Ed Green
Encyclopedia
Edward "Ed" Green is a fictional character on the NBC
crime drama Law & Order
, created by Rene Balcer
and portrayed by Jesse L. Martin
.
's (Jerry Orbach
) new junior partner, succeeding Rey Curtis
(Benjamin Bratt
). Green's willingness to bend legal rules to arrest a suspect did little to endear him to his superiors, and he initially thinks Briscoe is too old to investigate crimes effectively. Green and Briscoe have several heated disagreements about the latter's capabilities. Later, however, Green grows to trust, respect, and form a solid friendship with his partner, as well as tone down his unorthodox investigative methods. He and Briscoe often joke about the age difference between them, as well as Green's Rolex
watches and Briscoe's three failed marriages.
After they work together for five years, Briscoe retires, and Green is more affected by his retirement than he expected. It takes him a while to warm up to his next partner, Joe Fontana (Dennis Farina
), whose style is very different from Briscoe's. However, Green eventually deflates some of the tension between Fontana and their lieutenant, Anita Van Buren
(S. Epatha Merkerson
).
Near the end of Season 15, Green is shot in the line of duty, and hospitalized for several weeks. During his absence, he is replaced by Nick Falco
(Michael Imperioli
). The absence was occasioned by Martin's sabbatical to reprise his former Broadway depiction of Tom Collins in the motion picture version of Rent
.
Green is promoted to senior detective after Fontana retires. He is partnered with Nina Cassady
(Milena Govich
), over the objections of Van Buren, who thinks Cassady is too inexperienced to be a homicide detective. Although he grows to tolerate her, Green seems to have a similar opinion.
After Cassady's departure (no reason is given), Green is partnered with Cyrus Lupo
(Jeremy Sisto
). Green's reaction to Lupo is somewhat reserved at first, especially since the first case they work together is the suicide
of Lupo's brother. Green is opposed to Lupo working the case at all, but Van Buren overrules him. However, after a short period of time, Green seems to become more comfortable with Lupo. Around mid-season, Green even takes to affectionately dubbing Lupo as "Lupes".
Mid-way through Season 18, Green is involved in a shooting that led to his being indicted
and tried, though all charges are subsequently dropped. Even though Van Buren assures him that he is welcome back on the force, Green, unhappy with having "broken every rule in the book," decides to leave the squad. Lupo is given Green's position of senior partner, and Detective Kevin Bernard
(Anthony Anderson
) of Internal Affairs
, who investigated Green, becomes Lupo's new partner.
's return to the wild, "Dirty Harry
" type of character once popularized by Mike Logan
(Chris Noth
). Among the few personal touches made to the character was his affinity for punk rock
and gambling
, making trips to Atlantic City often enough that Briscoe teases him about it. Subsequent episodes reveal that Green had stopped gambling but then falls back into it briefly after Briscoe's death.
Green has occasionally mentioned that his family traveled around the world due to his father's work as an oil engineer, and that he had lived in the Middle East
at some point. He has also mentioned that he grew up in a religious family. He revealed that his father has Alzheimer's disease
. He has at least some family living in New York; in the episode "Deadlock", Van Buren recommends that Green's family be protected from an escaped convict, and he responds, "Way ahead of you. They're already upstate."
He has revealed that he at one time had experience with "screwing around with someone who's married." He sometimes receives calls from girlfriends or mentions "his girl"; he took a girl named Keisha Lockwood to the prom. He wears expensive Rolex
watches.
Green is often a source of varied information in investigations. He speaks Spanish
, some Russian
— "Enough to pick up a date," — and a little French
, and is up to date on popular culture
, and appears to have a strong classical education. Frequently, he uses informal slang, addressing men as "bro" and referring to other men as "dudes." He often uses bad grammar
when talking to suspects or people he does not respect.
He is a vegetarian
, for which Briscoe often mocks him. In "Slaughter", Green asks if Briscoe picked him up a sandwich, to which Briscoe replies "They didn't have any tofu
." He then offers Green half of his sandwich (which contains some kind of deli meat), and Green makes a disgusted face.
Although Green generally stands by other police officers, he occasionally makes enemies of detectives and officers who are suspected of being corrupt. He refuses to feel remorse for investigating them even if they are innocent, believing that following a lead is never reprehensible. He is more tolerant and willing to give his new partner, Nina Cassady, a fair chance to prove herself after she is promoted after being hailed a local hero. He knows she is inexperienced, but never seems to lose his temper with her and remains honest with her.
Another instance of racial issues connected to Green is the episode "Prejudice", wherein a black man is killed by a racist over a taxi. When Briscoe and Green search the suspect's apartment, Green attempts to arrest him. However, the suspect throws him off and says he will comply for Briscoe ("Not for you; for him!").
Green was the first junior partner to be promoted to senior partner in the Law & Order universe. His last junior partner, Lupo, became the second and last detective to also be promoted.
Green is reprimanded by Van Buren for getting personal while interviewing a suspect about the abortion
of a fetus
thought to have Down's syndrome. After Van Buren leaves, Green reveals to Lupo that he was once engaged to a girl who became pregnant; they ordered an amniotic
test and "couldn't decide what to do". They eventually terminated the pregnancy.
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
crime drama Law & Order
Law & Order
Law & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,...
, created by Rene Balcer
René Balcer
René Balcer is a Canadian television writer, director and producer.-Early life:He was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and attended Lower Canada College in Montreal. He earned his B.A. Magna Cum Laude in Communication Studies from Concordia University in 1978. He began his career as a journalist,...
and portrayed by Jesse L. Martin
Jesse L. Martin
Jesse L. Martin is an American theatre, film, and television actor. He is known for originating the role of Tom Collins in the Broadway theatrical production of Rent, and for his portrayal of NYPD Detective Ed Green on the NBC drama television series Law & Order.-Early life:Martin, the third of...
.
Character overview
Ed Green was introduced as senior detective Lennie BriscoeLennie Briscoe
Leonard W. "Lennie" Briscoe is a fictional character on NBC's long running police procedural and legal drama television series Law & Order. He was featured on the show for 12 seasons, from 1992 to 2004. He was created by Walon Green and René Balcer, and was portrayed by Jerry Orbach...
's (Jerry Orbach
Jerry Orbach
Jerome Bernard "Jerry" Orbach was an American actor and singer. He was well known for his starring role as Detective Lennie Briscoe in the Law & Order television series and as the voice of Lumière in Disney's Beauty and the Beast. As well, Orbach was a noted musical theatre star...
) new junior partner, succeeding Rey Curtis
Rey Curtis
Reynaldo "Rey" Curtis is a fictional character on the TV drama Law & Order, created by Ed Zuckerman and played by Benjamin Bratt from 1995 to 1999.-Character overview:Curtis is introduced as homicide detective in Manhattan's 27th Detective Squad...
(Benjamin Bratt
Benjamin Bratt
Benjamin Bratt is an American actor. He is most famous for his role as Rey Curtis on the TV series Law & Order; and his appearances in the movies Blood in Blood Out, Miss Congeniality, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Traffic, and Piñero.-Early life:Bratt was born in San Francisco, California,...
). Green's willingness to bend legal rules to arrest a suspect did little to endear him to his superiors, and he initially thinks Briscoe is too old to investigate crimes effectively. Green and Briscoe have several heated disagreements about the latter's capabilities. Later, however, Green grows to trust, respect, and form a solid friendship with his partner, as well as tone down his unorthodox investigative methods. He and Briscoe often joke about the age difference between them, as well as Green's Rolex
Rolex
Rolex SA is a Swiss watchmaking manufacturer of high-quality, luxury wristwatches. Rolex watches are popularly regarded as status symbols and BusinessWeek magazine ranks Rolex No.71 on its 2007 annual list of the 100 most valuable global brands...
watches and Briscoe's three failed marriages.
After they work together for five years, Briscoe retires, and Green is more affected by his retirement than he expected. It takes him a while to warm up to his next partner, Joe Fontana (Dennis Farina
Dennis Farina
Dennis Farina is an American actor of film and television and former Chicago police officer. He is a character actor, often typecast as a mobster or police officer. His most known film roles are those of mobster Jimmy Serrano in the comedy Midnight Run and Ray "Bones" Barboni in Get Shorty...
), whose style is very different from Briscoe's. However, Green eventually deflates some of the tension between Fontana and their lieutenant, Anita Van Buren
Anita Van Buren
Lt. Anita Van Buren is a fictional character on NBC's long running police procedural and legal drama television series Law & Order, portrayed by S. Epatha Merkerson. By episode count, she is the longest-running character on the show...
(S. Epatha Merkerson
S. Epatha Merkerson
S. Epatha Merkerson is an American film, stage, and television actress. She has won a Golden Globe, Emmy Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awards, Obie Award and four NAACP Image Awards. She has also received two Tony Award nominations...
).
Near the end of Season 15, Green is shot in the line of duty, and hospitalized for several weeks. During his absence, he is replaced by Nick Falco
Nick Falco
Det. Nick Falco is a fictional character on the NBC crime drama Law & Order, portrayed by Michael Imperioli. Falco appears as the junior partner of Det. Joe Fontana at the end of season 15 after Fontana's partner, Ed Green , was shot in the line of duty...
(Michael Imperioli
Michael Imperioli
James Michael Imperioli , commonly known as Michael Imperioli, is an American actor and television writer. He is perhaps best known for his role as Christopher Moltisanti on The Sopranos for which he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2004. He also...
). The absence was occasioned by Martin's sabbatical to reprise his former Broadway depiction of Tom Collins in the motion picture version of Rent
Rent (film)
Rent is a 2005 American musical drama film directed by Chris Columbus. It is an adaptation of the Broadway musical of the same name, in turn based on Giacomo Puccini's opera La bohème. The film depicts the lives of several Bohemians and their struggles with sexuality, cross-dressing, drugs, life...
.
Green is promoted to senior detective after Fontana retires. He is partnered with Nina Cassady
Nina Cassady
Det. Nina Cassady is a fictional character on the NBC crime drama Law & Order, portrayed by Milena Govich. Cassady, the first, and only, female detective in the original Law & Order series, appeared in the first episode of the seventeenth season. Cassady worked alongside Det. Ed Green Det. Nina...
(Milena Govich
Milena Govich
-Biography:She was born in Norman, Cleveland County, Oklahoma. Both of her parents, Dr. Bruce Michael Govich and Dr. Marilyn Green Govich, are professors of music: Bruce worked at University of Oklahoma and Marilyn currently works at the University of Central Oklahoma...
), over the objections of Van Buren, who thinks Cassady is too inexperienced to be a homicide detective. Although he grows to tolerate her, Green seems to have a similar opinion.
After Cassady's departure (no reason is given), Green is partnered with Cyrus Lupo
Cyrus Lupo
Det. Cyrus "Lupes" Lupo is a fictional character on the long-running NBC series Law & Order, played by Jeremy Sisto. He replaced Nina Cassady, who was written out of the show due to Milena Govich's departure from the cast.-Character development:...
(Jeremy Sisto
Jeremy Sisto
Jeremy Merton Sisto is an American actor. Sisto has had recurring roles as Billy Chenowith on the HBO series Six Feet Under and Detective Cyrus Lupo on Law & Order on television and also starred in the films Jesus, Clueless and Thirteen.-Early life:Sisto was born in Grass Valley, California, the...
). Green's reaction to Lupo is somewhat reserved at first, especially since the first case they work together is the suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
of Lupo's brother. Green is opposed to Lupo working the case at all, but Van Buren overrules him. However, after a short period of time, Green seems to become more comfortable with Lupo. Around mid-season, Green even takes to affectionately dubbing Lupo as "Lupes".
Mid-way through Season 18, Green is involved in a shooting that led to his being indicted
Indictment
An indictment , in the common-law legal system, is a formal accusation that a person has committed a crime. In jurisdictions that maintain the concept of felonies, the serious criminal offence is a felony; jurisdictions that lack the concept of felonies often use that of an indictable offence—an...
and tried, though all charges are subsequently dropped. Even though Van Buren assures him that he is welcome back on the force, Green, unhappy with having "broken every rule in the book," decides to leave the squad. Lupo is given Green's position of senior partner, and Detective Kevin Bernard
Kevin Bernard
Kevin Bernard is a fictional character on the TV crime drama Law & Order, portrayed by Anthony Anderson.- Character overview :Detective Bernard first appears in the episode "Burn Card" as an Internal Affairs detective, investigating a shooting in which Detective Ed Green is involved...
(Anthony Anderson
Anthony Anderson
Anthony Anderson is an American actor, comedian, and writer. He has starred in his own sitcom All About the Andersons, as well as the Fox sitcom The Bernie Mac Show during the fifth and final season of the show. He is also known for his leading roles in television dramas such as K-Ville, The...
) of Internal Affairs
Internal affairs (law enforcement)
The internal affairs division of a law enforcement agency investigates incidents and plausible suspicions of lawbreaking and professional misconduct attributed to officers on the force...
, who investigated Green, becomes Lupo's new partner.
Personality
Green represents the L&O franchiseMedia franchise
A media franchise is an intellectual property involving the characters, setting and trademarks of an original work of media , such as a film, a work of literature, a television program or a video game. Generally, a whole series is made in a particular medium, along with merchandising and endorsements...
's return to the wild, "Dirty Harry
Dirty Harry
Dirty Harry is a 1971 American crime thriller produced and directed by Don Siegel, the first in the Dirty Harry series. Clint Eastwood plays the title role, in his first outing as San Francisco Police Department Inspector "Dirty" Harry Callahan....
" type of character once popularized by Mike Logan
Mike Logan (Law & Order)
Michael "Mike" Logan is a fictional character in the police procedural and legal drama television series Law & Order franchise, played by Chris Noth.-History in the franchise:...
(Chris Noth
Chris Noth
Christopher David "Chris" Noth is an American actor. He is known for long-running television roles as Det. Mike Logan on the police procedural and legal drama television series, Law & Order and Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and as Big on Sex and the City. For the latter role, he has been...
). Among the few personal touches made to the character was his affinity for punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
and gambling
Gambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
, making trips to Atlantic City often enough that Briscoe teases him about it. Subsequent episodes reveal that Green had stopped gambling but then falls back into it briefly after Briscoe's death.
Green has occasionally mentioned that his family traveled around the world due to his father's work as an oil engineer, and that he had lived in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
at some point. He has also mentioned that he grew up in a religious family. He revealed that his father has Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...
. He has at least some family living in New York; in the episode "Deadlock", Van Buren recommends that Green's family be protected from an escaped convict, and he responds, "Way ahead of you. They're already upstate."
He has revealed that he at one time had experience with "screwing around with someone who's married." He sometimes receives calls from girlfriends or mentions "his girl"; he took a girl named Keisha Lockwood to the prom. He wears expensive Rolex
Rolex
Rolex SA is a Swiss watchmaking manufacturer of high-quality, luxury wristwatches. Rolex watches are popularly regarded as status symbols and BusinessWeek magazine ranks Rolex No.71 on its 2007 annual list of the 100 most valuable global brands...
watches.
Green is often a source of varied information in investigations. He speaks Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, some Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
— "Enough to pick up a date," — and a little French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, and is up to date on popular culture
Popular culture
Popular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western culture of the early to mid 20th century and the emerging global mainstream of the...
, and appears to have a strong classical education. Frequently, he uses informal slang, addressing men as "bro" and referring to other men as "dudes." He often uses bad grammar
Grammar
In linguistics, grammar is the set of structural rules that govern the composition of clauses, phrases, and words in any given natural language. The term refers also to the study of such rules, and this field includes morphology, syntax, and phonology, often complemented by phonetics, semantics,...
when talking to suspects or people he does not respect.
He is a vegetarian
Vegetarianism
Vegetarianism encompasses the practice of following plant-based diets , with or without the inclusion of dairy products or eggs, and with the exclusion of meat...
, for which Briscoe often mocks him. In "Slaughter", Green asks if Briscoe picked him up a sandwich, to which Briscoe replies "They didn't have any tofu
Tofu
is a food made by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into soft white blocks. It is part of East Asian and Southeast Asian cuisine such as Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, Vietnamese, and others. There are many different varieties of tofu, including fresh tofu and tofu...
." He then offers Green half of his sandwich (which contains some kind of deli meat), and Green makes a disgusted face.
Although Green generally stands by other police officers, he occasionally makes enemies of detectives and officers who are suspected of being corrupt. He refuses to feel remorse for investigating them even if they are innocent, believing that following a lead is never reprehensible. He is more tolerant and willing to give his new partner, Nina Cassady, a fair chance to prove herself after she is promoted after being hailed a local hero. He knows she is inexperienced, but never seems to lose his temper with her and remains honest with her.
Character highlights
Racial issues have been connected to Green in some episodes. He and Briscoe investigate the shooting of a cop; they trace it to Stevie Thomas, a black boy whose brother Eric's murder was dismissed and effectively covered up by the police because he was black. Green interrogates Stevie solo at one point, speaking to him both as a cop and as a black man. He is called to testify in court, and at the end of the episode is seen reminding Van Buren that, while Eric Thomas' death creates guilt for those responsible, Eric is still dead.Another instance of racial issues connected to Green is the episode "Prejudice", wherein a black man is killed by a racist over a taxi. When Briscoe and Green search the suspect's apartment, Green attempts to arrest him. However, the suspect throws him off and says he will comply for Briscoe ("Not for you; for him!").
Green was the first junior partner to be promoted to senior partner in the Law & Order universe. His last junior partner, Lupo, became the second and last detective to also be promoted.
Green is reprimanded by Van Buren for getting personal while interviewing a suspect about the abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
of a fetus
Fetus
A fetus is a developing mammal or other viviparous vertebrate after the embryonic stage and before birth.In humans, the fetal stage of prenatal development starts at the beginning of the 11th week in gestational age, which is the 9th week after fertilization.-Etymology and spelling variations:The...
thought to have Down's syndrome. After Van Buren leaves, Green reveals to Lupo that he was once engaged to a girl who became pregnant; they ordered an amniotic
Amniotic fluid
Amniotic fluid or liquor amnii is the nourishing and protecting liquid contained by the amniotic sac of a pregnant woman.- Development of amniotic fluid :...
test and "couldn't decide what to do". They eventually terminated the pregnancy.