Why was Michael Moriarty let go from Law and Order?
Benjamin Stone, the Executive Assistant District Attorney, is one of the most memorable characters in the Law and Order franchise.
The ADA was introduced in the pilot of the original series.Stone's genuine belief in the American legal system made us all believe that true justice was possible for everyone.
While his departure gave way to the rise of the absolutely unforgettable and seminal Jack McCoy, old reruns have us nostalgically pining for the old days.
Benjamin Stone set the bar for every ADA who followed in his footsteps.The towering figure left a legacy for viewers in the form of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit's ADA Peter Stone, who helped the squad at SVU during Seasons 19 and 20.
OG Law and Order fans might remember Benjamin Stone leaving the procedural in a scandal, with conflicting stories by both the actor and the show's production team surrounding the real reason for his departure.
Benjamin, the "conscience of the show", resigned from his position at the district attorney's office after Season 4 because he felt responsible for the murder of a witness in a trial against a local mob boss.
The witness here is played by Allison Janney, which is another reason to watch Benjamin's last episode.
The actor left with a lot of off-screen issues.Michael said that he left the show because of his opposition to violence on TV shows like Law and Order.
Michael criticized comments about the "offensively violent" nature of Law and Order and claimed that the Attorney General was trying to censor the show.He accused Dick Wolf and other higher-ups at the network of not taking his concerns seriously and capitulating to Janet Reno's demands.
The actor went one step further and took out a full-page advertisement in a Hollywood trade magazine, where he called on fellow actors to stand with him against the government's attempts at censoring television content.If Dick Wolf was fired first, he would return to his role on Law and Order.
That was never going to happen.There are two sides to every story.Dick Wolf has maintained that Michael was written off the show because of his public opposition to the Attorney General.They cited Michael's erratic behavior as the reason for it.
Michael wasn't able to deliver his lines with a straight face during filmingThe show never changed its violent or graphic content after Attorney General Reno spoke.
Michael won an award for his work in James Dean, one of the productions he starred in after leaving the show.His character, Ben Stone, was killed off in the 19th season of SVU, which paved the way for his son, Peter, to take over.
New episodes of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit can be seen on Thursdays at 10 p.m. on NBC.