TV - Movies
The Real Reason
These "Law &
Order" Actors
Left The
Franchise
By BRIAN BOONE
Part of the cast since the pilot episode, Noth would have been entitled to a huge salary bump if he were to stay for a sixth season. According to producer Dick Wolf, that raise would’ve been “impossible to grant,” so Noth’s character, Detective Logan, had to leave.
Chris Noth
Like his character, Thompson was an authority figure and legal expert in real life, including serving as counsel to U.S. senators during Watergate. He left the show in 2007 to pursue the Republican nomination for president, but dropped out of the race in 2008.
Fred Thompson
In 1993, U.S. attorney general Janet Reno investigated a possible link between real-world crime and TV violence. Moriarty campaigned a pushback against Reno’s proposals, but without much support, he grew frustrated with the entertainment industry and moved to Canada in 1994.
Michael Moriarty
Although one of the show’s biggest breakout stars, Bratt ended his four-year tenure on “Law & Order” in 1999. He cited family reasons for his departure, but the real cause was probably his desire to land roles on the big screen like the ones in “Miss Congeniality,” “Traffic,” and “Coco.”
Benjamin Bratt
In 2008, after nine years and nearly 200 episodes, Martin decided to leave the show and return to the theater. In 2010, he got back to Broadway with a role in a production of Shakespeare's “The Merchant of Venice,” but he hasn't left TV behind, as he plays Joe West on “The Flash.”
Jesse L. Martin