After over 30 years playing District Attorney Jack McCoy on “Law & Order,” actor Sam Waterston is departing the long-running series.

The 83-year-old star said in an interview he knew when he returned to the show full-time in 2022 that it would only be temporary. “I knew I was going to leave when I came back, and it was just a matter of when,” Waterston stated.

Waterston originally appeared as Jack McCoy from 1994 to 2010 and received multiple Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for the role. He called his recent departure a “beautiful way to go,” with creator Dick Wolf and cast giving farewell speeches on his last day filming.

With Waterston’s exit, actor Tony Goldwyn of “Scandal” fame will join the cast. Waterston said he expects Goldwyn will be “great” in the role.

While not retiring fully from acting, Waterston said he looks forward to the freedom of not being tied to a regular TV role. However, he has no definite plans lined up for what’s next in his career.

After decades embodying one character, Waterston said the space in his mind occupied by the role has opened up. He joked about feeling “drunk on the freedom” and having a “bucket list a million miles long” going forward.

By focusing on verified facts and direct quotes, this rewrite aims to cover the news of Waterston’s departure in a neutral, objective tone. Descriptions of the actor’s future plans are kept free of assumptions or exaggeration.