Benjamin StoneMichael Moriarty1990–1994Paul Robinette,
Claire Kincaid		88
  • Resigns due to his feelings of guilt over the death of a witness whose safety he tried to guarantee.
  • In 1996, Adam Schiff informs Jack McCoy that Stone is travelling in Europe.
  • In 2018, an episode of Law & Order: SVU discusses his death, and shows his funeral.
Jack McCoySam Waterston1994–2007Claire Kincaid,
Jamie Ross,
Abbie Carmichael,
Serena Southerlyn,
Alexandra Borgia,
Connie Rubirosa		405
  • Promoted to interim New York County District Attorney (2008)
  • Begins his campaign to be elected as Manhattan DA in 2009, with support from Adam Schiff
Michael CutterLinus Roache2008–2010Connie Rubirosa63
  • Promoted to Bureau Chief of the Sex Crimes Unit of the DA's office (2011).
Nolan PriceHugh Dancy2022–presentSamantha MarounTBD

Assistant District Attorneys

[edit]
Name Portrayed by Year Partners Episodes Notes
Paul RobinetteRichard Brooks1990–1993Ben Stone66
  • Resigns to pursue private practice in 1993.
  • Appears in three subsequent episodes as a defense attorney between 1996 and 2005.
Claire KincaidJill Hennessy1993–1996Ben Stone,
Jack McCoy		68
  • Dies in a car crash in 1996.
Jamie RossCarey Lowell1996–1998Jack McCoy48
  • Former defense attorney who graduated from Columbia Law School
  • Resigns to pursue private practice and to spend more time with her daughter (1998), whom she had a bitter custody battle for with her ex.
  • Initially supported the death penalty, but eventually became an opponent.
  • Reappears as a defense attorney in 1999 and 2001.
  • Reappears as a judge in two episodes of Law & Order: Trial by Jury (2005).
  • Reappears in season 21 episode "The Right Thing" (2022).
Abbie CarmichaelAngie Harmon1998–200172
Serena SoutherlynElisabeth Röhm2001–200585
  • Fired by Arthur Branch for being inappropriately sympathetic towards a defendant she was prosecuting (2005).
Alexandra BorgiaAnnie Parisse2005–200634
  • Dies after being kidnapped and beaten during a murder trial (2006).
Connie RubirosaAlana de la Garza2006–2010Jack McCoy,
Michael Cutter		85
  • Moves to Los Angeles and joins the DA's office there as a DDA (2011).
  • Later appears in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as a federal prosecutor leading an investigation into an underage sex trafficking operation (2014).
Samantha MarounOdelya Halevi2022–presentNolan PriceTBD
  • In the 1997 season 7 episode "We Like Mike", Caleb Duff is listed as Assistant District Attorney beneath Adam Schiff as District Attorney and John J. McCoy as Executive Assistant District Attorney at the New York County District Attorney's Office, though he never appears on screen.

Manhattan District Attorneys

[edit]
Name Portrayed by Terms Episodes Notes
Alfred WentworthRoy Thinnes19881
Adam SchiffSteven Hill1990–2000228
Nora LewinDianne Wiest2000–200248
  • Prior to her appointment as interim DA by the Governor of New York, she was a law professor (2000), which often provoked her critics to dismiss her as a detached academic with no practical experience.[5]
  • Chooses not to run for election following her interim term (2002)
  • The first woman in the program's history to hold the position of New York County District Attorney.
Arthur BranchFred Thompson2002–2007116
Jack McCoySam Waterston2007–2010, 2022–2024405
  • Appointed Interim DA after Branch's departure in 2007.
  • Begins his election campaign to become DA in 2009, winning the election that year.
Nicholas BaxterTony Goldwyn2024–presentTBD
  • Appointed District Attorney after the departure of Jack McCoy.

See also

[edit]

Notelist

[edit]
  1. ↑ Paul Sorvino was credited as a series regular through the eighth episode of the third season.
  2. ↑ Jerry Orbach was first credited as a series regular with the ninth episode of the third season.
  3. ↑ Jesse L. Martin was not credited as a series regular for episodes 21 to 24 of the fifteenth season, due to his temporary exit from the series. He returned with the first episode of the sixteenth season.
  4. ↑ Michael Imperioli was credited as a series regular from episodes 21 to 24.
  5. ↑ James Badge Dale was initially credited as a guest star in season 26 before being promoted to series regular beginning with the third episode.
  1. ↑ During the second season premiere, Max was portrayed by an uncredited actor.

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ Carlson, Erin (October 31, 2008). "Can 'Law & Order' outlive 'Gunsmoke'?". San Jose Mercury News. Associated Press. Retrieved November 6, 2008.
  2. ↑ Courrier, Kevin; Green, Susan (November 22, 1999). Law & Order: The Unofficial Companion (2nd ed.). Los Angeles, California: Renaissance Books. p. 111. ISBN 1-58063-108-8.
  3. ↑ Courrier, Kevin; Green, Susan (November 20, 1999). Law & Order: The Unofficial Companion. Los Angeles, California: Renaissance Books. pp. 123–125. ISBN 1-58063-108-8.
  4. 1 2 Reynolds, Robin (July 17, 2023). "Law & Order: The longest-running members of the cast". MovieWeb. Archived from the original on October 23, 2026. Retrieved October 22, 2026.
  5. ↑ "Endurance". Law & Order. Season 11. Episode 1. October 18, 2000. NBC.
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