By Mark Kennedy, Entertainment Writer
NEW YORK (AP) --Sam Waterston, who has played the spiky, no-nonsense district attorney on "Law & Order" since the mid-1990s, is stepping down from his legal perch.
The last episode for Waterston's Jack McCoy will be Feb. 22, NBC said Friday. He has been in more than 400 episodes of the police drama, earning a SAG Award and Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for the role.
"The time has come for me to move on and take Jack McCoy with me," Waterston said in a statement. "There's sadness in leaving, but I'm just too curious about what's next. An actor doesn't want to let himself get too comfortable."
Tony Goldwyn, who starred in "Scandal" and the 1990 film "Ghost," has been cast as the new district attorney.
McCoy and the prosecutors would take up the legal case once the New York City detectives were finished investigating a crime, representing, as the narrator says, "two separate yet equally important groups."
McCoy was a brilliant, hard-charging, angel of justice, prone to bouts of moral outrage and slicing right to the truth. "Your grief might seem a little more real had you not just admitted you cut off your wife's head," he once told a defendant.
Bushy-browed Waterston began his acting career as a stage actor in New York with a number of Shakespeare roles, including Lear, Hamlet, Polonius, Laertes, Prospero, Leonato, Prince Hal, Silvius, Cloten and Benedict.
That led to Waterston playing Nick Carraway in "The Great Gatsby" opposite Robert Redford, and the role of Tom Wingfield in a television production of Tennessee Williams' "The Glass Menagerie," starring Katharine Hepburn, for which he got his first Emmy nod.
Waterston, 83, joined "Law & Order" in season four in 1994 and stayed until the show stopped in 2010, returning for the reboot in 2022.
Mike Pierantozzi joins Movers+Shakers as exec creative director
Creative agency Movers+Shakers has appointed Mike Pierantozzi as executive creative director. In this new role, he will help guide the creative direction of Movers+Shakers’ socially-native campaigns. Pierantozzi will report to co-founder and chief creative officer Geoffrey Goldberg.
With nearly two decades of experience as a copywriter, creative director, and multi-platform storyteller, Pierantozzi brings a wealth of knowledge from his work with major brands including Kraft, Unilever, IBM, and Walmart. He has led the creation of award-winning campaigns for agencies like Red Tettemer, Ogilvy, The Brooklyn Brothers, TAXI, Saatchi & Saatchi, and most recently, Vayner, where he spearheaded culturally iconic work for Planters including “Death of Mr. Peanut.” He led the National Down Syndrome Society and Luvs account, whose “First Kid. Second Kid” campaign was awarded by the Effies, ADC, Clios and LIAs.
Outside of the office, Pierantozzi practices what he teaches brands. He’s gone viral multiple times on his own TikTok account, featuring comedic interactions with his son and a trombone. He’s accumulated 15K followers on TikTok.
“Mike brings a rare and awesome combination of deep social and platform experience, a keen eye for excellent storytelling, and a humble and kind approach to leadership,” said Goldberg. “Mike’s got a knack for turning brand stories into cultural movements, making him the perfect fit for Movers+Shakers. He’s got the kind of bold vision and attention to culture that fits perfectly with our mission to push creative boundaries and drive industry firsts. Plus, as a creator himself he has the innate ability to make people stop, laugh, and share--which is exactly what we’re about.”
“I’ve... Read More