See what’s become of Corbin Bernsen, Blair Underwood, Jill Eikenberry, and their costars.

What happened to the cast of L.A. Law? Where the stars of Steven Bochco’s legal drama are now

See what's become of Corbin Bernsen, Blair Underwood, Jill Eikenberry, and their costars.

By Maggie Fremont

Maggie Fremont

Maggie Fremont is a writer at **.

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August 15, 2026 10:00 a.m. ET

The cast of 'L.A. Law.' If we're ranking 'I'm a serious lawyer on TV' faces, Harry Hamlin wins. Just look at that steely gaze. Credit:

These days, it’s hard to imagine a TV landscape without a seemingly endless supply of legal dramas. But when *L.A. Law* premiered in 1986, it helped redefine what the genre could be. The NBC drama went on to set a new standard for what a serious show about lawyers could do.

Created by Steven Bochco and Terry Louise Fisher, the series ran for eight seasons and returned for a TV movie reunion in 2002. It had all the elements that had become hallmarks of Bochco productions: a large ensemble cast, serialized story lines, and a fearlessness when it came to tackling tough subject matter.

*L.A. Law* gave equal time to the courtroom, the boardroom, and the bedroom, as it followed the lives of attorneys and staff at a high-powered Los Angeles firm. That proved to be a winning formula. By the time the series left the air in 1994, it had racked up 15 Emmys, including four for Outstanding Drama Series.

Below, ** revisits the main cast of the series to find out what they’ve been up to since their last cases were closed.

Corbin Bernsen (Arnie Becker)

Corbin Bernsen as Arnie Becker / Bernsen in New York in 2026.

Everett; Jason Mendez/Getty

As the arrogant, promiscuous divorce lawyer Arnie, Corbin Bernsen remained on *L.A. Law *for all eight seasons, earning two Emmy nominations for his lead performance.

While Becker is certainly the role that made his name, the Los Angeles-born actor has maintained a long and varied career outside the courtroom. The beloved baseball comedy *Major League *(1989) gave him some big-screen cred, and he went on to play the big bad in Shane Black’s culty neo-noir *Kiss Kiss Bang Bang* (2005).

Meanwhile, he’s remained a ubiquitous presence on television. He booked years’ worth of starring roles in made-for-TV movies and high-profile guest spots before starring on *Psych* for all eight seasons. He’s since recurred on *The Resident*, *Duster*, and *The Curse*, the latter opposite Emma Stone and Nathan Fielder. More recently, the veteran actor appeared on Apple TV's *Your Friends & Neighbors*.

Bernsen and his wife, Amanda Pays, have been married since 1988 and have four children together.

Blair Underwood (Jonathan Rollins)

Blair Underwood as Jonathan Rollins / Underwood at the NAACP Hollywood Bureau Symposium in 2026.

Everett; Earl Gibson III/Getty

Blair Underwood joined *L.A. Law* as Jonathan in season 2 — although it’s hard to imagine the show without him (he was even set to lead the doomed revival). The performance earned him his first Golden Globe nomination.

The Tacoma native first started booking roles in the mid-1980s and it wasn’t long before he found himself on *L.A. Law *at just 23 years old. That was his official breakthrough, and he eventually scored a string of high-profile supporting movie roles in *Set It Off* (1996), *Gattaca* (1997), *Deep Impact* (1998), and *Rules of Engagement *(2000), among others.

Still, he’s probably best known for his enduring television career. He had a memorable run as Miranda’s boyfriend on *Sex and the City* in season 6, and he’s been a main cast member on series like *In Treatment,* *Quantico*, and *Dirty Sexy Money*. Underwood has also had recurring roles on *Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. *and *The New Adventures of Old Christine*.

More recently, he had a meaty supporting part as an FBI agent in Oz Perkins’ *Longlegs *(2024) and joined the ensemble of the medical drama *Doc* ahead of its third season. The veteran actor also earned a Tony nomination for 2020’s *A Soldier’s Play*.

Underwood and his wife of 27 years, Desiree DaCosta, announced their split in 2021. Two years later, he married his friend of over 40 years, Josie Hart.

Jimmy Smits (Victor Sifuentes)

Jimmy Smits as Victor Sifuentes / Smits at the Conga Room in 2024.

Everett; Leon Bennett/Getty

Jimmy Smits had made his screen debut just two years prior — in the pilot episode of *Miami Vice* — before being cast as Victor Sifuentes on *L.A. Law*, a role that would earn him six Emmy nominations and one win.

Smits picked up five more Emmy nods during his beloved run as Bobby Simone on another Steven Bochco hit, *NYPD Blue*. Of course, the veteran actor’s success is not limited to Bochco projects. He entered the *Star Wars* universe as Princess Leia’s adoptive father Senator Bail Organa in *Attack of the Clones *(2002) and reprised the character in several films and the TV series *Obi-Wan Kenobi*.

Starting in 2004, he made a lasting impression on *The West Wing* as Congressman Matthew Santos, who ultimately succeeds President Bartlet. He’s since had substantial roles on *Dexter*, *Sons of Anarchy*, and *How to Get Away With Murder*.

On the big screen, Smits appeared in the crime thriller *The Tax Collector *(2020) and the Lin-Manuel Miranda adaptation *In the Heights *(2021). More recently, he reprised his role as Miguel Prado on *Dexter: Resurrection* in 2025.

Smits and his partner, Wanda De Jesús, have been together since 1986. He has two children with his ex-wife, Barbara Smits.

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Harry Hamlin (Michael Kuzak)

Harry Hamlin as Michael Kuzak / Hamlin in Beverly Hills in 2024.

Everett; Monica Schipper/WireImage

Harry Hamiln played charismatic attorney and name partner Michael Kuzak for five seasons, earning three Golden Globe nominations and the esteemed title of PEOPLE’s Sexiest Man Alive in 1987.

After studying acting at both Yale and the American Conservatory Theater, Hamlin made his screen debut in 1976’s TV movie *The Taming of the Shrew*, but it wasn’t until 1981 that he landed the starring role in *Clash of the Titans* and became an in-demand name. Thankfully for Bochco and Co., they were able to scoop him up for what remains one of his most popular roles.

Since leaving the legal drama in 1991, Hamlin has put together a long list of film, TV, and stage credits. Of course, these days, many know him as Lisa Rinna’s husband thanks to her iconic run on *The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills*. But as for his own work, he had stellar recurring stints on *Veronica Mars, Shameless*,* *and *Mad Men*, for which he earned an Emmy nomination.

He still gets to play the dashing love interest on occasion, such as in the ensemble comedy *80 for Brady *(2023), where he romanced none other than Jane Fonda. Since 2023, he’s been a series regular on the Anne Rice adaptation *Mayfair Witches*, which is set to premiere its third season in 2027.

Hamlin and Rinna have been married since 1997 and have two daughters together. Hamlin also has a son from his previous relationship with Ursula Andress. The couple have appeared in numerous projects together including a stint as Billy Flynn and Roxie Hart, respectively, in a Broadway production of *Chicago* in 2007.

Jill Eikenberry (Ann Kelsey)

Jill Eikenberry as Ann Kelsey / Eikenberry at the Hollywood Beauty Awards in 2022.

Everett; Rodin Eckenroth/FilmMagic

After beginning her career in the theater, Yale Drama School alum Jill Eikenberry and her husband Michael Tucker made an impression on Bochco during a stint on *Hill Street Blues*. He proceeded to cast them on *L.A. Law, *giving them their most famous roles to date.

As Ann Kelsey, an attorney and eventual partner at the firm, Eikenberry earned five Emmy nominations and won a Golden Globe.

Following the run of the series, which she starred on for all eight seasons, the Connecticut native has appeared sporadically in TV and film projects, including *Young Adult *(2011) with Charlize Theron, *Law & Order*, *The Good Fight*, and *Elsbeth*.

She and Tucker have continued to produce and work together on projects for both stage and screen. Married since 1973, the couple has one child together.

Susan Dey (Grace Van Owen)

Susan Dey as Grace Van Owen / Dey at a benefit in Beverly Hills in 2007.

Everett; Amy Graves/WireImage

For six seasons (and the reunion movie), Susan Dey’s Grace Van Owen moved from deputy district attorney to judge, and from a torrid affair with Mike Kuzak to a torrid affair with Victor Sifuentes. Not a bad run!

Dey’s acclaimed time on *L.A. Law* — she earned three Emmy nominations and won a Golden Globe — wasn’t her first big TV gig. At the time, she was best known as Laurie Partridge in the ’70s sitcom *The Partridge Family*. She took on that role at just 17 years old, with no acting experience, and was launched into teen idol stardom.

Following *L.A. Law*, she took a lead role in the sitcom* Love & War* in 1992, but was forced out after one season amid creative differences. Dey made guest appearances on series including *Family Law *and *Third Watch*, but has since left her acting career behind.

The Illinois native now lives in Upstate New York with her husband, Bernard Sofronski. The couple married in 1988. She has one child from her first marriage.

Alan Rachins (Douglas Brackman Jr.)

Alan Rachins as Douglas Brackman Jr. / Rachins at the Tennis Channel 'First Serve' launch party in 2003.

Everett; Mark Sullivan/WireImage

Over the course of his acting and writing career, spanning more than five decades, Alan Rachins became best known for two TV roles that couldn’t be more different.

After years on Broadway stages, Rachins met and married actress Joanna Frank, who also happens to be the older sister of Steven Bochco. Rachins and Frank both starred in the critically acclaimed film *Always* (1985) — not to be confused with the Spielberg film of the same name. Following that success, Bochco hired Rachins to play judgmental, self-important managing partner Douglas Brackman on* L.A. Law*.

The Massachusetts native remained on the legal series for its entire run, earning Emmy and Golden Globe nominations along the way.

In 1997, Rachins was cast as Jenna Elfman’s hippie father on the hit sitcom *Dharma & Greg*, which ran for five seasons. He later returned to the stage and continued to book guest appearances on high-profile shows, including *Rizzoli & Isles*, *Grey’s Anatomy*, and, in his final television appearance, *NCIS* in 2023.

Rachins died in 2024 at the age of 82 due to heart failure. He was survived by Frank, with whom he had one son during their 46 years of marriage.

Michael Tucker (Stuart Markowitz)

Michael Tucker as Stuart Markowitz / Tucker at the Manhattan Theatre Club in 2023.

Everett; Bruce Glikas/WireImage

As unassuming tax attorney Stuart Markowitz, Michael Tucker earned three Emmy nominations and won hearts thanks to the ongoing romance between Stuart and fellow lawyer Ann Kelsey, played by Tucker’s real-life wife Jill Eikenberry.

Tucker and Eikenberry met in 1970 while working in theater and, in the years since the show’s run, have continued to collaborate on stage and screen projects. Over the course of his career, the Baltimore native worked with his fellow Baltimorean, director Barry Levinson, in *Diner *(1982) and *Tin Men *(1987), in addition to New York filmmakers like Woody Allen and Paul Mazursky.

Tucker’s post-*L.A. Law* life has increasingly focused on writing. He’s penned multiple plays and published four books, both memoirs and fiction, including the 2012 novel *After Annie*.

Richard Dysart (Leland McKenzie)

Richard Dysart as Leland McKenzie / Dysart in Los Angeles in 2002.

Everett; Eike Schroter/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

Veteran stage and screen actor Richard Dysart brought gravitas to the role of encouraging senior partner Leland McKenzie — and won an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series amid a run of four consecutive nominations.

Dysart began his career in theater, starring in a 1967 revival of *The Little Foxes* with Anne Bancroft and the original Broadway production of Jason Miller's Pulitzer Prize-winning play *That Championship Season*, among others.

On the big screen, he had notable supporting roles in *The Day of the Locust *(1975), *Being There *(1979), John Carpenter’s *The Thing *(1982), and Clint Eastwood’s *Pale Rider *(1985).

He appeared on screen only occasionally following his eight seasons on *L.A. Law*. His final live-action role was in the *L.A. Law* reunion movie in 2002.

Dysart died in 2015 after a battle with cancer at age 86. He was survived by his wife, Kathryn Jacobi, whom he married in 1987.

Larry Drake (Benny Stulwicz)

Larry Drake as Benny Stulwicz / Drake at the Palm Beach International Film Festival in 2005.

Everett; Ray Mickshaw/WireImage

Benny Stulwicz was not meant to be a series regular, but Larry Drake made such a big impression in the first season that the developmentally disabled office messenger stuck around through the end of the series.

Not only did he become a fixture on the show, but Drake won two Emmys for the performance.

Aside from the hit legal series, Drake was known for his portrayal of ruthless mobster Robert G. Durant in Sam Raimi’s *Darkman *(1990), starring Liam Neeson. Drake also returned in an expanded role for the 1995 sequel, *Darkman II: The Return of Durant*.

A longtime theater actor and writer, the Oklahoma native began teaching improvisational technique at the Stephen Book Acting Workshop in 2006.

Drake died in 2016 at the age of 67.

Where can I watch L.A. Law?

*L.A. Law* is currently available to stream on Hulu.

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Source: “EW Crime”