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Skeet Ulrich Leaving ‘Law & Order: Los Angeles’ Amid Creative Overhaul of Show

Jan 12, 2011  •  Post A Comment

Skeet Ulrich, the first actor to be cast on "Law & Order: Los Angeles," is leaving the show amid a creative overhaul of the program, reports Deadline.com’s Nellie Andreeva.

Ulrich, who plays Detective Rex Winters, will be joined by the departure of two regulars, Regina Hall and Megan Boone, who play an ADA and DDA on the show, the story notes. Creator Dick Wolf is making the changes "on the fly, without stopping production on the show that is now filming Episode 12," Andreeva writes.

Another story on Deadline.com about the departures notes that Boone is leaving the show entirely, while Hall may return for a few episodes. Although the show is NBC’s highest-rated new drama, the series’ ratings have been middling, the story adds.

79 Comments

  1. What a tragedy that you are messing with a great cast…especially Skeet Ulrich. I am an avid fan of this show and am very dissapointed that changes are being made so early in the life of the show. I’m not sure I will continue to watch it after this…..in two more episodes will you kill off the rest of the cast and start all over again because you didn’t give it enough time to find it’s legs? A real shame….especially for the excellent actors you picked in the first place.

  2. I cannot believe they’re revamping this show so soon. The only reason I watched this new program was Skeet Ulrich. He’s the best thing about this show. why him and not someone else? why not the other guy? I read that Wolfe felt that with all
    the talented 2 prosecutors (can’t remember their names offhand were award nominated actors ) that they should be given the limelight instead of Ulrich.
    Why not keep it as it is with Ulrich
    and the other guy as detectives, have
    one of the guys who play the prosecutors
    (one ADA and the other top prosecutors.
    like the older Law & Order shows did?
    That way everyone can stay on the show.
    I doubt I’ll be watching without Skeet there. It won’t be the same.
    JMO

  3. Well, I guess my last episode to watch will be Monday, April 11, 2011. Skeet’s gone, so am I. Not that interested in seeing more of Terrence Howard or Alfred Molina, especially not in the present roles. BIG, BIG, HUMONGOUS MISTAKE! But, Dick Wolf is about to find that out.

  4. What a shame. I think Ulrich is a talented actor. I doubt I’ll tune in to watch Molina. My daughter feels the same way. So they just lost 2 of us.

  5. Well, with Skeet gone it’s one less show I need to watch in a week. NBC really has a hard time keeping as a viewer. In fact I only watched Law & Order LA (because of Skeet) and SVU. Now I’ll only be watching 1 NBC show! I wish Skeet all the best. Sorry Skeet that the producers and NBC execs have their heads up their ***!

  6. What a disappointment to have Skeet Ulrich being removed from the show. He’s the reason I watched it…the rest are good, but nothing compares to Skeet. Why mess with a great show, so early in it’s many seasons to come?

  7. I agree wholeheartedly with the previous commenters. Skeet Ulrich was the reason I watched this show. Dick Wolf is crazy to get rid of him. The show was great as it was. Why start finagling with things when you’ve got something that works? Dumb.

  8. r u nuts!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  9. I can’t believe they are kicking Skeet Ulrich out of the show. He was the main reason I watched. I guess tonight will be my last time watching this show. He was the most talented actor on the show. They should have thought about casting 2 big actors (Howard and Molina) as the same person when they started the show. Dick Wolf is going to lose a lot of fans over this change and it’s nobody’s fault but his own.

  10. I too am sorry Ulrich left the show. I watched the show because of him. I may hang in there with it. Bring Harry’s Law back,

  11. I only watched because of Skeet Ulrich. I guess I will now turn to Hawaii 5 0

  12. As a long time fan of LO I am sorry to see Skeet Ulrich go “““““““ I could see from the beginning something was missing. It didn’t grab me like it did in 91. I will continue to watch and see how it goes. I do like the way they did this episode. I have hope it will work

  13. Agree totally with above comments. Why oh why can’t a new show have time to develop before changing it or terminating it? The show hasn’t been on for months! Now this quick change. I liked all the actors on the LA show, and started watching because you discontinued the original L&O. This may very well come back and bite Dick Wolf in the you know what.

  14. Agree totally with above comments. Why oh why can’t a new show have time to develop before changing it or terminating it? The show hasn’t been on for months! Now this quick change. I liked all the actors on the LA show, and started watching because you discontinued the original L&O. This may very well come back and bite Dick Wolf in the you know what.

  15. Ever hear the phrase “if it aint broke don’t try and fix it?” This show wasn’t broken yet ego had to step in a mess with it. Your ratings will go down for sure. Back to Hawaii 5-0 I go. Gotta hand it to you Mr.Wolf, you sure know how to screw things up!

  16. It’s good to know that Regina Hall, Megan Boone and Skeet Ulrich are all leaving “Law and Order: Los Angeles” because of some cockamamie plot restructuring by Dick Wolfe. My loyalty goes to television series with loyalty to their cast and crew and LOLA is obviously not one of those. Glad to hear I’ll not have a conflict with episodes of ABC’s “Castle” in future.
    A former Law and Order fan.

  17. It’s good to know that Regina Hall, Megan Boone and Skeet Ulrich are all leaving “Law and Order: Los Angeles” because of some cockamamie plot restructuring by Dick Wolfe. My loyalty goes to television series with loyalty to their cast and crew and LOLA is obviously not one of those. Glad to hear I’ll not have a conflict with episodes of ABC’s “Castle” in future.
    A former Law and Order fan.

  18. It’s good to know that Regina Hall, Megan Boone and Skeet Ulrich are all leaving “Law and Order: Los Angeles” because of some cockamamie plot restructuring by Dick Wolfe. My loyalty goes to television series with loyalty to their cast and crew and LOLA is obviously not one of those. Glad to hear I’ll not have a conflict with episodes of ABC’s “Castle” in future.
    A former Law and Order fan.

  19. I agree the show needed a punch in the arm but Skeet was one of the few things it had going for it!! What a colossal mistake! Well we won’t be watching L&O LA anymore!

  20. It’s good to know that Regina Hall, Megan Boone and Skeet Ulrich are all leaving “Law and Order: Los Angeles” because of some cockamamie plot restructuring by Dick Wolfe. My loyalty goes to television series with loyalty to their cast and crew and LOLA is obviously not one of those. Glad to hear I’ll not have a conflict with episodes of ABC’s “Castle” in future.
    A former Law and Order fan.

  21. Ever hear the phrase “if it aint broke don’t try and fix it?” This show wasn’t broken yet ego had to step in a mess with it. Your ratings will go down for sure. Back to Hawaii 5-0 I go. Gotta hand it to you Mr.Wolf, you sure know how to screw things up!

  22. Oops! My apologies for multiple posts, the darned thing didn’t refresh and show it had posted! Good thing I checked and refreshed the original page. :-/

  23. I was disappointed that Skeet’s character was killed off. I doubt I’ll watch anymore. He was the best part of the show. I look forward to seeing him in his next show.

  24. I was disappointed that Skeet’s character was killed off. I doubt I’ll watch anymore. He was the best part of the show. I look forward to seeing him in his next show.

  25. Law and Order LA just lost another viewer. I loved Skeet on the show and he was the only reason I started watching it. Big Mistake!! Good luck to you Skeet…I have no doubt that we all will be seeing you in a movie or on another TV show real soon. Vicki

  26. I can’t believe Skeet Ulrich is gone. As I watched the show, I thought, “Maybe Winters is still alive but they’re protecting him.” Then the show just ended. Poof! Skeet is really gone from the show–just like I am.

  27. Booooo! Totally bummed about Skeet. I guess I’ll be forced to read on Monday nights.

  28. we watched Law & Order Los Angeles only because of Skeet Ulrich, so now that he is not on it…bye bye Law & Order Los Angeles as it will not be the same w/o him…….

  29. I cannot believe Skeet Urlrich is off the show. That was the only reason I watched it. He has so much class and gave the show a lot of talent. Shame on you for ruining a good thing. Done with Law and Order, LA

  30. I won’t be watching anymore. Skeet was the only reason I ever tuned in to begin with. Bad move Dick!

  31. I will not be watching the latest Law and Order incarnation after the crude way they dumped Skeet Ulrich.

  32. I have watched my last episode of “Law and Order:Los Angeles.” The dumping of Skeet Ulrich was a major mistake. Who is responsible?

  33. The reason I watched was skeet … Oh well time to find s new show. U did it this time Dick!

  34. I was so disappointed that Ulrich was killed off. I thought maybe they were just letting everyone think he was dead to keep him safe. Maybe they can bring him back that way. He was the reason I watched in the first place. Dumb

  35. I agree with everyone else. Skeet was the main reason I watched the show. The decision to kill him off was not very well thought out….dumb idea. I hope another network picks him up, you don’t deserve him.

  36. I was shocked they killed off Skeet. I also thought they might be doing it to keep him safe. Not sure if I will watch anymore. He was the best thing about the show.

  37. Since Law and Order L.A. took Skeet Ulrich off the show, I have taken Law and Order L.A. off my favourite tv shows to watch list.
    Bad move Wolfe. Not very creative getting rid of your best character.
    Skeet, they made a big mistake.

  38. Since Law and Order L.A. took Skeet Ulrich off the show, I have taken Law and Order L.A. off my favourite tv shows to watch list.
    Bad move Wolfe. Not very creative getting rid of your best character.
    Skeet, they made a big mistake.

  39. I wasn’t even going to watch this show until I saw Skeet was going to be on it so now that he’s gone I am too! I don’t think that the show will be on much longer unless they have some surprise twist that winters was just being protected and isn’t really dead. They are too stupid to actually do that though. Such a stupid move! What is it these days with these shows going against the fans? I am so very disappointed in all these execs and writers thinking they know everything and the fans know nothing!

  40. I had recorded LOLA and was watching it thinking what a treat – a 2 hr episode. As soon as Skeet was killed I googled to find out what was going on. What a disappointment. The main reason I watched the show was for Skeet. I think he was perfect in the role. Alfred Molina – are you kidding? I didn’t even finish watching the show. Just pressed DELETE. No more LOLA for me. Big mistake Dick!!

  41. Skeet is the only reason I watched the show also. Big mistake IMO to kill him character off.

  42. Double whammy – Ben Daniels gone from Law & Order UK and now Skeet from LA. Skeet bugs me more – US bias I guess. Skeet was excellent. I think Dick Wolf has finally jumped the shark. Too bad for the series and fans.

  43. This stinks. Skeet’s gone so am I.

  44. Skeet Ulrich made the show Jericho and did the same for Law & Order: LA. It was a shame they cancelled the former and now are screwing with the latter.

  45. No Skeet Ulrich=I will not watch! He and Terence Howard were the only reasons I tuned in, and we hardly ever see Terence SO…G’bye

  46. What a shame you dropped Skeet Ulrich. He and his partner had good chemistry, he provided a serious attitude yet wasn’t a boring drone. And what a lousy way to take him out. I won’t watch this show anymore.

  47. I have checked EVERY website I could and I can’t find ONE that actually tells me the “WHY” of the situation! …Did Skeet Ulrich leave on his own? …or was this a SUPREMELY STUPID decision made by Dick Wolf and the producers themselves???
    Does anybody out there know the answer??

  48. I keep hoping that Skeet Ulrich’s character really survived. Maybe his in witness protection for his family’s safety until the drug lord is procecuted. Hey, they did this on SVU with the ADA. Possibility?

  49. Creator Dick Wolfe has been around a lonnng time and certainly knows this game better than most (read that: ‘Miami Vice’ and ‘New Your Undercover’). As much as I hate to see these three leave, I’m a LO fan, and so will stick around to see how the show develops. Like Sharon said, characters can always be resurrected at a later date, if need be. Who knows what Wolfe has in store.

  50. Uh oh… Wrong decision. Too early for changes. And yes, I only watch L&O LA because of Alfred Molina and Skeet Ulrich. Too bad he’s gone. Mr. Wolf, it’s unfair. We are already attached to these characters and people like them. You already had a superb cast. Why change them up? Clearly, you don’t consider your audiences on your decisions. Terrible.

  51. I agree. Without Skeet I won’t be watching. I believe it was NBC that also cancelled “Life”–another show I felt did not get a fair showing before being gone.

  52. As has already been stated by others, I only watched L&O LA because Skeet was on it. Guess I won’t have to record Hawaii 5-0 now; can just watch it in real time!

  53. I agree 100%, I’m done watching it

  54. I still like the show as I really like Alfred Molina, but Skeet was great. Letting him go was a huge mistake. What could you have been thinking DICK?

  55. Only watched for Skeet. Won’t be watching it all now. More room on my DVR for other shows. What a mistake.

  56. No more NBC at my house, they screw everything up, killed off the best guy then leaves us hanging without catching the killer. What were they thinking?

  57. That was dumb. Skeet was the only reason i watched too. I have stopped, don’t think i will be watching anymore.

  58. I was thinking the same thing. It can’t be… Skeet leaving the show soo soon, and soo early on the episode! So I waited and kept thinking ‘they are pretending he is gone to protect him.’ And then, the show ended with Skeet dead, and the show immediately following confirmed it. He was the reason I watched the show, and now I am leaving the show as well. I hope I will see him in another TV show soon.

  59. I was thinking the same thing. It can’t be… Skeet leaving the show soo soon, and soo early on the episode! So I waited and kept thinking ‘they are pretending he is gone to protect him.’ And then, the show ended with Skeet dead, and the show immediately following confirmed it. He was the reason I watched the show, and now I am leaving the show as well. I hope I will see him in another TV show soon.

  60. Have to agree whole-heartedly. I’m already gone!

  61. I was thinking that EXACT same thing!! …once they realize this mistake – and after Skeet very smartly holds for a GRIP of cash to make them pay for their stupidity – they can use the ‘ADA Cabot’ plot twist, lol…

  62. I cannot believe Skeet Ulrich is no longer on Law & Order LA. He was the reason why I watched this show. I hope he gets his own show.

  63. All through the entire episode I kept thinking that Skeet was still alive and they were all just using it as a ploy to catch the killer – Why did I think this….no real emotions of loss, no tears, no funeral for a cop, no saying good-bye to a partner and husband – not only a bad decision to take out Skeet Ulrich, but very poorly written as well. Just lost a watcher and from the previous reads, many, many others.

  64. What the ? Skeet was the BEST !!!! No more LO-LA for me either. I guess I will wait and watch and hope for another show or movie that he WILL be in. Mr Wolf, (I mean DICK) what were you thinking ? I guess you weren’t thinking at all. ?????

  65. Def not as good without Skeet. What a stupid move.

  66. The only reason to watch this was SKEET…You are replacing him with second rate CHEAP actors…idiots I guess before long we can have our TV provider sut it off cause there will be nothing on but REALITY, GAME, and Documentaries and we cannot stand ANY of them…..SO ADVERTISERS YOU WILL HAVE NO VENUE WITH US AND MANY OTHERS !!!!! IDIOTS

  67. Dumb move skeet Ulrich was the show now im done with…..and i love all the la laws..too bad bring him back from the dead and then the show will last….

  68. Good luck Skeet. You were there best thing on the show. I usually like all the Law and Order changes, but this was a big mistake. Skeet, something very good and even better will come your way! Handsome and talented!

  69. I totally agree with all of the above. I have now stopped watching LAOLA. Skeet was the only good thing on the show. The show is now lost without him. You should have left an opening for him to come back big big mistake.

  70. My story is the same as the majority of these comments. I watched the show for Skeet Ulrich. Although I like the other characters, I much prefer the show the way it originally was. I won’t be watching

  71. I think they left the episode open-ended in case they need to bring Ulrich back. They can do that by saying the criminal was still at large therefore Rex Winters is in Protective Custody. they did that in the NY L&O with the blond prosecutor (Stephanie March)and then they brought her back. we all know shows can have the same twists.

  72. Well, I dunno… I hadn’t really seen Skeet Ulrich in anything before, so coming to this not so much as a fan, maybe with less bias, I can see that it may not have been the horrible decision everyone is making it out to be. I thought the two main characters had a good on-screen rapport to begin with, but from the first I liked Corey Stoll’s character better, and with the stuff happening with Rex’s wife, it was all becoming a bit too fraught. I do very much like Alfred Molina as an actor, but on this show I liked him better as a prosecutor, and I think the way they structured the plot to bring him back to being a cop had a lot of “jumping the shark” about it. I would like to see Skeet Ulrich in something else sometime as I thought he was a fine actor, but LOLA just didn’t seem like his vehicle.
    That being said, I am continuing to watch this show. I think that once it gets over its growing pains, it has the potential (and the talent) to become very good. LOSVU is starting to pall for me, and LOCI was (to me) always awkward and self-conscious. I think LOLA has enough going for it that it could possibly approach the caliber of the original L&O (although nothing will never come close to the brilliance of the Jerry Orbach years).

  73. Dick,
    !!!You’re the same as your name!!!

  74. Dick,
    !!!You’re the same as your name!!!

  75. The only reason I watched LOLA was for Skeet Ulrich now that he is gone there is no reason to watch the show.

  76. I liked Life also, and for having killed off skeet in April, he was on the show I just watched tonight… so now I am lost is he dead or not?

  77. I was confused as well. I figured it would be revealed that they had faked his death to protect his family until his killer could be brought to justice, it has been done before on the L & O franchise.

  78. WTF !!!!!
    and molina filling the spot as a detective? LOL … that was lame. no wonder why the show was cancelled…

  79. Yeah, I’ve just got into LOLA here in the UK..for one reason. Skeet. And tonight’s episode..he’s been killed? wtf? Poor Skeet, I really feel for him. Every show he’s ever done has been canned. Miracles ( which was one of the BEST shows at the time, was canned because of the war in Iraq) and then Jericho…and now this. Oh well, I’ll not be watching anymore. Oh and the way they moved the plot around so Molina could become a cop ( again) was just lame and treat the view like an idiot! DICK wolf certainly lives up to his name. What a bummer!
    Bring back Miracles! ( oh we tried, we tried..but at least it worked with jericho -NUTS!)
    Hope you’re well Skeet? You’re sadly missed on our screens

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