Donald Cragen
| Capt. Donald Cragen | |
|---|---|
| Law & Order character | |
| First appearance | "Prescription for Death" (L&O) "Payback" (SVU) |
| Last appearance | "Fixed" (L&O) "In the Wind" (SVU) |
| Portrayed by | Dann Florek |
| In-universe information | |
| 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, 15 SVU: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 23, 27 OC: 2, 4 |
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.