Pretending to be someone you're not is quite a way to make an impression at a new job, but in Detective Jamie Whelan's case on "Law & Order: Organized Crime," he'll get the chance to do just that very soon.
Whelan, who's played by Brent Antonello, joined Sgt. Ayanna Bell (Danielle Moné Truitt) and Detective Elliot Stabler (Chris Meloni)'s Organized Crime squad a few months ago, and now, he hopes to prove his worth to his new teammates when he embarks on a unique undercover mission.
In the Jan. 5 episode "Trap," Whelan goes undercover and tries to infiltrate a dangerous gang as part of an "action-packed two episodes."
In a Jan. 3 interview with TODAY.com, Antonello previews the intense scenes to come, including one with Stabler where the two "go after each other's throats." He also teases "little Easter eggs" fans can expect to find later on in Season Three.
Part of Whelan's upcoming mission will involve him trying to get closer to a gang's leader. What can you tell me and the fans about the gang and this leader your character is trying to get so close to?
Stabler comes across his informant that gives him a call, and we find out that this informant's wife has been kidnapped by this gang that's coming out of Miami. They want to expand their, let's say enterprise if you will, in New York City. We find out that they have a way of recruiting drivers, and their way of recruiting drivers is going to these street races. They're, I wouldn't say funneling drugs, but they're using these getaway drivers as their drug runners. We find out through the episode that Jamie had a background in stock car racing, which Stabler didn't know because he didn't read (my) file, but he finds out that he has this and we try to give it a go. And then it happens — it's a fun little ride.
Whelan's had some hot-headed, sort of spontaneous moments so far. Could that behavior get him in trouble while he's undercover?
Yeah, I mean, when I was pitched the character, I remember them saying, and it was a big thing too, that how Stabler sees a little bit of himself in Whelan. And a big part of Whelan taking on this job is that he wants to — he looks at Stabler as his icon, his go-to, his role model. So him taking this job, it isn't just really wanting to solve the case, but it's wanting to prove to Stabler and the crew that he can do this. And he wants to leave his mark.
I think a lot of it's also a bit of acceptance. He wants to be accepted by the crew because he hasn't really had a chance to show what he can do, especially in this all-star team of a task force, which him being NYPD for let's say six to eight years, he's always been the golden boy. But now it's go time, and they get to see if he can keep things under pressure, because I find him as a little bit of a wild card. ... He's still fresh to this task force in this way of organized crime.
We've seen Stabler undercover a lot on this show. Did Chris Meloni give you any tips about playing your character undercover?
He didn't give me any tips, but it's so funny because we have these scenes where we haven't really gone this far, as far as the arc goes. But when we hit this arc for this, these two episodes, we finally have some scenes where we get to explore each other. And there's some really good moments where Stabler is telling Jamie this is what you've got to do, stay in line. And, like we said before, he sees a little bit of himself (in Whelan). So there's this conflict in itself of do I want to pull him back a little bit, but at the same time, I respect him because he's doing what I did. So he still has that conflict, watching Whelan go through this undercover operation, which I think is really cool what the writers did.
What's been your favorite scene to film with Chris so far?
Oh, man. I think there's one actually that I can't talk about — one that we just did. Two episodes from now, yeah, we were able to do some things and improv a little bit and just go after each other's throats, if you will, which was fun. I mean, you're standing there ... I'm like, Oh, my God, this is Chris Meloni. This is Mr. SVU, and I can't believe I get to be a part of this and work opposite of him. So when they say, "Cut!" you're like, OK, we got through it? Good. We didn't get any notes? Perfect. But he's such a pleasure to work with, and it's been an absolute blast.
Are some of the moments between your characters added in and not in the scripts?
Yeah, totally! And a lot of it is just Chris thinking on the fly. And he's so generous with the people that he works opposite of where he'll give a note and be like, "Hey, let's try this. I think that this will give you a good moment for the next scene in the script or vice versa." He always helps find those little moments to add something, an extra layer, that just really helps you as an actor. It's so helpful.
When Stabler was undercover, his character did drugs and at one point slept with someone. So will your character be put in similarly dangerous situations?
I would say yeah — definitely a different type of dangerous situation. It takes a lot for him to obey an order because he really wants to get this mission done and does get in a little bit of trouble. But as far as the dangerous side, yeah. But going to that extent? No, unfortunately. Unfortunately, that would be the fun stuff.
Did you do any of the driving stunts yourself?
It's funny because at first we weren't going to have me in the car whatsoever, but I was able to not drive it but pull up to my mark, as boring as that sounds — but I get to be inside the car. ... I think our stunt coordinator said the car was like 800 horsepower. So you didn't even have to touch the gas. You just let go of the brake. ... So that was kind of nerve-wracking because it was like 25 (degrees) that night, and it was raining. We had about 200 extras that I had to drive past. ... It was really cool to be inside of it, but no, the racing stuff fortunately I'm glad I was not a part of that at all. They make me look good.
Whelan's had an interesting dynamic with Detective Jet Slootmaekers (Ainsley Seiger). Do you think there's potential for romance, or is Whelan leaning more on Jet as someone to learn from and to be a good friend to?
I don't know. I mean, people say that all the time. I will say there's definitely, at the moment when we first meet them, there was a little bit of flirting and stuff like that — or it could come across that way. But at the moment, there's definitely a side of Whelan who wants to protect Jet and protect her at all costs and is looking out for her. He wants to do right by her. And again, it's just he wants ... to be a part of this task force. That's really the main thing that he wants with everyone, especially even with (Detective Bobby) Reyes (Rick Gonzalez) he wants to break through. He wants to be a part of this.
Yeah, there's a lot of looking after her, and we'll see where it goes. I personally have ideas of where it could go, but we'll find out.
I enjoyed seeing your character give Christmas gifts to the squad. Will we get to see more insight into Whelan's personality in the second half of the season?
I hope so. We've been talking to ("Organized Crime" showrunner) Sean (Jablonski) about it. I think that everyone's going to have more personal stuff come about. I think those are the little Easter eggs that essentially later on in the season you'll say, "Oh, OK, that's why this is going on." And because everything that's in the script isn't just to put it in: There's definitely backstory to it. Sean loves to work that way. Talking to him, he's about that. So I think we'll definitely get more sides, more personal sides of everyone — not just Whelan, which is great.
Do you have a favorite scene that you've filmed as Whelan so far?
I would say the very first scene that I shot because it was actually the very first scene that I'm in in the episode. ... I got the show. We finished everything 24 hours before I got here. So I landed at like 6 a.m., got to the car, got to the stage and there's Ainsley, and it's just go time. So landing and filming with like five hours in between getting fitted and doing all of that, it's just because that moment of: "Oh, my God, I can't believe I'm on this. Is this real?" And then seeing Chris walk in from wardrobe and everything. That's when it really hits you like, "Oh wow, this is real. Now you have to perform, like do your job now." And that always sticks with me because no matter how tired you get ... you think of that moment. And it's just — it's incredible. That will always stay with me.
Is there a memorable moment from set with your co-stars that has stuck with you?
I think it's the moments where we're just working so late, and people are just so out of it and we're shooting intense things. I had a moment with Rick (Gonzalez) where I don't know what I was laughing at. I had no idea. And then he starts laughing, and we just had to pull it together for this insane, serious scene. It's moments like where it's just you cannot stop laughing, and our crew is so great, too.
Chris will crack a joke right before they say action. You're like, "Oh, my God." I'm biting my lip just so I'm not laughing. Thank God I didn't have any lines in that part. But it's just stuff like that — the lightheartedness because you have to, especially with serious stuff.
