Tony Goldwyn Compares Law & Order’s DA to Past Role as President Fitz

Tony Goldwyn went from President of the United States to the District Attorney of New York City.

“I always loved being surprised by where my career takes me,” Goldwyn, 64, told Us Weekly exclusively while promoting Law & Order season 24. “I guess you could call it a demotion of sorts in terms of the job from President to DA. But it’s a really interesting character and the DA — it’s a fascinating job.”

Goldwyn made his Law & Order debut as DA Nick Baxter for a seven-episode stint last season. His character came in and ruffled some feathers after the legendary Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston) retired. (He previously played President Fitzgerald Grant III on Scandal, which aired from 2012 to 2018.)

“Criminal justice has always been an area of real interest and passion for me,” he told Us. “So, it’s fun to get to explore all the cases every week.”

But it was “unusual” for Goldwyn to become the new kid on the block — so to speak — in a show that’s been on television for more than two decades.

“Law & Order, really, it’s a New York institution and a television institution. Stepping into Sam Waterstone’s shoes, it just had a whole different vibe to it. I loved it. It’s been great. Just a was a different experience,” Goldwyn gushed. “This is creating a character to step into some pretty big shoes, both for me as an actor but also for Nick Baxter after Jack McCoy retired.”

The season 23 finale, which aired in May, left fans on the edge of their seats wondering if Goldwyn would be back. Alas, DA Baxter won his reelection — which means the actor will be around for the entirety of season 24.

Odelya Halevi’s character Samantha Maroun took center stage during the season 24 premiere, which aired on Thursday, October 3.

“A fellow prosecutor from Brooklyn is murdered, and this is a crime that hits Maroun extremely hard because it sort of mirrors a trauma that she had in her personal life, with her sister having been murdered,” Goldwyn explained to Us. “We have some tension because I have to really lean on her to keep her head in the job.”

Upon Baxter’s arrival last season, he immediately had some tension with coworkers in the DA’s office. This time around, an “equilibrium” has been found — especially between Baxter and Nolan Price (Hugh Dancy).

“They’re working together. Price and Baxter are different men,” Goldwyn explained. “There’s, what I feel like, is a healthy friction to our relationship. It seems to be a productive working relationship, so there’s always sort of pushback, back and forth. For the moment, it’s become quite productive, I think.”

Law & Order season 24 airs on NBC Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET.