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Donald Cragen

Updated: 12/11/2025, 3:30:50 PM Wikipedia source

Donald 'Don' Cragen is a fictional character played by Dann Florek in the American police procedural television series Law & Order and its spin-off, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, on NBC. Cragen is a homicide captain with the New York City Police Department who later becomes captain of the department's Special Victims Unit. A recovering alcoholic, Cragen is a tough police veteran who is loyal to his officers. He appeared in the first three seasons of Law & Order and in the first 15 seasons of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Having credited appearances in 400 episodes in the Law & Order franchise, Cragen has appeared in the third-most episodes of any character in the franchise; this mark is surpassed only by Olivia Benson and Fin Tutuola, main characters on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Cragan retires from the police force in 2014, though he occasionally provides help to some of his old Special Victims Unit colleagues. The premiere episode of the show's 27th season reveals that Cragen dies in 2025.

Infobox

First appearance
"Prescription for Death" (L&O) "Payback" (SVU)
Last appearance
"Fixed" (L&O)"In the Wind" (SVU)
Portrayed by
Dann Florek
Title
NYPD Captain
Family
A sister
Spouse
Marge Cragen (deceased)
Children
Son and daughter (later retconned)
Relatives
A nephew
Partner
Max Greevey
Seasons
L&O: 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 15SVU: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 23, 27OC: 2, 4

Tables

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit appearances · Appearances and credits
1
1
Season
1
Years
2
Episodes
3
Episodes
4
Episodes
5
Episodes
6
Episodes
7
Episodes
8
Episodes
9
Episodes
10
Episodes
11
Episodes
12
Episodes
13
Episodes
14
Episodes
15
Episodes
16
Episodes
17
Episodes
18
Episodes
19
Episodes
20
Episodes
21
Episodes
22
Episodes
23
Episodes
24
Episodes
25
1
1
Season
1
Years
1999–2000
2
2
Season
2
Years
2000–01
3
3
Season
3
Years
2001–02
4
4
Season
4
Years
2002–03
5
5
Season
5
Years
2003–04
6
6
Season
6
Years
2004–05
7
7
Season
7
Years
2005–06
8
8
Season
8
Years
2006–07
9
9
Season
9
Years
2007–08
10
10
Season
10
Years
2008–09
11
11
Season
11
Years
2009–10
12
12
Season
12
Years
2010–11
13
13
Season
13
Years
2011–12
14
14
Season
14
Years
2012–13
15
15
Season
15
Years
2013–14
16
16
Season
16
Years
2014–15
17
17
Season
17
Years
2015–16
18
18
Season
18
Years
2016–17
19
19
Season
19
Years
2017–18
20
20
Season
20
Years
2018–19
21
21
Season
21
Years
2019–20
22
22
Season
22
Years
2020–21
23
23
Season
23
Years
2021–22
Seasons
Seasons
Season
Seasons
Years
Years
Episodes
1
Episodes
2
Episodes
3
Episodes
4
Episodes
5
Episodes
6
Episodes
7
Episodes
8
Episodes
9
Episodes
10
Episodes
11
Episodes
12
Episodes
13
Episodes
14
Episodes
15
Episodes
16
Episodes
17
Episodes
18
Episodes
19
Episodes
20
Episodes
21
Episodes
22
Episodes
23
Episodes
24
Episodes
25
Episodes
Episodes
Season
Episodes
Season
Years
Episodes
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
1
1999–2000
2
2000–01
3
2001–02
4
2002–03
5
2003–04
6
2004–05
7
2005–06
8
2006–07
9
2007–08
10
2008–09
11
2009–10
12
2010–11
13
2011–12
14
2012–13
15
2013–14
16
2014–15
17
2015–16
18
2016–17
19
2017–18
20
2018–19
21
2019–20
22
2020–21
23
2021–22
Seasons
Years
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
Episodes
Regular cast
×
Regular cast + no appearance
Recurring cast
Guest cast
No credit + no appearance
No episode

References

  1. USA Today
    https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2025/09/26/law-order-svu-dann-florek-captain-cragen-dies/86364310007/
  2. Green & Dawn 2009, p. 239
    https://archive.org/details/laworderspecialv0000gree/page/238/mode/2up?q=justice
  3. Shawnee News-Star
  4. Law & Order
  5. Law & Order
  6. Green & Dawn 2009, p. 146
    https://archive.org/details/laworderspecialv0000gree/page/146/mode/2up?q=Marge
  7. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
  8. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
  9. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
  10. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
  11. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
  12. Law & Order
  13. The Star-Ledger
  14. Law & Order
  15. The Record
  16. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
  17. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
  18. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
  19. Green & Dawn 2009, p. 276
  20. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
  21. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
  22. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
  23. Green & Dawn 2009, p. 336
  24. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
  25. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
  26. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
  27. "Exclusive: Law & Order: SVU Casts Adam Baldwin as Cragen's Replacement!"
    https://www.tvguide.com/News/Law-Order-SVU-Adam-Baldwin-1050356.aspx
  28. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
  29. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
  30. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
  31. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
  32. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
  33. E! Online
    https://www.eonline.com/news/1322843/find-out-which-law-order-svu-fan-favorite-is-headed-to-organized-crime
  34. Law & Order: Organized Crime
  35. NBC
    https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/how-did-cragen-die-on-law-and-order-svu
  36. Courrier & Green 1998, p. 26
  37. Courrier & Green 1998, p. 114
  38. Los Angeles Daily News
  39. Courrier & Green 1998, p. 33
  40. Ventura County Star
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