IN CONVERSATION WITH OCTAVIO PISANO

interview by JANA LETONJA

Octavio Pisano is best known for his starring role as Detective Joe Velasco in ‘Law and Order: SVU’, where he’ll be having a big episode coming up this season that will air mid-February. In addition to his work on ‘Law and Order: SVU’, Octavio recently directed and produced an upcoming film ‘Wet Under Blue Sky’, which is expected to make the festival circuit this coming year. His most recent short film, ‘El Campo’, which he also directed and produced, premiered at Cannes Film Festival in 2024 and won best short film at the Cannes Indie Short Awards, the Santa Barbara Indie Film Festival and New York Indie Shorts Festival.

You’ve been playing Detective Joe Velasco on ‘Law and Order: SVU’ for a while now. Can you tell us how your character has evolved over time and what has been the most rewarding part of portraying him?

Honestly, when I started, Velasco was a mystery to me and to the audience. All I had was the script, a handful of lines, a little bit of a backstory and pure instinct. I came in during chaotic times, mid-pandemic, mid-storyline. There wasn’t a lot of space for overthinking, so I had to trust my gut and let the character find me as much as I found him. And if it wasn’t for the help of my cast, who know the world so well, having lived in it for twenty years, it would have taken me longer to find his center. Mariska and Ice T really served as guides, on and off screen, giving me pointers and feedback I wasn’t getting yet from the studio.

I think at first, Velasco was learning the ropes. He came from undercover work and suddenly he’s in SVU, a place that demands a level of emotional intelligence he didn’t possess, a certain restraint which was foreign to him, as he relied mostly on impulse. You can see it in the first few episodes, his reactions are raw, as was my acting. I think his evolution mirrored mine in a way, coming from film and theater, with little TV experience, thrown into a bullet train of a show that shoots 22 episodes a season. We were both learning how to operate within the system together. I think he’s much more at ease now, and so am I.

You have a big episode coming up mid-February that has fans excited. Can you share any sneak peeks or hints about what we can expect from this episode?

Without giving too much away, the episode puts Velasco in a position he’s never been before. It forces him to embrace his identity, his community, and how he feels about his personal point of view of the world. As always, there’s a few emotional scenes, high-stakes, and some great actors that came and played with us. What got me excited the most about this episode was that it is truly a standalone episode. Almost like a mini movie with a full arc. I hope the fans will see a side of Velasco that they haven’t seen before. I did.

Aside from acting, you’ve recently ventured into directing and producing. Tell us about your experience behind the camera and what inspired you to start making films.

It happened very organically. Looking back, I’ve always wanted to make films. For me, acting is about stepping into an imaginary world and filmmaking is about creating the world. Since I was young, I have been creating worlds in my head, telling stories, some true and some made up. Throughout my career as an actor, I’ve had the incredible opportunity to work with so many great artists and learn so many different crafts. I would study the directors, and unbeknownst to them, I would shadow them. I started writing and making short films about ten years ago, so when the opportunity came to make a feature film, I jumped on it.

Your short film ‘El Campo’ premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2024, and it won several prestigious awards. What was that experience like, and how does it feel to have received such recognition?

Surreal. Cannes is one of the places you dream about as a filmmaker, where cinema is treated sacred. I had a poster on my wall for almost 10 years with the logo from the festival, visualizing it. And it happened. Thoughts are powerful. To have ‘El Campo’ premiere there was very surreal. The film is extremely personal to me, it explores the loss of innocence and it’s a very specific story to my home country, Mexico, so when people in the audience shared their stories and how touched they were, how they connected with it, it caught me by surprise. That was the most rewarding part. It solidified for me, that there’s a need and demand for deeply personal and unconventional stories, that you don’t need a formula. You don’t have to follow a trend. Just tell the truth.

With your new film, ‘Wet Under Blue Sky’ set to make the festival circuit this year, can you give us a glimpse into the themes or story of the film, and what you hope audiences take away from it?

The main theme is obsession. How far can someone go in pursuit of their dreams, of that glory, and at what cost. And what is the cost? Is it worth it? What is the price we pay to be great?

On the surface, the film is about a boxer holding on to his ultimate goal, to become a champion, but underneath, it’s a film about the stories we tell ourselves. Specifically, about ego. I hope the film breaks apart the traditional boxing narrative, and gives a much more visceral, immersive view of that journey. I hope the audience can experience the old age “come back” story, with a fresh perspective, from the inside out.

Besides acting and producing, you also have a passion for painting. How does your artistic background influence your acting and filmmaking process?

It’s all one. It all comes from the same source. It’s all an expression of my viewpoint, of the way I experience truth, the way I see the world. Weather I’m painting, writing poetry, directing a set or acting in a scene, it’s all about being present and in tuned with the inner world. 

For example, painting has helped me with crafting a shot, with the framing of it and the composition. Editing actors has helped me make better and more efficient choices as an actor. Directing is all about leadership, so it’s given me many lessons for real life scenarios that I didn’t have before leading a set. Different crafts to the same art. The art of truth.

Balancing a successful acting career with directing, producing, and painting must keep you busy. How do you manage to juggle all of these different creative outlets?

That’s the ever chasing quest. Every day, it changes. Some days I’m better at it than others. It’s always a juggling act. It’s all about having perspective and having your priorities in order. At the end of the day, without peace of mind, I can’t do anything. So, coffee trumps all.

You’ve had an impressive career, both in front of and behind the camera. How has your journey in the arts shaped who you are today, and where do you see your career evolving in the next few years?

At one point I was working two jobs and making art on the weekends. Now, I am able to make a living from my art. As my career evolves, I want to continue working as an artist, and eventually incorporate my family more prominently in my business. As an actor, I feel like I’m barely getting started.

The arts world often requires perseverance and dedication. What have been some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in your career, and how have you overcome them?

Trusting the process, from a little scene to the entire journey. Trusting is always the hardest part, because as humans we always want to control. But the greatest art, in my experience, has always come when I let go of control and become a vessel. The only true way to be original is to not know how you did it.

With so many exciting projects on the horizon, what’s next for you, and are there any other roles or projects you’re eager to explore?

I love playing Velasco, and I hope to continue bringing him to the screen each week. I got an amazing cast and crew, and the stories never end because the show serves as a mirror to what goes on in society. 

Personally, I'm developing two scripts that I wrote and a film that was offered to me. I’m excited because they’re all very different characters and very unique stories. I also have a book I’ve been working on and that I’m really excited to announce. It’s all about timing and again, the timing is beyond my control. I keep saying it, but I have to trust the process.

TEAM CREDITS:

photography EMILY SOTO
styling BRITT MCCAMEY
hair DANA BOYER