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By Sam Joseph Semon for Dailymail.com
02:39 February 3, 2024, updated 02:53 February 3, 2024
Sam Waterston is officially leaving the hit legal drama series Law & Order after appearing in more than 400 episodes.
According People, the 83-year-old actor will be leaving his former role as District Attorney Jack McCoy after first joining the series 30 years ago. Fans can watch the final episode of it on February 22.
Tony Goldwyn, best known for his work as President Fitzgerald Grant III on Scandal, will now join the cast.
Goldwyn will play another district attorney, whose name has not been publicly revealed at this time.
The actor shared a statement to confirm the news, where he stated via Washington Post that “the time has come to move on and take Jack McCoy with me.”
The Academy Award-nominated figure later stated that although he would miss the show, he was excited about the next part of his career.
“It’s sad to leave, but I’m too curious to know what’s next.” An actor doesn’t want to get too comfortable,” he stated.
Waterston made his debut as McCoy during the fifth season of Law & Order, which premiered in 1994.
The performer reprized his role in several episodes of the spin-off series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
The actor remained with Law & Order until its original cancellation, which took place in 2010.
Waterston returned to the Dick Wolf-created show when it was revived for a 21st season, premiering in 2022.
He was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 1997, 1999 and 2000 for his work on the show.
The actor was also nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama in 1995.
Waterston won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series in 1998 for his role on the show.
The performer spoke about working on the show during an interview with NPRwhere he stated that if it hadn’t been for his role on Law & Order, he probably would have taken less satisfying jobs.
“I could have ended up doing other things that I wasn’t so happy with: silly roles or silly projects,” he admitted.
He added: “Let’s not leave out the fact that (my wife) Lynn and I had four children who needed to go to school and college and Law & Order paid for it.”