NBC’s Law & Order revival is bringing back its first familiar face.
Black-ish star Anthony Anderson will reprise his role as Detective Kevin Bernard in what is being billed as the 21st season of the procedural that launched a franchise. Also joining the cast as a series regular is Hugh Dancy, who will play an assistant district attorney in the series from Dick Wolf and showrunner Rick Eid.
Anderson is the first former L&O star to join the revival, which is expected to feature other former stars of the original series. Sources note Anderson has signed a one-year deal to return. It’s unclear which other stars are being eyed to revisit their characters. The original L&O featured such notable castmembers as Steven Hill, Jerry Orbach, S. Epatha Merkerson, Sam Waterston and Jesse L. Martin.
The role marks Anderson’s follow-up to ABC’s Black-ish, which returns Jan. 4 with its final season on ABC. Anderson was a series regular in the final three seasons of L&O, when his character was a junior detective.
For Dancy, meanwhile, the role marks his return to NBC after starring on the network’s Hannibal. His credits include The Path and Apple’s upcoming anthology Roar. He next stars in Downton Abbey: A New Era, due in theaters in March.
Anderson and Dancy join the previously announced Jeffrey Donovan in the L&O revival, which was picked up with a straight-to-series order in September. The updated series is slated to premiere Feb. 24 on NBC. (Click here to read why the series isn’t a Peacock original.)
