Long-time cast member Sam Waterston, who portrayed Jack McCoy from 1994-2010, is coming back to reprise the character for the revival in Season 21, and fans should be glad to hear he is more than . Sam Waterston. He doesnt try to be funny, and he doesnt try to be dramatic. In his heyday, he was a happy warrior, and I think he still is. And we thought that was tough, [but] I think [the Law & Orderwriters and producers] totally stepped up to the plate. But Waterston wanted the audience to feel like theyd just met this character in a tavern. During the 2022 Upfronts, Sam Waterston, who plays the legendary DA Jack McCoy, opened up to TODAY about the ways the world changed while Law & Order was off the airand the importance of . Your first book is Free with trial! 0:00. I noticed that in the searches related at the bottom of the results page, it said "Sam Waterston Parkinson's." I clicked on it and apparently there were rumors floating around a while back that he may have Parkinson's disease. 6 Amazon travel essentials for your next getaway, starting at $12, Actor Sam Waterston stops by Studio 1A to talk about the return of the iconic show Law & Order, twelve years after its last episode aired. At that time, NBCUniversal was also in the midst of changing ownership from General Electric to Comcast. It feels, to me, like Law & Order might have something to contribute to the general conversation because were all mad about something. Its also a very disturbing story about us now. At 81, Sam Waterston is one of television's busiest actors, with roles in Law & Order, The Dropout, and Grace and Frankie. NBC Insider is your all-access pass to some of your favorite NBC shows. I dont know how much hes changed. Audible provides the highest quality audio and narration. Beth Dubber/Hulu via AP. And I loved doing it., Waterstons default, he admits, is to embrace as many opportunities as possible. Waterson has appeared in over 370 episodes of the series. Law & Order Star Sam Waterston Reveals Why He Was Hesitant to Return. So it works for me.". "I love to work, so when people ask me, my tendency is to say yes.". I mean, the publicity tends to make it seem like, Here comes a whole lot of famous people getting themselves arrested in Washington, D.C., but it was a gigantic team with Greenpeace and all kinds of other organizations.. Hes just hes just honest. "It really was time travel. But who would have I could never have imagined Grace & Frankie coming., He was thrilled and even a little surprised to play the complicated Shultz, a powerful man who doubles down on trusting Holmes (she was convicted of fraud in January). Harvard first, and now Yale come on Yale, catch up! And the other things that I might have done were not as exciting. His role in Grace and Frankie made it a bigger deal when he was arrested in the fall of 2019 with Fonda as part of her Fire Drill Fridays, where she showed up on the steps of the US Capitol to draw attention to climate change. During the 90s, he also accepted his first substantial TV role, booking the starring role of Jack McCoy in "Law & Order." If a military band plays, "Hail to the Chief," when Sam Waterston steps off a plane, forgive the confusion. Sam Waterston, one of the longest-tenured Law & Order cast members, has closed a deal . Alison Brie and Dave Franco Bare All in Rom-Com, The real-life couple and creative partners speak to, Harrison Ford Doesnt Have A Social Anxiety Disorder, Youre Just Boring, The Sickening Story of the Sarah Lawrence Sex Cult, Director Zach Heinzerling on Hulus three-part docuseries. "I'm so glad they let me be part . I think Law & Order is a show to be proud of being in. Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day. I mean, we should all be so useful. It's only 12 years. I mean my feeling about being semi-famous, which is where I classify myself, is that not that you can change minds, not that you can do anything material necessarily, but that you can point. Pop Culture Happy Hour: The 'Law & Order' Universe, Elizabeth Holmes verdict: Former Theranos CEO is found guilty on 4 counts. He is the ultimate conscience of the show, and I look forward to him emulating the career of New York District Attorney Robert Morgenthau, who served until he was 90, the big boss says. He just sort of starts talking and its like, oh my God, thats what a pro does. Those who read the first pages of Moby-Dick to launch the event usually say its famous first line Call me Ishmael in a booming voice, said McMullen. So, its not surprising that they would do it. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. . Sheen and Waterston first worked together in the 1979 Western Eagles Wing. Now they play a couple on Grace and Frankie; their ex-wives are played by Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. I didn't know Lily Tomlin. The 81-year-old actor, who will be back as Executive Assistant District Attorney Jack McCoy, opened up to . Listen as he tells Stephen about walking onto the new set for the first time, and stick around for more from the legendary Sam Waterston! All Rights Reserved. training himself to properly enunciate and project his voice. Save 20% On Olaplex Haircare Bestsellers to Repair Damaged Strands, Save $105 on This Highly-Rated Dyson Vacuum Alternative from Amazon, Hailey Bieber's Favorite Denim Shorts Are On Sale Now at Amazon, Khloe Kardashian's Good American Drops New Neon Swimwear Collection, Past 'Law & Order: SVU' Stars and Cast Members Look Back at Time on Set (Exclusive). Many fans of the show, and many people who worked on it, feel like NBCs 2010 cancellation was unjust. Chief among them were Sam Waterston, who starred as District Attorney (DA) Jack McCoy from Seasons 5 through 20; S. Epatha Merkerson as Lieutenant Anita Van Buren (Seasons 5-20); Chris Noth, who . It does feel familiar, but we are completely different people. 'The Dropout' dares to ask: How did Theranos get away with all this? I dont think hes gotten weary. Meredith Goldstein can be reached at Meredith.Goldstein@Globe.com. Its only natural that things have changed Every cell in your body does, Waterston says. AARP. Actor Sam Waterston is detained by U.S. Capitol Police officers during a rally on Capitol Hill in Washington Friday. Created by Dick Wolf, the legal drama Law & Order is hailed as one of television's longest-running series, clocking in at 20 award-winning seasons. Its a great time for the original Law & Order to be on the air. Oceana is on the case all the time. All rights reserved. In 1991, he starred with Reese Witherspoon in the coming-of-age film The Man in the Moon. Waterstons Grace and Frankie cast-mate Martin Sheen said his favorite Waterston project is 1984s The Killing Fields, about two reporters covering the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia. During the 2022 Upfronts, Sam Waterston, who plays the legendary DA Jack McCoy, opened up to TODAY about the ways the world changed while Law & Order was off the airand the importance of ensuring the subject matter stays relevant to the current generation. Thank you, Sam Waterston! I also have his phone number, which over the last 15 years I have called four times. 0:36. Actor Sam Waterston was arrested for the second time during a protest over climate change outside the U.S. Capitol building in Washington on Friday. The game has changed. They subsequently had three children together. In 2020, he became chairman of the board of Oceana, a nonprofit founded in 2001 by a group of trusts and foundations (including the Pew Charitable Trusts and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund) with a mission of protecting the worlds oceans. Hes a sweet, sensitive character who does a lot of feeling his feelings. I'm sure you've seen the adds on CNBC or during any ballgame. Few men appear as immortal as the inimitable Sam Waterston.He may be 81 years old old enough that, as he told USA Today, his acquaintances still use flip phones but really, he doesn't seem . After graduating from Groton School in 1958, he went on to Yale, where he studied theater, history, and French. Hes not only reprising his role as District Attorney Jack McCoy on season 21 of Law & Order, but hes also portraying former U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz on The Dropout, a true-crime series depicting the rise and fall of Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes. At 81, Waterston is not ready for retirement. Ellen Pompeos 19-season stint as the shows lead came to an understated end this week. I love to work, so when people ask me, my tendency is to say yes., That philosophy is why Waterston, 81, took on another new role a few years ago. It led me to be involved with Refugees International for 25 years, a quarter of a century. pic.twitter.com/9qOnlTY5mS, Iain Armitage (@IainLoveTheatre) January 3, 2020, Today @IainLoveTheatre returns to #FireDrillFriday. And you couldn't go to the theater in New York and read the program [and] most of the actors have been on Law & Order, too. On playing former Secretary of State George Shultz in The Dropout (Shultz was a key investor and supporter of Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos). And every time Ive seen him, hes said that. Of course, the fact that John Slattery and Elizabeth Franz were also in the company helped a little bit, too. There are a lot of TV shows being shot in New York now, but when Law & Order started, it was basically the only show in town. I didn't know that [somebody's] whole body could be made out of funny bones. There isn't really any other way that we ought to be looking at this. Sam Waterston had some hesitation in returning for the new revival of Law & Order.. All Rights Reserved. But Waterston admits he had a moment of hesitation when the notion of returning to Law & Order became a reality. That philosophy is why Waterston, 81 . Actor Sam Waterston has played . He also worked with Woody Allen extensively during the 80s, appearing in three of his films over the course of the decade. That includes Shultz, a member of the board of directors who remained a staunch supporter despite mounting evidence that the company was a sham. Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter. Theres an actual building in Newburyport the cabin of the Atkinson family is still standing.. Law & Order Season 22 will return to NBC in fall 2022, as will Law & Order: Special Victims UnitSeason 24 and Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 3. Subscribe to our newsletter for new stories, tips & events. No.).. NEW BEDFORD (AP) This year's Moby-Dick Marathon, the annual cover-to-cover reading of Herman Melville's iconic man-versus whale novel hosted by the New Bedford Whaling Museum, kicks off on . Sam is known for appearing in Woody Allen films and for his starring role as Jack McCoy in "Law & Order." Now the show's back and so is he. So the kinds of things that I did with Jane Fonda, the protests that I did at the Harvard-Yale game a few years ago, where we protested Harvard and Yale's investments in fossil fuels, all of that stuff, I feel, is in the category of being able to point.