Law & Order: BEFORE The Early Years

I’m not sure what I wrote this for, but it’s tidbits about the cast of “Law & Order,” and NOT the unsettling and stupid SVU.  L&O premiered on this date in 1990, so enjoy...

Michael Moriarty – who played the original DA, Ben Stone – left the show after clashing with producers and JANET RENO over possible censorship!  He became a political exile in Canada and releases jazz piano albums.

Richard Brooks (original Asst. DA) is from Cleveland!  He was let go from the show when the network said to either add women or be cancelled.  He was also the only male Asst. DA.  Previously, he played a mentally challenged man on “Hill Street Blues” who threatens the cook at a diner when she won’t give him bones for his dog.

Dann Florek – in the 1980s -- while sporting a delightful head of hair -- he played a crooked loan shark on “Hill Street Blues.”  He was let go for the same reason as Richard Brooks, but directed a few episodes of the series before landing on SVU.

Everyone knows Paul Sorvino from “Goodfellas”; he left L&O because he thought the NYC weather would wreck his singing voice.

Annie Parisse played Alexandra Borgia, one of the stunning assistants to Jack McCoy.  Her real-life sister-in-law is Sam Waterston’s daughter!  That means HER niece could look like HIS daughter!  Everyone will be suspicious!  Weirdly, she is the shortest-serving Asst. DA, and the only one to be killed on the show.

Steven Hill (Adam Schiff) was the original team leader on season one of “Mission: Impossible,” before being replaced by Peter Graves.

Jerry Orbach not only played a defense attorney on the show before joining full-time, but he also played a sleazy hitman alongside real-life weirdo Woody Allen in “Crimes & Misdemeanors.”

Vincent D’Onofrio previously played a big jerkface who gets pinned by a subway car on “Homicide.”

George Dzundza has seemingly disappeared since he left the show, for some reason.  But in 1982, he was on a short-lived but revered sitcom, "Open All Night," featuring a great cameo (halfway down this post) from David Letterman.