Why Dean Winters Left Law & Order: SVU - CBR - Comic Book Resources
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is the long-running veteran of the Law & Order franchise and over the years has seen its fair share of actors come and go, including one of its major stars (who recently returned to his own spinoff). Yet, the first departure of a cast member came in Season 1, when actor Dean Winters left after appearing in thirteen episodes.
Winters played inexperienced detective Brian Cassidy, who had trouble fitting into the world of investigating sex crimes, so it wasn't much of a shock when his character was written out. But in the world of Law & Order, that doesn't necessarily mean the end, as Dean Winters returned in Season 13 with a new recurring storyline. So, what was the history of Detective Cassidy, why did Dean Winters exit the world of Law & Order, and how did he return?
Who Is Brian Cassidy on Law & Order: SVU?
The character of Brian Cassidy was Detective John Munch's (Richard Belzer) original partner on the show and viewed him as a mentor figure. The somewhat naive Cassidy was not well-suited to work sex crimes, often lacking the finesse and maturity needed to aid the victims; his unease with the work led him to leave the Special Victims Unit and transfer to narcotics. In later seasons, viewers discover part of the reason for this awkward disconnect was due to Cassidy himself being a victim of sexual abuse as a child. He is reluctant to face the memories and does not talk about it, but does finally get to confront his childhood abuser in court.
As part of narcotics, he delved into undercover work that eventually brings him back in contact with his former colleagues at SVU, and one in particular: Detective Olivia Benson. While a detective in SVU, Cassidy has a one-night stand with Benson and wanted to pursue a relationship, but she shut him down. After he reconnects with her, they do start dating and end up moving in together, much to the dislike of some fans. Unfortunately, the pair split after realizing they were too different to sustain a long-term relationship, but stayed on good terms. That rapport does not last after he investigates her for the alleged child abuse of her son, yet they do eventually repair their friendship.
Why Dean Winters Left Law & Order: SVU
When Dean Winters joined SVU, he was also a cast member of the HBO series Oz, but that series' eight-episode run initially allowed him the time to star in SVU. Unfortunately, this double-duty ended up conflicting, and as he was under contract to HBO, he had to leave SVU, albeit on good terms. Later, Winters had other contractual obligations while working at CBS, which prevented any return to the show until a chance encounter brought him back to SVU.
In an interview with The AV Club, Winters revealed that one morning, at 5 AM, a noisy film crew outside his apartment had him yelling out the window for quiet, and who should yell back at him? Why his old friend Richard Belzer. The film crew was setting up to shoot a scene for SVU. After going down to say hello to the cast, one thing led to another and the next week he was back as a guest star. That stint led to a storyline with Mariska Hargitay's character Olivia Benson until Season 15. Winters returned for more episodes in Seasons 19 and 20 to wrap up his storyline.
Both Dean Winters and Brian Cassidy were written out in Season 1 due to contractual circumstances without the opportunity to explore the character, yet happenstance brought them back for a second chance.
source: https://www.cbr.com/law-order-svu-why-dean-winters-left/
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