Best "Law & Order" Cast Members Over the Last 20 Years

When NBC aired the final episode of "Law & Order" last May, it brought an end to one of the longest running television dramas ever. The "Law & Order" franchise has been a popular show over those 20 years as have the many cast members who were a part of the original Law& Order and it's CI and SVU spin offs. The first season "Law & Order" ran on NBC, it was not as strong as it would become in later seasons.

Indeed, episodes over the past few seasons have not been as strong as seasons running from 1991 to 2004. Even though the show was placed in different time slots over the years on the NBC schedule, it remained a strong and relevant cop opera. Even the copycat shows like "CSI" and the later "Law & Order" spin off series couldn't touch the original series. The show remained a must-see quality TV show. That's due in large part to the cast members who have made "Law & Order" stronger over it's 20 year lifespan.

Here are the top 5 cast members over the past 20 years of "Law & Order":

Jerry Orbach as Detective Lennie Briscoe

Appearing on "Law & Order" for 12 years from 1991 until his death from prostate cancer in 2004, Orbach was one of the best characters to ever grace the small screen. Orbach was a Tony Award winning Broadway actor and appeared in many hit musicals including "Carnival," "Chicago'" and "42nd Street." Orbach's portrayal of Detective Lennie Briscoe, a sharp-tonuged, world-weary, recovering alcoholic, was truly magical. He seemed to have a certain on-screen charm about him that belied the weight of all he had seen on the streets on New York. Dripping with sarcasm and without missing a beat, Briscoe looks at a receipt from an expensive restaurant found on the body of a victim and says, "Dinner for two? Hope he enjoyed it."

Sam Waterston as Executive Assistant District Attorney Jack McCoy

Not a member of the original cast, Waterston came onto the scene in 1994 and has become one of the series most widely recognized characters. For many years, especially during the first few seasons, Waterston and Orbach were the best part of this series. Before he became ADA Jack McCoy on Law & Order, Waterston appeared in many motion pictures over the years like "The Killing Fields," in which he was nominated for a the Best Actor Oscar award in 1984.

Chris Noth as Detective Mike Logan

Most TV fans will recognize Noth from his role in smash hit "Sex in the City." In the Law & Order series, Noth plays Detective Mike Logan, a young cop considered by many fans to be the "soul" of this series. Noth was a pivotal character in the series from the first through the fifth seasons. A native of Madison, Wisconsin studied acting with Sanford Meisner before he went off to the Yale School of Drama.

Micheal Moriarty as Executive Assistant District Attorney Benjamin Stone

His portrayal of EADA Ben Stone was probably his best known character roles. EADA Stone was considered to be the heart Standing at 6 feet four and one half inches, Moriarty is one of the tallest actors in Hollywood. Like Orbach, Moriarty was also a well-known actor on Broadway winning a Tony Award for his role in "Find Your Way Home." Moriarty left the show after just 4 seasons due to some issues with Janet Reno's take on the show being too violent.

S. Epatha Merkerson as Lieutenant Anita Van Buren

The longest running character on the "Law & Order" series (Seasons 4-20), and arguably one of the best characters, Merkerson originally played a guest role in the first season. She did such a great job in the guest role that she was eventually hired on in Season 4 and has remained with the series all along. Merkerson was nominated for a Best Featured Actress Tony Award for her role in "The Piano Lesson."

"Law & Order"episodes over the past few seasons have not been as strong as seasons running from 1991 to 2004. Even though the show was placed in different time slots over the years on the NBC schedule, it remained a strong and relevant cop opera using scripts torn from the headlines. Even the copycat shows like CSI and the later Law & Order spin off series couldn't touch the original series. The show remained a must-see quality TV show right to the last season. That's due in large part to the cast members who have made "Law & Order" stronger over it's 20 year lifespan.

Sources:

Law & Order; Wikipedia; accessed 2011-01-26

Law & Order Cast and Crew; TV.com; accessed 2011-01-26