Angie Harmon Reveals If She’d Reprise Her Role on ‘Law & Order’ Revival

Angie Harmon has surprisingly never returned to Law & Order since A.D.A. Abbie Charmichael left the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office in 2001. Although it has been over two decades since we last heard from her character, the Rizzoli & Isles star said she would be interested in checking in on Abbie. The Law & Order revival will be back for another season in the fall, but it has an open slot on the “law” side after Anthony Anderson announced his departure.

“I would love it,” Harmon told Entertainment Tonight when asked about returning to Dick Wolf’s universe. She said Wolf reached out when his team started work on Season 21. “I was like, ‘Look, guys. I mean, I would love to maybe do an arc or something,’” Harmon said, adding that Abbie was “just so fun and wonderful.”

Harmon “adores and loves” Sam Waterston, who returned to Law & Order as now-D.A. McCoy. She also recently spoke with Chicago Med star S. Epatha Merkerson, who played Lt. Anita Van Buren on L&O. “Just know that was a really, really wonderful time in my life. I mean, what a great time to, you know, begin an acting career,” Harmon said before suggesting Abbie could be the next D.A. “That would be perfect. Just hang on, everybody.”

Harmon’s first starring role was in Baywatch Nights as Ryan McBride. In 1998, she joined Law & Order and stayed on through 2001, appearing in over 70 episodes. Harmon also starred in the first season of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit before the show found its own A.D.A. in Alexandra Cabot (Stephanie March). Although Law & Order stars often return to the series, Abbie still has not made another appearance since 2001. Her character is still alive though, as she took a job in the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Although the D.A.’s office is full for the Law & Order revival, the detective side has an empty slot. Anderson, who returned as Det. Kevin Bernard, will not be back for Season 22. He only signed a one-year deal to help Wolf relaunch the franchise and never planned to play the character again long-term. (If this was the plan the whole time though, the Season 21 finale showed no signs of it being Anderson’s last episode.) Waterston is expected to be back for Season 22 after appearing at NBCUniversal’s upfront in early May.

Aside from Waterston, the remaining lead cast for Law & Order Season 22 is Jeffrey Donovan as Det. Frank Cosgrove, Camryn Manheim as Lt. Kate Dixon, Hugh Dancy as E.A.D.A. Nolan Price, and Odelya Halevi as A.D.A. Samantha Maroun. The season included appearances from SVU stars Mariska Hargitay and Terry Serpico. Carey Lowell reprised her role as A.D.A. Jamie Ross in the season premiere. Meanwhile, Harmon’s next Lifetime movie, Buried in Barstow, debuts on Saturday, June 4 at 8 p.m. ET.