Law & Order: Organized Crime returned in 2023 to put the pedal to the metal on a new arc involving street racing, which meant Det. Jamie Whelan going undercover to dust off his drag racing skills and infiltrate a gang. In addition to breaking down Jamie’s risky undercover move with removing his wire, Brent Antonello opened up to CinemaBlend about how he returned to TV for Organized Crime after quitting acting... and got some tips from Chris Meloni for it.
Jamie Whelan joined the Organized Crime task force in early Season 3, along with fellow newcomer Bobby Reyes (played by Arrow alum Rick Gonzalez). He clearly looked up to Stabler from the beginning, and they even partnered up on more than one occasion. So, what has it been like for Brent Antonello to work with Christopher Meloni as Jamie works with Stabler? The actor shared:
It's funny, because we didn't really talk about it, because I jumped right into the show. Chris gave me little tips and pointers on technical stuff, because every show has a different rhythm, and this show has a specific rhythm as well. It's just 'go, go, go, go go.' We played it off as if it were really happening. Actually, before I got the show, I quit acting. I was working as a landscaping account manager, and I got this show. Then I was basically bringing everything back, all these old muscles back. It was cool because it fit looking up to Chris, an actor that you admire. It's like Jamie with a cop you admire. He's an icon to Jamie, Chris is the acting icon to me.
Who knew that Jamie suddenly jumping into the task force paralleled Antonello jumping right into the hit NBC drama after returning to acting? Fortunately, Chris Meloni was able to help him out with some pointers, and it’s hard to imagine many people more qualified. After all, he starred on Law & Order: SVU for over a decade before returning as Stabler for the spinoff!
Those pointers seem to have paid off, because I for one never got the sense that Brent Antonello was working as a landscaping account manager as his gig before Organized Crime. The actor continued:
Then Chris looked at me [as] the new guy on the show, and it just worked. It was funny. That chemistry was just there already. I don't know if it was because of the situation or anything, but it just happened organically and it just felt right. I don't know if that sounds weird, but it was just right time, right moment, right chemistry, and we had it, and it still feels that way, which is really cool.
Organized Crime might not work nearly as well if there wasn’t the right kind of chemistry within the task force; luckily, that was apparently present from the jump for Brent Antonello and Chris Meloni. Of course, Meloni is iconic on the small screen for his chemistry with former SVU co-star Mariska Hargitay, with fans very invested in the Elliot Stabler/Olivia Benson relationship. (I can’t be the only one who wants to see Stabler’s reaction to Duarte and his “attraction” to Benson over on SVU, right?)
So, what’s next for Jamie after he got his first big shot to go undercover? Well, despite Stabler’s huge show of faith in him in the winter premiere, the promo for the episode on January 12 indicates that the older detective is ready to step in and take over the undercover work himself. Take a look:
Stabler may have many years of experience undercover, but the promo suggests that he’s going to end up in some trouble this time around. Not even he is suited to UC work every single time the opportunity arises! But would he support Jamie going back under, if that’s what it comes to after the next episode?
Find out with the next new episode of Law & Order: Organized Crime on Thursday, January 12 at 10 p.m. ET on NBC in the 2023 TV schedule. You can also revisit past episodes of the crime drama streaming with a Peacock Premium subscription, which also offers the original Law & Order and Law & Order: SVU.
