Why did Vincent D’Onofrio leave Law and Order?

Vincent D’Onofrio is a well-known American actor and filmmaker who has played both supporting and leading roles in film and television.

D’Onofrio began his longest and perhaps most well-known role as Det. Robert Goren on the NBC/USA Network television show Law & Order: Criminal Intent in 2001.

D’Onofrio left Law and Order because the intense work pressure was starting to wear him down.

D’Onofrio collapsed on the set of Law & Order: Criminal Intent on November 10, 2004. A few days later, he collapsed again at home and was diagnosed with exhaustion.

His exhaustion was attributed to the 14-hour days he spent filming Criminal Intent as well as the production of his short film Five Minutes, Mr Welles during the show’s hiatus.

In an interview with Uproxx in 2018, He described the filming of Season 4 as the lowest point in his life. Around the same time, Vincent lost two of his family members, and he was not given leave to attend one of the funerals.

All of these difficulties contributed to a buildup of rage and exhaustion. He chose to leave the set to concentrate on his other project.