Even though we know it’s going to happen time and time again, it’s still alarming when a cast member leaves a popular TV series. In the case of Law & Order (no pun intended), we definitely expect characters to work their exhausting and important jobs forever. But (sigh), that’s just not possible. Jeffrey Donovan has had one of the most shocking departures in the past few years.
While Donovan’s Detective Frank Cosgrove quickly became a significant part of the Law & Order cast, he was actually only on the procedural for two seasons. In season 21, he was paired with Detective Kevin Bernard (Anthony Anderson), and he exited after season 22. It’s always shocking when an actor leaves a TV series after only a season or two. Why did Jeffrey Donovan leave the Law & Order cast?
What was the reason Jeffrey Donovan left Law & Order?
In November 2023, TV Line reported that Jeffrey Donovan wouldn’t come back for Law & Order season 23. The publication mentioned “creative reasons.” This could mean that Donovan wasn’t a fan of how his character was being portrayed and there was a mutual decision for him to stop playing his Cosgrove. But although we’d love to know more (and we’re nosy), that’s all we’ve heard, and there aren’t any more details out there.
We always hope to hear that actors and writers/producers/showrunners have a fun, peaceful and collaborative working relationship, and of course that does happen. But sometimes, actors don’t agree with the direction their character’s journey is heading in, or they feel they should get more screentime. Since we don’t know exactly what Donovan was thinking, we can’t know for sure why he ended up leaving Law & Order. Ultimately, it’s a shame since we were just getting to know his character. Since he was so prickly and harsh, we always felt there was another layer hiding underneath and we might have seen him become softer if he had stayed on Law & Order.
Jeffrey Donovan’s Law & Order exit is so shocking since many cast members stay on the procedural for a really long time. For example, Steven Hill played Adam Schiff from seasons 1 through 10, and Sam Waterston make us all tear up when we learned he was leaving Law & Order in 2024 after playing Jack McCoy from seasons 5 to 23.
Just like when a co-worker leaves and we sadly never hear from them again, it doesn’t seem like Jeffrey Donovan has talked about his Law & Order exit. While we totally get it, we’re always going to keep our eyes peeled for any comments he might make about his surprising exit after two seasons.
Before he left, the actor seemed positive about his place in the cast in an interview with Cinemablend.com in 2022. Donovan said he was thankful to Anthony Andersen, who left before season 22, because he “helped create a buzz about this first season which I’m eternally grateful for.” Donovan shared a funny ancedote about how fans in New York City would say “Anthony, Anthony, and the other guy from Burn Notice” when they saw them. Donovan played the main character Michael Westen in all seven seasons of Burn Notice.
While some were big fans of Jeffrey Donovan’s Law & Order character, others felt Frank Cosgrove was a bit dull, and didn’t stand out much among the other cast members.
How did Jeffrey Donovan’s arc wrap up and how did Reid Scott join the Law & Order cast in 2024?
Jeffrey Donovan left Law & Order before season 23 premiered. In season 23, episode 1 called “Freedom of Expression,” Detective Jalen Shaw (Mehcad Brooks), who worked closely with Frank Cosgrove, said Cosgrove was no longer part of the team. Shaw said Cosgrove was “too honest about things people aren’t too honest about these days.” While fans might have preferred a longer goodbye and more of an explanation, sometimes there just isn’t enough time in the episode or that doesn’t fit into the storyline.
After Frank Cosgrove left, Reid Scott began playing Shaw’s new partner Detective Vincent Riley. Even if we were sad to let Cosgrove go, we can admit Riley is a great addition. In contrast to Jeffrey Donovan’s character, Reid Scott’s is a bit more vulnerable and less formal, which makes him compelling.
The beauty of TV is that we often get significant details about new characters that help us understand them better (now if only we could do that when we meet new people IRL). Riley is given a backstory right away. When we found out that he once had to stop working for six months because he hurt a captain of the NYPD, we immediately knew several important things about him. He wants to do a great job this time and avoid any past mistakes. While many fans wish Jeffrey Donovan had stuck around, we can confidently say we were glad to see Reid Scott as part of the Law & Order cast in 2024. And we’ll be glad to see him back in season 24.
