Donald Cragen

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Law & Order character
Captain Donald Cragen
Time on show	1990-1993 (L&O) 1999-Present (SVU)
Preceded by	None (L&O) None (SVU)
Succeeded by	Anita Van Buren (L&O) N/A (SVU)
First appearance	Everybody's Favorite Bagman (L&O) Payback(SVU)
Last appearance	Benevolence (L&O) N/A (SVU)
Portrayed by	Dann Florek

Captain Donald Cragen is a fictional character played by Dann Florek on the TV drama Law & Order from 1990 to 1993, and its spin-off Law & Order: Special Victims Unit since 1999.

After fighting in Vietnam, Cragen started his career as a homicide detective in the 1960s with partner Max Greevey (George Dzundza), gradually rising up through the ranks to police captain. As revealed in L&O episode "Prescription for Death," Cragen was an alcoholic for much of his early career, but went sober after pulling a gun on a taxi driver in a drunken rage when he was still a detective. He did not touch another drop even in 2000 when he brought a bottle of an unidentified liquid to share with Olivia Benson, following the death of his wife, Marge, a flight attendant. While he tries for the most part to downplay his ongoing recovery, he occasionally opens up about its role in his life; in the SVU episode "Slaves," for example, he admitted to a police psychiatrist that he is daily tempted to relapse in order to escape the horrors he sees everyday in his job.

In the 1991 L&O episode "The Blue Wall," Cragen was investigated by internal affairs for corruption; during the investigation to prove his innocence, he discovered that he was being framed by his former captain and mentor, whom he turned in. He has maintained bitter relations with the police bureaucracy ever since. The same year, in the episode "Confession", his former partner and longtime friend Greevey was murdered. Cragen transferred out of the Homicide Department in 1993, to be replaced by Anita Van Buren (S. Epatha Merkerson).

He went on to head the Anti-Corruption Task Force. As portrayed in the 1998 TV movie Exiled: A Law & Order Movie, Cragen next came into contact with the 27th Precinct while attempting to bust Mafia boss Don Giancarlo Uzielli for the murders of 15 people. During that investigation, he discovered that there was not only a cop in the 27th precinct on Uzielli's payroll, but that his former detective from homicide, Mike Logan (Chris Noth), was interfering with the investigation of the Don by investigating a murder of his own. With Logan's help, Cragen discovered the identity of the corrupt officer: his former detective, and trusted friend, Tony Profaci (John Fiore).

In 1999, Cragen transferred out of the Anti-Corruption Task Force to a new bureau, called the "Special Victims Unit", which investigates sex crimes. The new job was a way to cope with Marge's death.

Cragen is portrayed as a somewhat stern, but understanding, father figure to the detectives who work under him, although he had an early habit of haranguing them about the weaknesses of their investigations. He also maintained friendships with Logan (now a member of the Major Case Squad on Law and Order: Criminal Intent) and Lennie Briscoe (Jerry Orbach), his former detectives from Homicide.

[edit] Scenes with a district attorney

Cragen has thus far shared a scene with a district attorney 5 times:

• Adam Schiff (Steven Hill) in "The Blue Wall", "The Fertile Fields", "Conduct Unbecoming" and the Law & Order: Special Victims Unit episode "Entitled".
• Arthur Branch (Fred Dalton Thompson) in the Law & Order: Special Victims Unit episode "Gone".

Law & Order Police

Police Captains & Lieutenants

Captain Donald Cragen | Lieutenant Anita Van Buren

Senior Detectives

Max Greevey | Phil Cerreta | Lennie Briscoe | Joe Fontana | Ed Green

Junior Detectives

Mike Logan | Rey Curtis | Ed Green | Nick Falco | Nina Cassady