Jerry Orbach, who played Lt. Lennie Briscoe for twelve seasons on Law & Order, died today of prostate cancer at the age of 69. While I had heard he was undergoing cancer treatment, everthing seemed to be going well. I had heard that he would reprise his role as Lt. Briscoe on a new Law & Order spinoff entitled Law & Order: Trial by Jury.

Please read his obituary, courtesy of The New York Times. It details his achievements, which go far beyond playing Lt. Briscoe. He was also an accomplished Broadway singer and dancer.

Jerry Orbach will be missed by both fans of Law & Order and non-fans alike.