Anthony Anderson’s encore as Law & Order‘s Det. Kevin Bernard has come to an expected end.
The actor will not be returning for Season 22, our sister site Deadline has confirmed. As TVLine previously reported in November 2021, Anderson had signed on for just one year of the NBC revival.
Bernard’s final appearance in the Season 21 finale (read our full recap here) found the NYPD cop working with his partner Frank (Jeffrey Donovan) to solve the murder of a fellow police officer. Both detectives enlisted SVU’s Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) to aid in their investigation.
Law & Order vet Sam Waterston, who also returned for the revival, as beloved DA Jack McCoy, similarly signed a one-year contract and has yet to renew.
The revival, which secured a Season 22 renewal earlier this month, also stars newcomers Hugh Dancy (Hannibal, The Path) as senior prosecutorial assistant Nathan Price, Oldelya Halevi (Good Trouble) as ADA Samantha Maroun and Camryn Manheim (The Practice) as Lt. Kate Dixon.
Showrunner Rick Eid previously opened up about his plans to do more with the series pending a renewal. “I’m excited about next season,” he told TVLine. “I think next year, we’ll get an opportunity to dig even deeper into the character stuff, which really excites me.”
Eid, who previously served as showrunner for SVU, Chicago P.D. and FBI, also alluded to additional cameos in Season 22, saying, “I’m sure next year you’ll see some.”
Does Anderson’s exit make you less likely to stay tuned to L&O?
