Samuel Atkinson "Sam" 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 has characterised Waterston as having "cultivated a loyal following with his quietly charismatic, unfailingly solid performances."