Mariska Hargitay Teases a “Big Announcement” & Life Beyond ‘Law & Order: SVU’
Detective Joe Velasco isn’t gone for good.
Octavio Pisano will return for the season 27 premiere of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, E! News confirmed. The actor, who has been a main cast member on the long-running NBC crime drama since joining the show in 2021 for season 23, will reportedly wrap up his character’s storyline when the new season debuts later this year.
SVU‘s Mariska Hargitay seemingly confirmed Pisano’s return in a behind-the-scenes video the actress shared on Instagram July 24 teasing the new season.
“Guess what, people? I’m back,” the Emmy winner—who plays protagonist crime-fighting hero Captain Olivia Benson—said in the social media clip, which showed Pisano in the background of the fictional police department. “First day back. SVU, we’re about to rehearse.”
News of Pisano’s return comes two months after fans were shocked to learn that both he and costar Juliana Aidén Martinez, who played Detective Kate Silva, exited the Dick Wolf procedural as series regulars in May. (Martinez isn’t leaving the Wolf TV universe, however, as she is joining FBI for season eight.)
