Hugh Dancy Reflects on the Tough Transition from Sam Waterston to Tony Goldwyn in Law & Order

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In the 2025 TV lineup, Law & Order made its comeback, featuring a revival of the ER set with Maura Tierney and a family gathering for ADA Nolan Price, meticulously planned by Hugh Dancy. After a brief hiatus, Season 24 is set to resume for a brief crossover with Law & Order: SVU. As it approaches the one-year mark since Sam Waterston‘s departure as Jack McCoy, Dancy shared his thoughts on the series continuing without him and Tony Goldwyn taking over as the new District Attorney.

In February 2024, Sam Waterston’s final episode of Law & Order aired, marking his departure after reaching the 400-episode milestone in the previous season. McCoy made a sacrifice by damaging his own career as District Attorney to protect Nolan. Despite leaving under controversial circumstances, there’s a chance he might reappear as a guest character. (You can stream this episode with a Peacock subscription.)

Reflecting upon the emotional farewell of McCoy, which occurred nearly a year ago in the drama, during our recent conversation with Hugh Dancy I inquired about his views on Sam Waterston’s impact as the character. In response, the veteran actor from Hannibal expressed:

I find it challenging to offer an unbiased evaluation due to my dual roles as a fan and colleague of this actor. My admiration stems from both being a spectator and working alongside him, which was an incredible experience not only for the show but also personally. To put it simply, I genuinely appreciate the man. Many others feel the same way. He’s truly unique and exceptional. [laughs] For me, his contributions to Law & Order are priceless, and having had the privilege to collaborate with him is something I will always cherish.

In the NBC revival, Sam Waterston was among the two ex-stars from “Law & Order” who made a comeback. Given his status as a franchise stalwart from previous seasons, it’s no surprise that Hugh Dancy admired him during their brief time working together, despite their collaboration only spanning a couple of seasons.

To begin with, Sam Waterston had played the lead attorney on the show for such a prolonged period that it was unclear how Tony Goldwyn, taking over as Nick Baxter, McCoy’s replacement as DA, would fit in. At first, I personally found Goldwyn’s acting appealing within the cast, but Nolan initially wasn’t keen on collaborating with Baxter. In conversation with Dancy, I mentioned it was pleasant to observe their relationship growing more trusting, and he responded by saying:

This year, there’s been a bit more of that intense dynamic, and I’m grateful for it, as constant shouting matches between grown men wouldn’t be ideal. [laughs] However, I believe they’re gradually getting used to it. It’s amusing to discuss siblings – when Tony and I first started working together, I found myself discussing the new dynamic with Odelya [Halevi]. She remarked, “It’s funny because you two are like brothers.” That made sense; it explains why they often clash, as they likely share more similarities than differences, and that can sometimes be challenging.

In the series “Another Life,” Justin Chatwin joins as Thomas Price, Nolan’s brother, adding to Nolan’s already complex family dynamics. Notably, there was a third Price brother who passed away some time ago, which means the tension between Nolan and Baxter doesn’t stem from any recent tragedy. Furthermore, it seems that Nolan is more age-wise comparable to Baxter than he was to McCoy, as pointed out by Dancy.

They are quite similar in terms of their age, not to the point where they’re indistinguishable like identical twins, but the initial doubts seem to be fading away as they discover more shared interests.

It’s likely that the series will further develop Baxter’s relationship with Price and other characters. The upcoming episode titled “Duty To Protect,” airing on February 13, promises to deliver a dose of courtroom drama. This installment is expected to feature Abigail Spencer from “Extended Family” shedding tears. Here’s a sneak peek:

Continue to join us every Thursday at 8 p.m. Eastern Time on NBC for fresh episodes of Law & Order Season 24, followed by Season 26 of SVU at 9 p.m. ET. Previously, Law & Order: Organized Crime was broadcast at 10 p.m. ET on Thursdays, but since Christopher Meloni’s show has moved to Peacock as an original streaming series, the slot is now occupied by Found Season 2.

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2025-02-07 04:37