Orbach starred for 12 seasons in the original "Law & Order" series, but left to head the spin-off "Law & Order: Trial by Jury," set to debut next year. Posted on 12/03/2004 3:31:32 PM PST by Tumbleweed_Connection
"Law & Order" actor Jerry Orbach has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, his manager said.
"We expect he'll be fine. He's been playing golf, shooting his episodes and doing real well," manager Robert Malcolm told the New York Daily News for Thursday editions.
Orbach starred for 12 seasons in the original "Law & Order" series, but left to head the spin-off "Law & Order: Trial by Jury," set to debut next year.
So far, Orbach's illness has not disrupted production of the new show in any way, producer Dick Wolf said.
"We expect him to make a full and swift recovery, and while he is receiving treatment, we will work around his schedule," Wolf told the News.
Orbach began playing Detective Lennie Briscoe in 1992, the original show's third season.
Born in the Bronx, he was in the original cast of the off-off-Broadway hit "The Fantasticks" and has appeared in such films as "Dirty Dancing,""Prince of the City" and "Crimes and Misdemeanors."
It's too bad
He had class and was the everyman on the screen
Unsure of his politics, but he was always enjoyable to watch
That would certainly explain why he left the show.
FYI..related "L&O" factoid for you...NY Post today reports that Jesse L. Martin, who played Orbach's last partner on the show before Orbach left, will skip the final 4 episodes this season. He's getting leave to star in the film version of "Rent". He'll be replaced by Michael Imperioli, who plays Christopher on the Sopranos..Talk about NOT type casting..
He didn't really leave the show. He just moved on to another part of the franchise. Besides, how many 70 year old detectives does NYC really have? I think in his new role he plays a PI.
He's a class act. He was great as the Dad in "Dirty Dancing".
He better watch out, because when he comes back he might not have a job. Just look at Nicholas Turturro, who played James Martinez on NYPD Blue. He left temporarily to play Gotti in a tv movie, and when he was ready to come back, they'd written him out of the show.
El Gayo has cancer? Oh, Lord, please don't let me be NORMAL!
Jerry Orbach was also the mafia type in FX and, the big shock to most folks, he was Lumiere in the animated Disney film, Beauty And The Beast.
No!
Oui!
He is a great performer and I wish him all the best. My prayers are with him.
He's a liberal.
I haven't watched that L&O since he left and they started showing anti-mil stuff. I went to CSI.....
He seemed kinda old for the part
And he hasn't been seen since. Dick Wolf might just decide he likes the Sopranos guy better. Martin's been on the show over 5 years anyway, that's usually the high-water mark for most cast members. BTW--The Sopranos guy, is he the one that played Spider in Goodfellas? The one that Joe Pesci shot in the foot?
Me either. I ocassionally catch an episode of L&O: SVU, but that's about all from the franchise. Matter of fact, I can't think of one NBC show that I watch on a regular basis.
On the bright side, prostate cancer is highly curable if caught early enough.
Probably not.
Fact is, almost every male his age has some degree of prostate cancer.
Highly curable if caught early.
Can you say PSA.
He also starred in the Broadway production of "42nd Street". I saw it 4 times...Spectacular..
Could be..the upcoming season of the Sopranos is the last..
Whatever happened to the female detective that Martinez had an affair with? JUstine Miceli? The one that pretended to be a lesbian? I liked her..This last season of NYPD Blue is a disappointment..The characters don't mesh...and when you're ending an 11 season run, you don't introduce new characters the last season..
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=529&ncid=529&e=1&u=/ap/200
41203/ap_en_tv/people_imperioli
LOS ANGELES - A mobster will be taking over for a cop on "Law & Order." Michael
Imperioli of "The Sopranos" will appear in the NBC drama while series star
Jesse L. Martin, who plays New York police Detective Ed Green, films the
musical "Rent," NBC said Thursday.
Imperioli will play a police detective who teams up with his uncle, Detective
Joe Fontana (Dennis Farina), in the final episodes of this season.
"I'm glad to be on the right side of the law," Imperioli said in a statement.
He won an Emmy this year for his portrayal of mob boss Tony Soprano's hard-luck
nephew, Christopher Moltisanti, on HBO's "The Sopranos."
Martin, in his sixth season on "Law & Order," was an original cast member of
the Pulitzer- and Tony Award-winning "Rent," playing the role of Tom Collins.
He'll return to the TV series next season, Martin and "Law & Order" creator
Dick Wolf said in a statement.
Martin was looking to leave after this season anyway (don't blame him really, this past year has been one of L&O's worst, too much editorializing, not enough legal beagle-ing).
And yes, Imperioli was Spider.
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