Law & Order cast: what happened to the stars who left the show?

Although he only starred in the first five seasons of the show, Chris Noth was one of Law & Order’s biggest breakout stars as he played the iconic NYPD Detective Mike Logan, an arrogant womanizing misanthrope with a "famous temper."

The TV star was infamously fired from the show in 1995 due to creative friction with series creator Dick Wolf, however he returned to the role of Mike Logan in 1998 for the Law & Order television film, Exiled: A Law & Order Movie.

Chris went on to play the infamous Mr Big in Sex and the City, recurring throughout the series and even starring in the films. He also played a key role as Peter Florrick in The Good Wife, and even took on a guest role in not one but two Doctor Who episodes.

He said goodbye to his role as Mr Big in the show’s 2021 reboot, And Just Like That, in which the lothario suffers a fatal heart attack in the first episode. 

Following sexual assault allegations in 2021, Chris took a step back from acting, returning in 2025 with an appearance on Cutman. In an interview with USA Today in August 2023, he denied the allegations made against him.

Previously a serious regular before the show’s hiatus, from 2008 to 2010, Anthony Anderson played Detective Kevin Bernard, returning in 2022 for one more season.

He left the show in 2010, stating to Entertainment Tonight that: "I wanted to go off and create more shows like Black-ish, create things that I have ownership in, and do something a little bit different.”

The actor not only went on to star in Black-ish with Tracee Ellis Ross, but also played Marty Fisher in Shameless and took on a role in Scream 4. In 2022 he returned as Detective Bernard in the new Law & Order for one episode. 

Since then, he's taken on smaller roles, playing a Barber in the Netflix Original You People, and appearing on The Masked Singer.

Only appearing in Law & Order for one season, George Dzundza was meant to play a main character role as Sergeant Max Greevey. His character was written off the series with his death in the second season premiere. But why did he leave the cast?

It turns out George hadn't realized the show would be more of an ensemble cast than him being the star. He was also under stress from the constant commute between his home in Los Angeles and New York City. 

Nevertheless, he continued to have a thriving acting career into 2011, playing The Ventriloquist in The Batman: Animated Series, and featuring as Harold O’Malley, father of surgeon George O’Malley, in Grey’s Anatomy between 2005 and 2007.

Now 80, he has retired from acting.

This American-Trinidadian actress recurred throughout seasons 1, 3 and 4 as defense lawyer Shambala Green, appearing as a guest in 2003 again. But when she left her career didn't stop thriving.

She guest-starred in Frasier, NCIS and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation among other TV shows. A recurring role on Ugly Betty saw her play Yoga, Claire Meade’s cellmate in prison and accomplice. 

Lorraine has also appeared in Shonda Rhimes' shows such as Grey's Anatomy and Scandal. Most recently she appeared in two episodes of Ryan Murphy's All's Fair.

Jesse played detective Ed Green for nine years on Law & Order, leaving in 2008. The actor, who was originally a stage actor, decided to leave the show to return to his roots in theatre.

“It was pretty much time for me. I need to get back on stage before I get too scared to do it again,” he said to Entertainment Weekly. “And with that schedule, it would be really difficult for me to ever really get to do anything like that."

After leaving Law & Order, Jesse acted on his intention to return to the stage, completing four productions of Shakespeare between 2010 and 2012. He took on roles in The Merchant of Venice, Romeo and Juliet, and The Winter’s Tale.

This doesn’t mean he completely abandoned the screen. In 2024, he took on the lead role in new crime drama The Irrational, playing Alec Mercer, a world-renowned professor of behavioral psychology. 

A veteran actor, when Paul Sorvino took on the role of Sergeant Phil Cerreta he had already played roles in Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas and Bloodbrothers. 

The star only played Cerreta for two seasons, leaving the show for a career in opera. He still acted in classic films, playing Fulgencio Capulet in Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet and Frank Costello in Godfather of Harlem.

Paul died in 2022 aged 83 years old, and is survived by his Oscar-winning daughter Mira Sorvino and son Michael Sorvino.

In his role as Jack McCoy, Sam Waterston went on to be Law & Order's second longest running cast member — and he was nominated for 11 SAG Awards as a result.

He first appeared in the cast from 1994 to 2010, then re-joined for a stint from 2022 to 2024. His role on the show was so popular, he was declared a "Living Landmark" by the New York Landmarks Conservancy, along with fellow longtime series cast member Jerry Orbach.

He has also appeared in the show's many spin-offs, from SVU to Trial by Jury.

Outside of his work on the long-running show, Sam has appeared in Grace and Frankie and Family Guy, as well as Aaron Sorkin's The Newsroom.

Camryn Manheim landed a leading role in Law & Order in 2022. Appearing on the show for the next two years, she made her mark as Kate Dixon, before departing the drama in 2024. Since making her exit, the actress has been enjoying some downtime with her friends and family, and has been posting photos from her trips to film screenings, premieres and trips to the theatre on Instagram.