In 1995, Benjamin Bratt joined the cast of NBC’s Law & Order as Detective Rey Curtis. He played the role for six seasons before leaving the show in 2001. There are a few reasons why he left.
For one, Bratt wanted to explore other opportunities. After being on Law & Order for six years, he was ready to try something new. Additionally, his wife at the time, Talisa Soto, was also pregnant with their first child and he wanted to spend more time with his family.
Another reason is that there were creative differences between him and Dick Wolf, the creator of Law & Order. According to Bratt, Wolf “wanted [him] to play [his] character a certain way that [he] felt was one-dimensional” and that “after a while it became quite stifling creatively” (via The New York Times).
So ultimately, a combination of factors led to Bratt’s departure from Law & Order. He has since gone on to have a successful career in film and television, appearing in hits like Miss Congeniality and 24: Live Another Day.