Sam Waterston jokes about being 'drunk' on Freedom ahead of 'beautiful' final episode of Law & Order

Sam Waterston is embracing a new chapter in his life as he bids adieu to Law & Order after 30 years. The 83-year-old actor revealed on Wednesday's Today that he feels “fine” about no longer playing District Attorney Jack McCoy after three decades a of his role in the show.
“I knew I was going to leave when I came back, and it was just a matter of when. This was a beautiful way to go I have to say.” The actor added that he has no plans to reprise the role in the future after the final episode airs on Thursday.However, he teased that fans might “see a picture of him somewhere” on the show.
The actor stared in Law & Order from season 5 in 1994 until its finale in 2010, earning three Emmy Award nominations for his performance in 1997, 1999 and 2000, as well as a Golden Globe nod in 1995.
He continued to portray DA McCoy on a few occasions before his return in 2022. Waterston admitted his lengthy tenure on the series “gets your attention.” The actor then explained, “When they say goodbye to me, the last shot that I did was on the set of the courtroom, and [creator] Dick Wolf showed up, and everybody gave speeches, and I quoted from Abraham Lincoln going to D.C. at the beginning of the Civil War. That he had been there for 25 years. If 25 years doesn't matter, nothing matters.”
Previously, it was announced that Scandal alum Tony Goldwyn will be joining the long-running crime drama as Waterston steps away after more than 400 episodes in character.