The big news in the sprawling Law & Order-verse is that Sam Waterston, who played ADA/DA Jack McCoy for a record 30 years, has retired from the franchise. According to reports, stepping in for him is Tony Goldwyn, last seen on broadcast TV as President Fitzgerald Grant in ABC’s Scandal. His District Attorney Nicholas Baxter makes his premiere tonight on the show, but only time will tell if his tenure will be as lasting as Sam’s.
But we here at Man Central are more interested in how the two compare in another way - nude on screen! So let’s see which of these TV lawyers raises the bar when it comes to going bare!
Sam Waterston Nude
Sam first went naked back in 1969 as one corner of a love triangle in the aptly titled romantic drama Three. He strips off his clothes and shows off his untanned tush before diving into the ocean.
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We wouldn’t see Sam’s buttcheeks again until 1980, as he hung around in the buff with Jenny Agutter in Sweet William. We’d ride into battle for Sam’s sweet seat!
Love 
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Once Sam got busy with television though, he stopped letting us see him undressed, which is a real shame. However, he did become one half of the cutest older gay couple in streaming history with his turn as Sol Berstein in Grace and Frankie.
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Tony Goldwyn Nude
Tony, it turns out, has only bared his buns on the big screen twice too. First in 1993’s Love Matters, during a meandering sex scene set to some smooth jazz.
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Tony took an even longer break between nude scenes, and finally revealed his rump again in the 2017 dramedy All I Wish. He gets out of bed after sleeping with Sharon Stone and we see his butt before he steps in the shower.
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The only other difference between Tony and Sam is that Tony at least gave us more hot shirtless action while on television, both as Fitz on Scandal and in the 2020 HBO series Lovecraft Country.
**** But Sam’s only retired from the show, not necessarily acting, so there’s still time for him to take one more naked bow!
