<P> Samuel Atkinson Waterston ( born November 15 , 1940 ) is an American actor , producer , and director . Among other roles , he is noted for his portrayal of Sydney Schanberg in The Killing Fields ( 1984 ) , for which he received an Academy Award nomination , and his starring role as Jack McCoy on the long - running NBC television series Law & Order ( 1994 -- 2010 ) , which brought him Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Awards . He has been nominated for multiple Golden Globe , Screen Actors Guild , BAFTA and Emmy awards , having starred in over eighty film and television productions during his fifty - year career . He has also starred in numerous stage productions . AllMovie historian Hal Erickson characterized Waterston as having `` cultivated a loyal following with his quietly charismatic , unfailingly solid performances . '' </P>
<P> Samuel Atkinson Waterston ( born November 15 , 1940 ) is an American actor , producer , and director . Among other roles , he is noted for his portrayal of Sydney Schanberg in The Killing Fields ( 1984 ) , for which he received an Academy Award nomination , and his starring role as Jack McCoy on the long - running NBC television series Law & Order ( 1994 -- 2010 ) , which brought him Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Awards . He has been nominated for multiple Golden Globe , Screen Actors Guild , BAFTA and Emmy awards , having starred in over eighty film and television productions during his fifty - year career . He has also starred in numerous stage productions . AllMovie historian Hal Erickson characterized Waterston as having `` cultivated a loyal following with his quietly charismatic , unfailingly solid performances . '' </P>
who played jack mccoy on law and order
who played jack mccoy on law and order
Samuel Atkinson Waterston
Samuel Atkinson Waterston