Austin native Mehcad Brooks to join 'Law & Order' cast, but who will he play?

From growing up in Austin to working in a criminal justice system where the people are represented by two separate yet equally important groups: Mehcad Brooks will join the cast of NBC drama "Law & Order."

The news was first reported Monday by multiple outlets including Deadline. Brooks later confirmed the reports via Twitter.

According to Deadline, there's no word yet on what character Brooks will play in the show's 22nd season starting this fall.

The current cast of the iconic Dick Wolf production, which follows police officers and district attorneys in New York City, includes Sam Waterston, Jeffrey Donovan, Camryn Manheim, Hugh Dancy and Odelya Halevi. "Law & Order" originally ran for 20 seasons from 1990 to 2010. A revival of the show, which also has spawned multiple spin-offs, debuted in February for a 21st season.

Brooks was born in 1980 in Austin, and over the course of a steady career, he's starred in movies like 2021's "Mortal Kombat" reboot and the long-running CW show "Supergirl."

Continuing coverage:The many lives of Austin's Mehcad Brooks, star of 'Mortal Kombat'

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His mother is longtime American-Statesman writer Alberta Phillips, who retired from the paper in 2018. His father is former pro football player Billy Brooks. Mehcad Brooks went to Lee Elementary, Kealing Junior High and Anderson High School. 

Read our 2021 interview with Brooks, where he talks about growing up in Austin and becoming an action hero.