Entertainment TV Sam Waterston Will Reprise His 'Law & Order' Role as Jack McCoy in NBC's Upcoming Revival Sam Waterston will return to his role as District Attorney Jack McCoy By Glenn Garner Glenn Garner Instagram Twitter Glenn Garner is a Writer/Reporter who works heavily with PEOPLE's Movies and TV verticals. Since graduating from Northern Arizona University with a dual major in journalism and photography, he got his professional start at OUT Magazine, The Advocate and Teen Vogue, and he's since consistently kept his finger on the pulse of the LGBTQ community. His first book The Guncle Guide was released in 2020 and was featured on Katie Couric's list of 100 recommended books of the year. People Editorial Guidelines Published on December 16, 2021 04:32 PM Share Tweet Pin Email Sam Waterston on Law & Order in 1996. Photo: Jessica Burstein/NBCU Sam Waterston is returning to one of his most beloved characters. The Emmy Award winner, 81, will reprise his role as District Attorney Jack McCoy in the upcoming NBC revival of Law & Order, Wolf Entertainment announced Thursday in a statement. The new show, which premieres Feb. 24, will mark Waterston's 17th season as McCoy and will pick up where the original series left off in 2010 after 20 seasons. "Very few casting announcements have ever given me this much pleasure," series creator Dick Wolf said, according to Deadline. "Since day one, Sam has had perfect pitch when it comes to Jack McCoy as a character who both reflects and expands our ability to understand the law." Original Law & Order to Return After 11 Years and 'Will Continue Where the Show Left Off' Wolf added, "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. With both Sam and Anthony (Anderson) returning, it shows that the 21st season is merely a continuation of where we left off." Waterston starred in Law & Order from season 5 in 1994 until its finale in 2010, earning three Emmy Award nominations for his performance in 1997, 1999 and 2000, as well as a Golden Globe nod in 1995. He's since portrayed DA McCoy on a few occasions, most recently in a 2018 episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. RELATED VIDEO: Chris Meloni Says Reuniting With 'Law & Order: SVU' Costar Mariska Hargitay Is 'Effortless' Wolf Entertainment announced in September that they would be revisiting the flagship series, as well as its classic bifurcate format that explores "the police who investigate crimes and the district attorneys who prosecute the offenders," with writer-showrunner Rick Eid. In November, it was announced that Anthony Anderson would reprise his role as Detective Kevin Bernard, and Hugh Dancy also joined the cast. Jeffrey Donovan, Camryn Manheim and Odelya Halevi have since rounded out the ensemble. Law & Order has continued on through recent spin-offs, including the Christopher Meloni-led Law & Order: Organized Crime and the upcoming Law & Order: For the Defense.