When Law & Order returns to NBC in 2022, fans of the police procedural will be happy to see a couple of familiar faces returning in their beloved roles. It was previously reported that black-ish star Anthony Anderson is returning as detective Kevin Bernard, and he'll be joined in some capacity or another by fellow Law & Order alum. Sam Waterston, who played the beloved District Attorney Jack McCoy for 16 seasons in the legal drama’s original run, has been confirmed to be returning for its 21st season.
Law & Order premiered on NBC in September 1990 and ran for 20 seasons before the network announced the canellation, with its last episode having aired on May 24, 2010. But with the continued success of its spinoffs, including the long-running Special Victims Unit and the newer recruit Organized Crime, the flagship series will return, as will the legendary creator Dick Wolf and the series' signature format that first showcases the police investigation and then leads into the DA’s prosecution. Along with the familiar faces, Law & Order Season 21 will introduce some new characters to keep things interesting. Let’s take a look at an updated cast list for NBC’s upcoming Law & Order revival.
Sam Waterston (Jack McCoy)
A star of the stage and screen, Sam Waterston played Jack McCoy for 16 seasons in Law & Order’s original run, earning three Emmy nominations in that time. Although the show has been off the air since 2010, Waterston has made a handful of appearances on its spinoff Law & Order: SVU, with his last guest role as McCoy coming in 2018 for Season 19. The actor currently stars as Sol, husband to Martin Sheen's Robert, on Netflix’s Grace and Frankie, which is in its last season. Known as well for his work on HBO's The Newsroom and Netflix's Godless, Waterston will also spend 2022 recurring in the Hulu limited series The Dropout, based on the podcast of the same name.
Anthony Anderson (Kevin Bernard)
Like Sam Waterston, Anthony Anderson has signed a one-year contract to reprise his original character, Detective Kevin Bernard, on Law & Order Season 21. Anderson has starred in black-ish since 2014 as Dre Johnson, with the eighth and final season of the ABC sitcom set to premiere in early 2022. Since Law & Order's original run ended more than 10 years ago, Anderson has appeared in movies including Scream 4 and Barbershop: The Next Cut, as well as TV shows including Guys with Kids and Treme. And you can also catch him hosting the ABC game show To Tell the Truth.
Jeffrey Donovan (Unnamed NYPD Detective)
You likely know him best as the death-defying Michael from Burn Notice, but now Jeffrey Donovan is going to get a taste of handling things above-board (presumably) as an NYPD detective on the Law & Order revival. There’s not much information on his new role in the franchise, but hopefully he’ll bring his dry humor to the streets of New York. Donovan, who previously appeared in two episodes of the drama as unrelated characters, has also had memorable roles in Season 2 of Fargo and two seasons of the Hulu drama Shut Eye.
Hugh Dancy (Assistant District Attorney)
Hugh Dancy is another new face to Law & Order, the Hannibal vet thankfully doesn't have to worry about that face being eaten through his new role as an Assistant District Attorney. Details about Dancy’s new character are being kept mum for now. Dancy’s kept pretty busy on the small screen, playing John Zabel on Season 8 of Homeland and "not-a-cult" leader Cal Roberts on The Path, on top of the aforementioned Hannibal. He’s also no stranger to the theater, most recently appearing in the 2018 run of Apologia in New York, and he'll pop up on the big screen in 2022 via Downton Abbey: A New Era.
Camryn Manheim (Lieutenant Kate Dixon)
After playing three different small roles in Law & Order during its first 20-season run — with one of them being her very first TV performance ever — Camryn Manheim is officially joining the cast for Season 21 as Lieutenant Kate Dixon. This new character serves as the successor to Lieutenant Anita Van Buren, who was played by S. Epatha Merkerson, who was unable to return for the revival due to scheduling issues. Perhaps best known for her Emmy-winning role as Ellenor Fruit on The Practice, Manheim has also appeared in Extant, Ghost Whisperer and Stumptown.
Odelya Halevi (Assistant District Attorney Samantha Maroun)
Odelya Halevi will play Assistant District Attorney Samantha Maroun when the NBC courtroom drama returns next year. Halevi doesn’t have the extensive resume of her co-stars, but has enjoyed recurring roles on the third season of the Freeform drama Good Trouble and on Prime Video’s Good Girls Revolt. She’s also had guest roles in recent years on MacGyver, Midnight, Texas and NCIS.
Law & Order Season 21 is set to premiere on NBC on February 24, 2022, and will air on Dick Wolf Thursdays (not an official branding) alongside its spinoffs Law & Order: SVU and Law and Order: Organized Crime. Check out our 2022 TV Schedule to see what other shows are coming in the new year.
