Peter Scanavino has been on “Law & Order: SVU” as Dominick Carisi since season 16; 7 years of solving cases and prosecuting perverts. He’s a staple on the show now, and a definite fan favorite.
Scanavino spoke about the show’s return in Sept., which began with a crossover with “Organized Crime,” led by Chris Meloni’s Elliot Stabler. He mentioned the nature of the crossover, and how it helps to bolster both shows and the entire franchise.
“It’s a really cool idea,” he began, speaking of “SVU” and “Organized Crime.” He continued, “I think also we complement each other, we amplify each other.”
He went on to describe Chris Meloni and Mariska Hargitay as “one of the most iconic pairings in television history.” Which, arguably, is true. I can’t think of any other pair more immediately recognizable than those two. “Any time you can put them together I think a lot of amazing things happen,” Scanavino said.
Of expanding the “Law & Order” universe, Scanavino stated, “The more expansive this ‘Law & Order’ world gets the more interesting it gets, and the more opportunities you have to come into conflict or cooperation with people. It’s awesome to be a part of.”
The “Law & Order”–dare we say–multiverse exists in a way that they can build on one another. The franchise is ripe for crossovers, as we’ve seen with “SVU” and “Organized Crime.” Hopefully, when the “Law & Order” revival comes back, we’ll get even more screen time with our favorite cops.
Peter Scanavino Talks ‘Responsibility’ of Actors on ‘Law & Order: SVU’
“Law & Order: SVU” has always been in a unique position as a network TV series. Regularly, the episodes take inspiration from real-life events, what they call “ripped from the headlines” episodes. This gives the show a certain responsibility to portray things in a way that respects the original cases.
Peter Scanavino spoke about that responsibility, saying, “As an actor, you just wanna work and you get on the show and it’s a job. But, this job comes with a bigger responsibility, and you kind of realize that the longer you’re on the show, the more you have people come up to you and tell you what the show has meant to them personally and how it’s changed their lives. And I think that’s something that a lot of actors don’t quite get.”
Mariska Hargitay has described the show as “healing,” and that it helps people recover from traumatic experiences in their lives. On “Law & Order: SVU,” justice always wins, which isn’t always the case in real life. The show provides an escape where things can be okay, even if they don’t start out that way. “Law & Order: SVU” is predictable, but not in a boring or stagnant way; in a way that provides some hope.
