Steven Hill (born February 24, 1922) is an American film and television actor. His two better-known roles are District Attorney Adam Schiff on the NBC TV drama series Law & Order, whom he portrayed for ten seasons (1990–2000), and Dan Briggs, the original team leader of the Impossible Missions Force on CBS's television series Mission: Impossible, whom he portrayed only in the initial season of the show (1966–1967). Hill was born Solomon Krakovsky in Seattle, Washington. After serving four years in the Naval Reserve, Hill made his first New York stage appearance in Ben Hecht's A Flag Is Born in 1946, which also featured a young Marlon Brando. Hill says his big break came when he landed a small part in the hit Broadway show Mister Roberts. "The director, Joshua Logan, thought I had some ability, and he let me create one of the scenes," says Hill. "So, I improvised dialog and it went in the show. That was my first endorsement. It gave me tremendous encouragement to stay in the business." Hill said this was a thrilling time in his life when, fresh out of the service, he played the hapless sailor Stefanowski.