Octavio Pisano

Last updated
Octavio Pisano
Born (1986-05-25) May 25, 1986 (age 39) [1] [2]
Occupations
  • Actor
  • director
  • producer
Years active2012–present
SpouseJessica Christine Maria Pisano [4]
Children1

Octavio Pisano is an American actor. [5] He is best known for portraying Detective Joe Velasco, one of the core New York City Police Department (NYPD) detectives investigating sexually-based crimes, on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit . [6]

Contents

Early life

Pisano was born in the United States to an Italian family, the Pizanos, and was raised in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, so he feels himself to be part of all three cultures. [3] He grew up speaking Italian and Mexican Spanish. When he was 17, his parents sent him to Canada to finish his studies and to learn English. He grew interested in acting and moved to Los Angeles. [7]

Career

Pisano's television debut came at the age of 27, in an episode of East Los High , a drama about a tough East Los Angeles inner-city high school. [a] His big break came when, from 2014 to 2017, he starred as Julius Escada Jr. in the Oprah Winfrey Network prime-time soap opera If Loving You Is Wrong .

Perhaps because of his fluency in Spanish and his rugged looks, Pisano has found success in crime-drama Latino tough-guy roles. He worked as a bouncer in the Spanish-language Guatemala-based action film El Quetzal de Jade (2013); as Teo in the Dominican drug cartel movie Oro y Polvo (English: Powder and Gold; 2015); as greaser biker gang member Flaco in Badsville [9] (which premiered at the New York Latino Film Festival in 2017 [10] ); and took a top role in the Caribbean drug-cartel action film Narco Soldiers (2019). Pisano won the leading role of Hector Estrella in another Dominican drama, 2016's Love Kills (Piedra de Sangre), alongside Laura Harring and Bruce Davison; and appeared in the 2021 Paramount+ crime drama miniseries Coyote , [11] a drama about the United States Border Patrol, playing the role of Sultan, a member of a family cartel. (Even in If Loving You Is Wrong, a soap opera created by Tyler Perry and set in the suburbs of Ohio, Pisano's character Julius was the son of the wealthy crime-lord head of a Medellín cartel, and he murdered his father for the money. [12] )

Pisano took smaller roles in different and occasionally lighter fare films while he focused on television work. 2017's Smartass is a teen comedy; iLove (2019) is a six-part miniseries about the founders of a startup company built around catching cheaters. [13] Go Crazy Go Mad (2018) is a micro-budget, rom-com-drama; [14] the indie film Ms. Purple is a family drama set in Koreatown, Los Angeles. 2020's After the Reign is a mockumentary about the rise and fall of a social media prankster who transforms from a media sensation into a controversial hip-hop provocateur; [15] and Feral State (2021) is a crime thriller in the gonzo "Florida Man" comedy mode. [16] Meanwhile, Presence (2022) is an ambiguously supernatural-or-maybe-just-psychological horror film, in which Pisano's character might or might not have been killed early in the story. [17] [18]

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

The character of Joe Velasco, an undercover cop with a backstory in Anapra, Ciudad Juárez, in Mexico, was introduced to Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (popularly known as SVU) in its 23rd season premiere ("And the Empire Strikes Back," September 23, 2021). Following three recurring character appearances, Pisano joined the main cast. [19] [20] In 2022 and 2023, he also appeared in three crossover episodes of the Law & Order: Organized Crime spin-off. [21]

Pisano told an interviewer for Numéro Netherlands , "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. ... Mariska [Hargitay] 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." [6]

In "Post-Rage," the final episode of Season 26, Velasco is promoted to the rank of Detective Second Grade in the Manhattan NYPD. [22]

In May, 2025, it was announced that Pisano would not be returning to SVU as a series regular for the 27th season, with no explanation given. [23] Because of the rumors, Hargitay, who plays Captain Olivia Benson, uploaded to Instagram on July 24th some behind-the-scenes footage. "First day back at SVU and we're about to rehearse, and I'm going to give you a little sneak peek," she whispers. "Guess who those people are?" She shows Pisano and Peter Scanavino (who plays ADA Carisi), rehearsing lines in the squad-room set for the season premiere. [24] The following day, E! News and Deadline Hollywood based their reporting on her video that he would "return for the season opener." [24] [25]

Later work

As filmmaker

In 2025, he said, "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." [6]

Forming his own production company, Earthside Entertainment, with Gavin O'Connor and Joanna Naugle among the team, [26] Pisano wrote, directed, and produced the 2023 short film El Campo, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2024 [27] and won an Award of Excellence at the Santa Barbara Indie Film Festival. [28] He told an interviewer in 2025 that he had completed a boxing drama with the painterly title Wet Under Blue Sky, again with writing, directing, and executive producing responsibilities, but this time starring himself. [27]

Personal life

Pisano is married to Jessica Christine Maria, and they have one daughter, Olivia, who was born in 2015. [4] They live in New Jersey.

Pisano has always devoted his energies to writing poetry and painting. In 2014, he told AfterBuzz TV he considered himself an expressionist painter: "Whatever I was feeling in the moment was just coming out." He considered it a self-structured artform, whereas acting requires parameters such as scheduling and collaboration. [3] A decade later, he saw how his different forms of expression could be interwoven. "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," he said. "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." [6]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2012JackedAvery JackShort film
2013El Quetzal de JadeBouncer
2015TouchedTommy
Oro y Polvo (English: Powder and Gold)Teo
2016Love KillsHector Estrella
2017 Badsville Flaco
Smartass Lobo
2018Go Crazy Go MadRodrigo
2019 Ms. Purple Octavio
Our Home HereMateoShort film
Narco SoldiersTeo
2020After the ReignOscar Gomez
Feral StateCyrusAlso associate producer
2022PresenceKeaton
2023El Campo (English: The Field)Writer, director, and executive producer of this short film, which received acclaim. [b]
2024Wet Under Blue SkyActor, screenwriter, director, and executive producer

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2013 East Los High TonyEpisode: "This Girl Better Not Die"
2014–2017 If Loving You Is Wrong Julius Escada Jr.Series regular
2019iLoveScottRecurring role in 4 episodes out of 6
New York Undercover Moses HernandezUnsold pilot for ABC reboot of the 1994-1999 original police drama. [c] [29]
2021 Coyote SultanSeries regular, 6 episodes
2021–2025 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Detective Joe VelascoSeries regular (Seasons 23–26)
2022–2023 Law & Order: Organized Crime 3 crossover episodes

Notes

  1. He was credited as Octavio Pizano, and the IMDb shows that spelling for all his appearances until 2020. [8]
  2. Numéro Netherlands wrote in an interview with Pisano, "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." [6]
  3. A Deadline Hollywood article explained, "... New York Undercover picks up 20 years after the end of the original Fox series that changed the face of TV cop dramas. It will follow detectives Nat Gilmore and Melissa Ortiz as they investigate the city's most dangerous criminals from Harlem to Battery Park. ... Pizano [i.e. Pisano] is Moses Hernandez, an eager beaver with a hero complex." [29]

References

  1. "Octavio Pisano". TV Insider. NTVB Media. Retrieved August 22, 2025.
  2. Morris, Nicky; Crosbie, Eve (February 29, 2024). "Meet the Law & Order: SVU cast and their real-life partners and families". Hello! . Retrieved August 22, 2025. The 37-year-old actor likes to keep his life away from the cameras, so not much is known about his relationship history or family life.
  3. 1 2 3 "Octavio Pizano from OWN's 'If Loving You Is Wrong'". AfterBuzz TV . YouTube. September 4, 2014. Retrieved August 24, 2025. I'm from Mexico, but I was born in the States. And I grew up in Méjico, and I speak Spanish, but you know my family was Italian, so I speak Italian, and I have a culture in me.
  4. 1 2 Mercuri, Monica (September 14, 2023). "Meet the Law & Order: SVU Cast's Children — One Star Was Pregnant At The Same Time As Her Character". Soaps.com. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved August 22, 2025.
  5. Knolle, Sharon (May 5, 2022). "'Law & Order: SVU' Star Octavio Pisano on Earning Approval From Benson, Stabler and the Fans". Yahoo Entertainment .
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Letonja, Jana (2025). "In Conversation with Octavio Pisano". Numéro Netherlands . Retrieved August 22, 2025.
  7. "Law & Order SVU Cast 2024: Partners And Lifestyles Revealed". OSSA channel on YouTube. October 24, 2024. Retrieved August 24, 2025.
  8. "Octavio Pisano". IMDb . Retrieved August 23, 2025.
  9. Castillo, Jorge Ignacio (January 26, 2018). "REVIEW: Badsville Is Actually Okaysville". The Canadian Crew. Retrieved August 23, 2025.
  10. "Badsville". New York Latino Film Festival. 2017. Retrieved August 23, 2025.
  11. Kang, Inkoo (2021-01-07). "'Coyote': TV Review". Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 2022-08-26.
  12. LaDale (May 10, 2016). "'If Loving You Is Wrong' Recap: 'The Will'". Canyon News . Retrieved August 24, 2025.
  13. "iLove - Full Cast & Crew". tvguide.com. TV Guide . Retrieved August 23, 2025.
  14. "Go Crazy Go Mad". Screen Rant . Retrieved August 23, 2025.
  15. Rubin, Rebecca (December 22, 2020). "'After the Reign' Mockumentary Sells North American Rights to Gravitas Ventures (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety . Retrieved August 23, 2025.
  16. "Feral State". Rotten Tomatoes. 2021. Retrieved August 23, 2025.
  17. Navarro, Meagan (November 16, 2022). "'Presence' Review – Psychological Horror Movie Gets Lost at Sea". Bloody Disgusting . Retrieved August 23, 2025.
  18. Kermode, Jennie (November 17, 2022). "Presence". Eye For Film. Retrieved August 23, 2025.
  19. Petski, Denise (2021-10-13). "'Law & Order: SVU': Octavio Pisano Upped To Series Regular On NBC Drama Series". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 2022-08-26.
  20. White, Jessica (2022-08-01). "All About Law & Order: SVU Detective Joe Velasco, Played by Octavio Pisano". NBC Insider . Retrieved 2022-08-26.
  21. "Law & Order: SVU Star Octavio Pisano on Earning Approval". Thewrap.com . 2022-05-05. Retrieved 2022-08-26.
  22. "Velasco Gets Promoted - Law & Order: SVU - NBC". Law & Order channel on YouTube. May 17, 2025. Retrieved August 24, 2025.
  23. Cordero, Rosy; Rice, Lynette (May 6, 2025). "'Law & Order: SVU': Juliana Martinez & Octavio Pisano Leaving After Season 26". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved August 24, 2025.
  24. 1 2 "Law & Order: SVU's Octavio Pisano's Fate on the Series Revealed". E! News channel on YouTube. July 25, 2025. Retrieved August 24, 2025.
  25. Rice, Lynette (July 24, 2025). "'Law & Order: SVU' Will Bring Back Octavio Pisano For Season Opener". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved August 24, 2025.
  26. Garcia III, Sammy (Feb 7, 2025). "Motion Picture: John Leguizamo Joins Cast Of 'The Odyssey', 'Magazine Dreams' Set To Release March 21st". A Hot Set. Retrieved August 25, 2025. Octavio Pisano (Law & Order: SVU) has completed production on his feature directorial debut, Wet Under Blue Sky, a boxing drama he wrote and stars in. The film follows a fading boxing champion struggling to preserve his legacy, family, and sanity. Produced by Earthside Entertainment, with Gavin O'Connor and Joanna Naugle among the team, the film was shot in New York and New Jersey and is set for the festival circuit. Pisano previously directed the short El Campo, which screened at Cannes and several international festivals.
  27. 1 2 Grobar, Matt (January 29, 2025). "'Law & Order: SVU's Octavio Pisano Making Feature Directorial Debut With Drama 'Wet Under Blue Sky'". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved August 22, 2025.
  28. "2023 Winners & Awards". Santa Barbara Indie Film Festival. 2024. Retrieved August 22, 2025.
  29. 1 2 Petski, Denise (March 12, 2019). "'New York Undercover': MC Lyte, Otmara Marrero, Toby Sandeman, Anna Enger & Octavio Pizano Cast In ABC Reboot Pilot". Deadline Hollywood .