Jack McCoy
John James McCoy is a fictional character in the television drama Law & Order. He was created by Dick Wolf and Michael S. Chernuchin and has been portrayed by Sam Waterston during the show's original run from 1994 to 2010 and again from 2022 until his retirement in 2024. He is the longest-tenured character on the show, appearing in 18 seasons. He has appeared in 400 episodes of Law & Order, four episodes of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, two episodes of Law & Order: Trial by Jury, two episodes of Homicide: Life on the Street, and the made-for-TV movie Exiled.
| Jack McCoy | |
|---|---|
| Law & Order character | |
| First appearance | "Second Opinion" "Entitled" (SVU) |
| Last appearance | "Last Dance" |
| Portrayed by | Sam Waterston |
| In-universe information | |
| Spouse | Ellen (divorced) Unnamed ex-wife |
| Children | Rebecca McCoy |
| Relatives | Unnamed nephew Unnamed great-niece Linc (grandson) Unnamed granddaughter |
| Seasons | L&O: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 SVU: 1, 9, 11, 19 TBJ: 1 |
Waterston's performance as McCoy on the New York–based series was so popular that it resulted in him being declared a "Living Landmark" by the New York Landmarks Conservancy, along with fellow longtime series cast member Jerry Orbach (who portrayed the popular police detective Lennie Briscoe for almost 12 years).