Jerry Orbach, the man who played Detective Lennie Briscoe for 12 years on Law & Order, died Tuesday. He was 69.

Orbach revealed earlier this month that he was being treated for prostate cancer. His manager said at the time that they expected Orbach to recover and that the prognosis was good.

His agent said that Orbach was diagnosed with prostate cancer 10 years ago, but it only became publicly known this month.

Orbach was set to star in a Law & Order spin-off series in March, and had already filmed six episodes of the show, which will air and be produced as scheduled. NBC has not decided on what to do with his character.

The actor has also appeared on Broadway in plays like Chicago and 42nd Street and in such films as Dirty Dancing and Prince of the City. In 1991, he sang ?Be Our Guest? in the Disney film Beauty and the Beast.

Theatres on Broadway will dim their lights Wednesday in honour of Orbach.






Related Stories: