Jack McCoy is coming back!
In a recent Instagram post from Dick Wolf Entertainment, the announcement was made that Sam Waterston would be appearing in the revival of Law and Order which premieres February 24, 2022.
This is great news for fans of the show, as Waterston’s Jack McCoy has long been a mainstay of the Law and Order franchise. The character of Jack McCoy appeared in the final 16 seasons of the landmark show before its original cancellation. He has also appeared in several episodes of the spinoffs, Law and Order: Trial By Jury and Law and Order: Special Victims Unit as well as episodes of Homicide: Life on the Street. In total, Waterston has the second most appearances on the orignal Law and Order, behind only S. Epatha Merkerson. With Merkerson not announced to return, it is possible that Waterston could set the record for most appearances in the long running show.
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In an article from Hollywood Outbreak, executive producer Dick Wolf said this about the casting news, “Very few casting announcements have ever given me this much pleasure. Since day one, Sam has had perfect pitch when it comes to Jack McCoy as a character who both reflects and expands our ability to understand the law. He is the ultimate conscience of the show and I look forward to him emulating the career of New York District Attorney Robert Morgenthau, who served until he was 90. With both Sam and Anthony (Anderson) returning, it shows that the 21st season is merely a continuation of where we left off.”
Waterston has had a long career of playing authority figures, from DA Jack McCoy to no less than five different Presidents, including two fictional ones. Of those Presidential portrayals, Waterston is personally most pleased to have portrayed Abraham Lincoln multiple times, having once been quoted as saying, “If I have to be typecast, I’d like it to be Abraham Lincoln.”
When he joined the cast of Law and Order, he replaced Michael Moriarty’s EADA Ben Stone as the primary prosecutor for the show. Moriarty had been in the role since the beginning of the series, but was written out of the series for what executive producer Wolf called “erratic behavior on the set.” Moriarty has long alleged that his dismissal had to do with a lawsuit he threatened to file against Janet Reno for campaigning against violence on TV in shows such as Law and Order. Waterston brought a calmness and stability to the role that Moriarty, according to Wolf, was unable to bring.
It was not long before Waterston’s Jack McCoy became a fan favorite with his easy reasoned delivery. He also exhibited excellent onscreen chemistry with all of his costars over the course of his sixteen seasons on the show.
When the Law and Order revival was announced, no casting was announced at that time, although it was announced that they were hoping to bring back many of the stars from the original show as possible. There are still many questions about the cast of the upcoming revival, but knowing that Waterston will be on board will no doubt be a boon to fans of the show. The very nature of a show like Law and Order allows for a changing cast, but having a cornerstone character like Jack McCoy on board will provide the stability necessary for the show to succeed.
