Departing ‘Law & Order: SVU’ Star to Appear in Season 27 Premiere

Octavio Pisano is back on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit for its Season 27 opener. Deadline reports that the actor, who joined the crime drama in Season 23 as undercover detective Joe Velasco, isn’t finished with his role.

Initially, in May, it was announced that he wouldn’t be returning. At the time, major budget reductions across multiple NBC shows, impacting cast, episodes, and other areas of production, were taking place.

The 27th season’s premiere date is currently unknown. But fans are awaiting the show’s comeback.

When fans met Velasco, he was assigned to the squad after Katriona Tamin’s retirement. His exit came when he was promoted to Second Grade and departed the Special Victims Unit alongside Kate Silva, with his colleagues giving him a farewell party. 

His return to SVU isn’t the only change in the forthcoming season. Juliana Martinez, who portrays Detective Kate Silva, also left at the end of last season. Silva lasted on the show just one season.

Longtime star Mariska Hargitay remains in as Captain Olivia Benson.“I’m obviously not done with SVU, and I have so much responsibility there still, which is keeping me artistically challenged. It’s challenging. In the meantime, I also have had these incredible moments,” she exclusively told Us Weekly in May 2024 about remaining on the show since its 1999 premiere. “I’m really happy and fulfilled with my life right now. So, we’ll see what comes. But as of right now, I’m very happy on the ride.”

Ice-T also returns as Fin Tutuola. Of the previous season, he told Us in 2024, “We’re very excited about going into season 26. I think last season we caught a whole other wind of fans, and everybody got in it, and the ratings were great. I don’t see any reason why SVU can’t go 30 [seasons].”