We Finally Know Why Anthony Anderson Left The Law & Order Revival After One Season

Anthony Anderson's on-again, off-again relationship with NBC's "Law & Order" is officially off ... again. After returning to the relaunched program for its first season, it was announced in May that "Law & Order" was losing Anderson ahead of Season 2. There's no word as of press time what will be happening to Anderson's character, Detective Kevin Bernard, but fans of the procedural will recall that, during the procedural's original run, he had a much longer stint. Per IMDb, he debuted the character during Season 18's "Burn Card" and was a regular on "Law & Order" until Season 20's "Rubber Room," which concluded the drama's NBC run.

Anderson went on to find success between his "Law & Order" terms, appearing in films such as "Grudge Match" and "Scream 4," and on the NBC sitcom "Guys with Kids." He went on to both co-produce and star on the acclaimed ABC comedy "Black-ish." The success of the Kenya Barris-created sitcom spawned a franchise including the spin-off "Grown-ish," which concluded its fourth season at the end of March, and the prequel series "Mixed-ish," which was canceled in May 2021 after two seasons (via Variety). 

For those wondering why Anderson decided to move on from "Law & Order" for a second time, look no further, as the actor has finally explained why he decided to leave the show behind.

During a July 2022 interview with Entertainment Tonight, Anderson explained that he wants to concentrate on working as a producer instead of acting before the cameras. "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 told ET's Kevin Frazier. To that end, the "Law & Order" alum told ET that he's already got his next production on tap and is looking to find it a home. He shared, "We're going out and pitching another drama called 'Miraculous,' which I'm excited about, so looking forward to what that's going to do." 

Anderson's IMDb includes a list of producing credits that extend far beyond the "Black-ish" universe. Aside from producing several episodes of his early '00s sitcom  "All About the Andersons," he has co-producing credits for the 52nd and 53rd editions of the NAACP Image Awards. He has also co-produced the reality programs "Animal Nation with Anthony Anderson," "Carnival Cravings with Anthony Anderson," and "Eating America with Anthony Anderson."