Editing Sam Waterston (section)

=== 1994–2010: ''Law and Order'' and acclaim ===
In 1994, Waterston debuted as Executive [[Assistant District Attorney]] [[Jack McCoy]] in the fifth season of the [[NBC]] television series ''[[Law & Order]]'' created by [[Dick Wolf]]. He played the role of John James "Jack" McCoy, who would eventually become Manhattan [[District Attorney]], through the series finale in 2010. The role won him a [[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series]], as well as several Emmy and Golden Globe nominations.<ref name="emmys"/><ref name="goldenglobes"/><ref name=SAG>{{cite news|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/sam-waterston-law-order-revival-793869|title=Sam Waterston on 'Law & Order' Revival: Let's "Break the Record"|work=Variety|access-date=March 30, 2016|last=Stanhope|first=Kate|date=May 6, 2015}}</ref> Upon the show's cancellation, Waterston was the second longest-serving cast member (behind [[S. Epatha Merkerson]]), having reprised his role through 16 seasons.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098844/trivia |title=Law & Order (TV Series 1990–2010) |website=[[IMDb]] |access-date=2016-02-07 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160218144936/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098844/trivia |archive-date=February 18, 2016 |df=mdy }}. [[Internet Movie Database]].</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nbc.com/Law_and_Order/bios/bios_sam.shtml |title=Law & Order TV Show Series on NBC: Find Cast Info and Episode Guide . NBC Official Site |access-date=2016-02-07 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130511050930/http://www.nbc.com/Law_and_Order/bios/bios_sam.shtml |archive-date=May 11, 2013 |df=mdy }}. [[NBC]].</ref> He has also made guest appearances as McCoy on other crime shows, such as ''[[Homicide: Life on the Street]]'' (1997, 99), ''[[Exiled: A Law & Order Movie]]'' (1998), and spin-offs ''[[Law & Order: Special Victims Unit]]'' (2000, 07, 10, 18) and ''[[Law & Order: Trial by Jury]]'' (2005).<ref name="credits">{{cite web |url=http://www.hollywood.com/celebrities/sam-waterston-57289932/ |title=Sam Waterston |date=May 12, 2015 |publisher=Hollywood.com |access-date=February 3, 2016}}</ref> Due to the success of the [[New York City|New York]]–based TV series, Waterston and his fellow longtime ''Law & Order'' castmate [[Jerry Orbach]] were declared "Living Landmarks" by the [[New York Landmarks Conservancy]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nylandmarks.org/events/living_landmarks_gala/honoree_list/ |title=Archives: Events |access-date=2016-06-26 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160916013409/http://www.nylandmarks.org/events/living_landmarks_gala/honoree_list/ |archive-date=September 16, 2016 |df=mdy }}. [[New York Landmarks Conservancy]].</ref>

Waterston has appeared as a celebrity contestant on ''[[Jeopardy!]]'' twice. He made a popular [[cameo appearance]] on a 1995 episode of ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' as himself, extolling the virtues of [[Old Glory Insurance]], meant to protect the elderly from [[robot]] attacks.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hulu.com/watch/2340/saturday-night-live-old-glory |title=Hulu - Saturday Night Live: Old Glory |access-date=2016-02-07 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120127010105/http://www.hulu.com/watch/2340/saturday-night-live-old-glory |archive-date=January 27, 2012 |df=mdy }}. [[Hulu]]. Retrieved June 9, 2009.</ref> During this time, he portrayed [[Richard Helms]] in [[Oliver Stone]]'s political drama ''[[Nixon (1995 film)|Nixon]]'' (1995) but his scenes were ultimately cut and remain in the [[Director's cut]] version of the film. The following year, he reunited with [[Merchant Ivory]] for ''[[The Proprietor]]'' (1996) starring [[Jeanne Moreau]]. He portrayed a fictional [[president of the United States]] in the thriller ''[[Shadow Conspiracy]]'' starring [[Charlie Sheen]] and [[Donald Sutherland]]. He acted in his third Merchant Ivory film ''[[Le Divorce]]'' (2003) starring [[Kate Hudson]] and [[Naomi Watts]]. 
[[File:Dan Maffei and Sam Waterston.jpg|thumb|left|U.S. Representative [[Dan Maffei]] and Waterston]] 
Waterston appeared as [[Polonius]] in the 2008 [[Shakespeare in the Park]] production of ''[[Hamlet]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.publictheater.org/content/view/126/219/ |title=Public Theater – Shakespeare in the Park |website=Publictheater.org |date=August 22, 2006 |access-date=November 17, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509165116/http://www.publictheater.org/content/view/126/219/ |archive-date=May 9, 2008 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> His performance received a positive review in ''[[The New York Times]]''.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/18/theater/reviews/18hamlet.html|title=Whips and Scorns of Time, Stinging All They Touch|first=Ben|last=Brantley|work=The New York Times |date=June 18, 2008|via=NYTimes.com}}</ref> On February 12, 2009, Waterston portrayed [[Abraham Lincoln]] in [[Earl Robinson]]'s "The Lonesome Train: A Music Legend for Actors, Folk Singers, Choirs, and Orchestra" at the [[Riverside Church]] in New York City. The concert was performed to celebrate Lincoln's 200th birthday.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.theriversidechurchny.org/news/article.php?id=270 |title=Theriversdechurchny.org |publisher=Theriversidechurchny.org |date=February 1, 2009 |access-date=November 17, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121027133547/http://www.theriversidechurchny.org/news/article.php?id=270 |archive-date=October 27, 2012 |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.villagevoice.com/qa-director-lorca-peress-on-the-world-premie-of-the-image-maker-at-queens-college/|title=Q&A: Director Lorca Peress On the World Premie of The Image Maker At Queens College|first=Steven|last=Thrasher|date=May 5, 2012|website=The Village Voice}}</ref>