Sam Waterston is leaving ‘Law & Order’
Sam Waterston is leaving “Law & Order” after 30 years and 400 episodes with the franchise, Wolf Entertainment announced.
The 83-year-old joined the drama series in its fifth season in 1994, stayed on until it stopped running in 2010 and returned for the 2022 reboot. He has earned a SAG award and Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for his role as Jack McCoy, a brilliant albeit hottempered prosecutor who bows to no one but Lady Justice.
The last episode for Waterston’s McCoy will be Feb. 22, NBC said. Tony Goldwyn, best known for his role as President Fitzgerald “Fitz” Grant in ABC’s “Scandal,” has been cast as the new district attorney.
Waterston said goodbye to fans of the show in a heartfelt statement posted to Wolf Entertainment’s website Friday.
“There’s sadness in leaving, but I’m just too curious about what’s next. An actor doesn’t want to let himself get too comfortable,” Waterston said. “I’m more grateful to you than I can say. L&O’s continuing and amazing long run, along with its astounding come-back, is all thanks to you and to Dick Wolf, but for whose vision, patience, perseverance, and unique combination of creative and business talents, none of this would have happened. I feel very blessed.”
He ended his statement by saying, “I hope to see you all on the flip side.”
Sam Waterston joined ‘Law and Order’ in its fifth season in 1994, stayed on until it stopped running in 2010 and returned for the 2022 reboot.
James Cameron has spent the last decade and a half bringing his “Avatar” film franchise to life, most recently with the second installment, “Avatar: The Way of Water,” released in 2022. Cameron has spoken in the past about his big dreams for the series in the next decade and beyond, but even the Oscar-winning director knows he’ll have to hand off the franchise to someone else eventually.
Cameron gave an update on the upcoming movies’ progress in a Feb. 5 interview with People magazine. With two movies now in the bank, Cameron is ready to continue expanding the “Avatar” universe.
“We’re fully written through movie five,” he said. The next
Fill in the grid using the clues listed here.: three scripts are done, but Cameron and his collaborators aren’t done creating the “Avatar” world on paper just yet.
Still, Cameron, who turns 70 this year, acknowledged that he’ll probably have to step away at some point down the line. “I’ve got ideas for six and seven, although I’ll probably be handing the baton on at that point,” he admitted. “I mean, mortality catches up. But I mean, we’re enjoying what we’re doing. We’re loving it. We get to work with great people.”
Seven films in one franchise is certainly an ambitious endeavor, but Cameron wants “Avatar” to stand as one of the greatest sci-fi franchises in film history, joined by “Star Wars” and “Star Trek.”
“Star Trek, Star Wars, the world-building franchises that have been around since I was a kid, those were my inspirations,” Cameron confessed. “We’re still a young universe. We’re only two movies in; we’re halfway through our third right now. To have that kind of cultural impact over time, you got to pour all your heart and energy into it.”
“People are always asking us, ‘So why did you just keep working in the same [universe].’ Why did [George] Lucas keep working in the same thing? Why did [Gene] Roddenberry keep working in the same thing? Because when you connect with people, why would you squander that? Why would you start over with something else that might not connect?”
The third “Avatar” movie is expected to hit theaters in 2025. It’ll be followed by Avatar 4 in 2029 and Avatar 5 in 2031.