This page uses content from the Dann Florek biography page on the English version of Wikipedia and is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. This list of authors can be seen in the page history. Rotten Tomatoes disclaims any and all warranties as to the accuracy or reliability of the content.

Dann Florek (born May 1, 1950 in Flat Rock, Michigan) is an American actor and director.

Florek worked his way up from the theatre into supporting roles in such diverse '80's films as Sweet Liberty, Moon Over Parador, and Angel Heart. After a brief stint as the boring husband of Susan Ruttan on NBC's hit drama L.A. Law, Florek co-starred in the NBC crime drama Law & Order as Capt. Donald Cragen. In the mid to late nineties Florek starred as Coach Gerber on the children's show "Smart Guy". He frequently asked for more to do, and got his wish once, in the first season finale "The Blue Wall". The first few years of L&O had mediocre ratings, and finally after the close of the 1992-1993 season, NBC told creator/executive producer Dick Wolf that they would cancel the show unless he added a few women to the all-male cast. Wolf complied and fired Florek as well as Richard Brooks. However, Florek was allowed to direct a few L&O episodes in 1994 and 1995.

Florek reprised the role of Cragen in a 1995 episode (which he also directed), and in the 1998 TV-movie Exiled, centered on former L&O star Chris Noth's character, Mike Logan. Also in 1998, Florek played Abraham Lincoln in the extremely controversial, UPN sitcom The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer. In 1999 he returned to the Cragen role, only this time on Law & Order spin-off series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, which he currently co-stars on.

Florek's wife, Karen, works as an artist. His brother, Dave, is also an actor. All three trained in the Daniel L. Quirk Jr. drama school at Eastern Michigan University.

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