Reid Scott has decided to step down from his role as Senior Detective Vincent Riley in Law And Order, after three seasons as the fan-favorite character.
The actor joined the NBC series in season 23, two years after the show returned to screens following an 11-year absence. His departure will come in the early episodes of the upcoming 27th season, as Reid has returned to the set in New York City to wrap up his character's arc.
© Virginia Sherwood/NBCWhy is Reid Scott leaving Law & Order?
The actor has at least one more year on his contract, but the amicable decision between him and NBC was "related to the strain caused by the cross-country commute and being away from his family for nine months of the year," reported Deadline.
Reid wed his longtime girlfriend, Elspeth Keller, an interior designer, on June 21, 2014, and the pair are parents to two sons, aged 11 and eight.
© Getty ImagesThey live in Studio City, Los Angeles, and Reid and Elspeth chose to keep their family on the West Coast for stability, with Reid traveling back and forth to NYC.
Who will replace Reid Scott on Law & Order?
James Badge Dale has been tapped to join the long-running procedural.
He will star as a new Senior Detective who will replace Riley in the team, although it is unclear when his character will appear on screen or with which character he may partner.
© Getty ImagesRiley has been partnered with Junior Detective Theo Walker (David Ajala) this past season, as well as previously with Junior Detective Jalen Shaw, played by Mehcad Brooks, who left the show in 2025.
Who is James Badge Dale?
James, 48, has frequently been cast as law enforcement and military characters across his career, and is perhaps best known for roles in 24, The Pacific, and most recently as a sex-addicted police detective dealing with the opioid crisis in Hightown.
James is dad to two sons with wife Emily Wickersham, who is also a long-time TV procedural actress; she starred in NCIS for eight seasons and returned as a guest star in the season 23 midseason premiere.
They welcomed Cassius on December 30, 2021, and Zephyr on October 2, 2024.
When does Law & Order return?
The season 26 premiere of Law & Order will air on Thursday, October 8, at 10/9c on NBC, and will be available to stream the next day on Peacock.
There will be one change, however: instead of Law & Order kicking off the Thursday night line-up, new episodes of Law & Order: SVU with Mariska Hargitay will air first at 9/8c, followed by new episodes of Law & Order.
© Virginia Sherwood/NBCWho is in Law & Order season 26?
Dale is joining returning Law & Order cast members Maura Tierney as Lt. Jessica Brady, Tony Goldwyn as D.A. Nicholas Baxter, Hugh Dancy as A.D.A. Nolan Price, Odelya Halevi as A.D.A. Samantha Maroun, and David Ajala.
