‘Law & Order: SVU’ exclusive: Peter Scanavino on Carisi’s evolution, ‘Next Chapter’ danger

Tonight on NBC, there is a new episode of “Law & Order: SVU” that is coming on in “Decline and Fall” that will feature a retail empire in jeopardy due to the horrific actions of one man. Will the Special Victims Unit be able to get to him, or will his wealthy family protect him on all sides? That’s something that you’ll have a chance to learn more about in a matter of hours (as of this writing).

Today, we wanted to share some thoughts of a man in Peter Scanavino who’s had a pretty powerful 2017 so far, especially through the events in “Next Chapter” where his character of Dominick “Sonny” Carisi Jr. was engaged in a violent hostage situation with Tom (Chris Bauer) that nearly cost him his life — were it not for Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay), it could have.

We had a chance to recently speak with Scanavino via email about filming some of the violent scenes in “Next Chapter,” and how his performance has evolved since first signing on. Take a look at some of the responses below.

CarterMatt – Over the past few seasons we’ve learned a little bit more about Carisi in terms of his family and his ambitions. Is there anything that you’ve learned about him this season that you’ve found fascinating?

Peter Scanavino – Just overall I feel he’s more seasoned this year. In the past he seemed to be all gut, all instinct, but this year he seems more contemplative. There’s been nothing said explicitly this season, but I feel like off screen he may be dealing with some heavy stuff.

‘Next Chapter’ was promoted showing Carisi in danger, and there was a moment in there with Tom’s gun pointed at his head where things were touch-and-go. When you get a script like that, what’s your reaction to it where your character is in that degree of danger?

Honestly, you’re hoping your guy doesn’t get killed because you like and want to keep your job! But once you realize you’re going to live, it becomes a real opportunity to illuminate parts of the character that the audience doesn’t see that often. And it’s those kinds of moments that actors find very exciting.

Was that scene in particular difficult to film, in between the stakes of it and the blood-spray effect at the end?

It’s strange, but on our show the heavier the material the more light-hearted we tend to be in between takes. Maybe it’s a coping mechanism, but Chris Bauer and I were definitely cracking jokes with each other the whole time. As for the blood spray, a large portion of it went directly into my eye, and the spray on my lashes kept gluing my eyes shut. I was cleaning that stuff out of my hair for days.

You’ve been on ‘SVU’ for a few seasons now. Has anything changed about the way that you’ve approached it in that time as you’ve started to become more and more familiar with the cast and crew?

You eventually relax into your role and the character becomes more and more real to you. When you first show up, it’s a bit of a performance – you’re tense, you haven’t figured out who your character fully is. But as time goes by you stop judging yourself and start trusting yourself, and when that happens everything becomes more interesting. That’s when the character can start to surprise you in the middle of a take. I think that when an actor can have a moment that truly surprises them it’s one of the best feelings in the world.

(Photo: NBC.)