Law & Order may have been renewed for a 22nd season, but a familiar face will not be returning. It has been confirmed that Anthony Anderson will not be returning as Detective Kevin Bernard.
Anderson reprised the role of Bernard in season 21, but only signed a one-year deal. Anderson’s intention in returning for the revival was to “support Wolf in the relaunch of the mothership of the franchise for one season and always planned to move on after that”, Deadline reports.
Anderson’s exit was not indicated in season 21’s finale and he was not written off.
In the season finale, Anderson’s character, Det. Bernard and his partner, Det. Cosgrove (Jeffrey Donovan), were investigating the murder of an off-duty police officer.
Law & Order returned after being off the air for years with returning stars Anthony Anderson and Sam Waterston. The revival series also stars Jeffery Donovan, Hugh Dancy, Odelya Halevi and Camryn Manheim.
Anderson also just finished his run not only as a star and executive producer for ABC’s black-ish.
His upcoming projects include his newly-announced travel show, Anthony Anderson and Mom: European Vacation which is at NBC Universal.
All 3 'Law & Order' shows were renewed earlier this year
“The iconic Law & Order brand has long been synonymous with NBC and we couldn’t be more excited to bring back all three of these dramas for the 2022-23 season,” said Lisa Katz, President, Scripted Programming, NBCU Entertainment and Streaming in a previous statement. “It’s a testament to the brilliance of Dick Wolf’s storytelling that audiences remain compelled by these unforgettable characters week after week, year after year.”
Dick Wolf said, “Dreams do come true. The renewals of the entire Wednesday and Thursday night lineups is the ultimate verification of our partnership with NBC and Universal Television. I personally want to thank the talented writers and casts, the producers who keep the trains running on time and the crews who tirelessly turn out outstanding shows despite a degree of difficulty never before experienced due to the pandemic.”
