EXCLUSIVE: The police force on Law & Order is undergoing some major staff turnover. Reid Scott, who has played Senior Detective Vincent Riley for the past three seasons, is leaving the venerable NBC crime drama. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Veep alum will be succeeded by another high-profile name, James Badge Dale (13 Hours, 1923). He is set to play a new Senior Detective who will replace Riley.
For Scott, who is believed to have one more year on his contract, the departure is said to be his decision, related to the strain caused by the cross-country commute and being away from his family for nine months of the year while filming Law & Order in New York. His exit was amicable.
Det. Riley will get a proper ending as Scott is back on the set, filming a few episodes to wrap the character’s arc before Dale is introduced. The exact time of the transition is unclear.
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Law & Order is known for its revolving cast, with changes between seasons an annual occurrence. Scott’s Det. Riley was most recently partnered with Junior Detective Theo Walker (David Ajala) this past season. His previous partner, Junior Detective Jalen Shaw, was played by Mehcad Brooks who left last summer. Scott, in turn, replaced Jeffrey Donovan.
In addition to Ajala, Dale is joining returning Law & Order cast members Tony Goldwyn, Hugh Dancy, Maura Tierney and Odelya Halevi. Season 26 premieres Oct. 8 at 10 PM, behind the season opener of Law & Order: SVU.
In TV, Dale has had major roles on Fox’s 24, HBO’s The Pacific, Starz’s Hightown, Peacock’s Devil In Disguise: John Wayne Gacy and Paramount+s 1923. He is also in the Jessica Chastain thriller series The Savant whose release has been put on hold by Apple TV.
Dale’s film credits include The Departed, The Grey, Iron Man 3, 13 Hours and World War Z. He recently signed on for psychological thriller The Guide and will next be seen in Jeremy Saulnier’s A24 fugitive thriller October after starring in the director’s 2018 film Hold the Dark. Dale is repped by CAA, MJ Management and Michael Auerbach.