The Real Reason Chris Noth Left Law & Order

Publish date: 2024-05-05

As Express notes, actor Chris Noth was one of the original stars of long-running crime drama "Law & Order." Noth played Detective Mike Logan, a brash wunderkind who worked hard to nab bad guys and looked good while doing it. Logan quickly became a fan favorite, but he left the series after five seasons following a violent altercation with a politician. As the Associated Press reported at the time, the reason Noth left the show was simply because contract negotiations broke down. The actor was reportedly entitled to a big raise if he continued with the show, but executive producer Dick Wolf admitted it would've been "impossible" to facilitate. 

Dolores Robinson, head of the actor's management team at the time, stated, "He's really sorry that they couldn't get it together, but he's had five great years, and his feeling is that it's time to move on." Naturally, Noth went on to bigger and better things with recurring roles on "SATC" and "The Good Wife" among many others. Detective Logan, meanwhile, reappeared in spinoff "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" in 2005, with Noth remaining onboard until 2008, per IMDb. The actor expressed regret about returning in a 2010 interview with Cigar Aficionado magazine, however. "I never really believed I fit in that show," Noth admitted, via Digital Spy

In fact, the only reason he agreed was because the money was so good, harking back to why Noth walked away in the first place. 

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTEpaCsrF6YvK57lmxnbW9iZMGpsYyrnJqkXaeyor%2FOp2ScoKKewG66zq2fZqSVm8FuuMCwZKiqlJq%2FcA%3D%3D