Camryn Manheim, who plays Lieutenant Kate Dixon on Law & Order, will be leaving the show after the season 23 finale. She joined the cast when the series was revived in 2021 and her final episode will be the season finale on May 16. Creator Dick Wolf thanked her for her contribution to the show and wished her well in her future endeavors. Although Manheim is best known for her role as Dixon, she had previously appeared in guest spots and played other characters in the franchise in the 1990s.
In a statement on Instagram, Manheim expressed her gratitude for her time on the show and the talented cast she worked with. She mentioned Mehcad Brooks, Reid Scott, Connie Shi, Anthony Anderson, Jeffrey Donovan, Hugh Dancy, Odelya Halevi, Tony Goldwyn, and Sam Waterston, as well as the guest stars that appeared on the show. Waterston, who played District Attorney Jack McCoy for 405 episodes, left the show earlier in the year and has been replaced by Goldwyn as the new DA Nick Baxter.
Waterston, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, expressed his gratitude to the loyal Law & Order audience and talked about his decision to leave the show. He mentioned that he was curious about what’s next in his career and didn’t want to get too comfortable in his role. He thanked the audience for their support and spoke about the sadness of leaving the show but also the excitement of new opportunities. Manheim and Waterston’s departures follow those of Donovan and Anderson, who left the show in previous seasons.
When Manheim joined the cast as a regular during the revival of Law & Order, she replaced S. Epatha Merkerson, who played Lieutenant Anita Van Buren from 1993 to 2010 before the show was canceled. The show has already been renewed for a 24th season, as it has seen a significant increase in viewership, with a 56 percent bump from season 22. The departure of key cast members like Manheim and Waterston marks a new chapter for the long-running series and raises questions about who will fill their roles in future seasons.
