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Jeffrey Donovan becomes the second actor after Anthony Anderson to quit 'Law & Order' ahead of Season 23

Jeffrey Donovan's last episode was the season 22 finale where he and his partner were given the job of arresting a waiter who assassinated US Senator

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Jeffrey Donovan is reportedly leaving 'Law & Order' according to People. The 55-year-old, who played Detective Frank Cosgrove in the popular series, will not be making his return for season 23 of the show due to creative differences. 

Donovan took on the lead detective role in seasons 21 and 22 of the series. His last episode was the season 22 finale where he and his partner Shaw (Mehcad Brooks) were given the job of arresting a waiter who assassinated a US Senator.

The search is now underway for a new series regular to fill in, reports TVLine. 13 new episodes of the series are slated to air sometime in the next year.

Recent seasons of 'Law & Order' serve as a reboot

'Law & Order’s recent seasons serve as a reboot for the classic legal drama which aired from 1990 to 2010. Season 21 came 12 years later with a 2022 premiere and some new additions to the legal team.

Donovan shared the screen with Mehcad Brooks, Sam Waterston, Hugh Dancy, Camryn Manheim, Odelya Halevi and Anthony Anderson who left his legacy role as Det. Kevin Bernard after season 21.

What did Anthony Anderson leave the flagship show?

Anderson previously spoke of his excitement to join the revival, even calling series creator Dick Wolf to reprise the role. "I was like, 'Well, you know, I'm a free agent as of Nov. 19th,'" Anderson said of black-ish ending back in 2022, adding "And [Dick] was like, 'Anthony, you have no idea how happy this phone call makes me.'”

Anderson was replaced by Mehcad Brooks who began portraying Frank's new partner Detective Jalen Shaw during season 22.

“I will — as [will] many on the cast and crew — miss Anthony, but he's in charge of his own destiny,” Donovan told CinemaBlend in June 2022. 

Despite his short-stint being planned all along, Anderson did speak out about his exit. "I wanted to go off and create more shows like Black-ish, create things that I have ownership in, and do something a little bit different," he told Entertainment Tonight at the time. 

Although Donovan's tenure on 'Law & Order' has concluded, he is no stranger to a TV courtroom. He starred in 2000s crime series Burn Notice as the sarcastic Michael Weston and appeared as a defense attorney in Netflix’s 'Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile', a dramatization of the life of serial killer Ted Bundy.