‘SVU’ Newcomer Juliana Aidén Martinez Unpacks Kate Silva in Season 26

There’s a brand new detective at Manhattan SVU.

Juliana Aidén Martinez has indefinitely joined the forged of Legislation & Order: Particular Victims Unit, starring alongside Mariska Hargitay‘s Olivia Benson, Ice T’s Odafin Tutuola, Peter Scanavino’s Dominick Carisi, Octavio Pisano’s Joe Velasco and Kevin Kane’s Terry Bruno, who has been upped to season common.

Martinez portrays Kate Silva, a former Brooklyn murder detective whose father is the deputy police commissioner of the New York Police Division in the fictional world of the veteran Dick Wolf present. She was first launched in the season 26 premiere and is already making strides throughout the squad.

Previous to touchdown the function of Kate, the actress starred alongside Sofía Vergara in Griselda. Her portrayal of the ground-breaking detective who introduced down Griselda Blanco (aka the Cocaine Queen of Miami) garnered her an Imagen Award nomination for greatest supporting actress in a restricted collection.

Nonetheless, becoming a member of a pre-established forged and the longest-running primetime live-action collection in historical past was a completely completely different expertise for Martinez.

She additionally shares that Hargitay took her beneath her wing when she joined the present this summer time and confirmed her the ropes.

“There’s kind of an innate admiration for Mariska and what she’s done for the show,. She operates so much as a captain and No. 1 in the cast,” the actress says. “That really bleeds into that kind of relationship in which, ‘You can teach me so much, and I want to honor what you have, and then bring something new to it.’ And so there’s this neat, kind of mentee-mentorship quality.”

Beneath, Martinez additionally opens up about who Kate Silva is, why Hargitay is “the biggest feminist icon,” SVU season 26’s “message of hope,” the Emmy-winning The Bear actress she’d like to visitor star on the NBC present and extra.

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Why did you need to be a part of SVU?

SVU, to me, is a present that’s executed one thing no different present has executed in tv historical past. It’s the longest-running present. It’s a present that has grow to be such a cultural icon, but additionally a social platform for girls’s tales and tales pertaining to sexual assault. And these are tales that sometimes… I’ve mates who’ve skilled this as effectively, and so they don’t get the eye they deserve, nor the assistance they deserve. And with a present like this, I really feel prefer it’s investing in the social progress and in girls’s tales in order that we are able to transfer the needle ahead. And that was actually, actually essential to me.

Stroll me by the method. How did you come to be the following member of the SVU squad?

That sort of fell in my lap, to be sincere. I used to be in New York as a result of I used to be in the ultimate working for one more undertaking, and my workforce had reached out to me saying, “Hey, SVU is looking for someone on their team. They’re looking for a squad member that can join on a permanent basis and really contribute to what the team is and bring something fresh and exciting. They want to see you.” And I used to be really simply telling my accomplice, I used to be like, “It’d be so cool to move back to New York” as a result of I used to be dwelling in L.A. for the time, post-Griselda filming. And so I despatched in a tape and, inside two days, they reached out, and so they informed my workforce, “We need to fly her out to New York, and we’re gonna screen test with Mariska.” I had by no means met Mariska earlier than, and so justifiably, I used to be somewhat nervous. She was improbable. It was sort of like when that finger suits completely right into a glove. And inside, I need to say, three days I joined the workforce.

When was that?

I need to say July. Every part’s been a blur, to be honest with you, since filming. I do know folks say it’s a little bit of a machine, however it sort of jogs my memory of Dune, and also you’re leaping on that worm, and it’s going by the desert, and also you’re gonna get there. It feels a bit like that in my thoughts.

How has it been becoming a member of such a pre-established ensemble forged?

Properly, it’s attention-grabbing, as a result of with Griselda, that was new materials, proper? And everyone seems to be becoming a member of for the primary time, and also you’re discovering what the present is collectively. With SVU, a whole lot of it was having conversations with David Graziano and Julie Martin, our writers. Mariska was very a lot about, “I’m going to put you under my wing. I’m going to show you the ropes,” which I used to be very grateful for. Then seeing what the present was and the way it’s advanced, after which discovering, for me, like, the place is a younger girl’s voice now? The place does my voice and my group, the place does it reside, and the place is it related? And that synthesis was tremendous essential to me.

How did you discover that synthesis?

It was sort of intuitive, to be sincere with you. It was with the conversations that I had with the workforce, after which discovering the place that resided in society’s psyche and in my psyche. It wasn’t very linear. Simply sort of taking all the things by osmosis after which feeling the place it authentically is going on. It was an intuitive course of.

Who’s Kate Silva? What are you able to inform us about your character?

Properly, Kate Silva is the daughter of a deputy commissioner, so she’s already going through these preconceived notions that she’s a nepo child, which, granted, her father was in the pressure, however she’s additionally somebody that was deeply impacted by 9/11. She’s a child of 9/11, as I’m, as many younger girls are, and I really feel like there’s pre-9/11 and there’s post-9/1, and also you expertise the shift and what I really feel like this nation turned actually starkly in that occasion. In order that impacted her in wanting to affix the pressure, after which she’s somebody that’s fiery.

She was a murder detective beforehand, so she’s very perceptive with folks, very sensible. She’s detail-oriented, so she sort of has the experience of being a murder detective, however then experiencing real-time victims. I feel murder, that type of investigation, like being a murder detective, feels a bit extra religious as a result of the sufferer’s already useless, and also you’re sort of the final bastion of hope for these victims and discovering justice for them.

With SVU, you’re experiencing in actual time these victims coping with trauma and discovering justice for them. And that sort of confrontation, rapid justice, I feel, goes to be a very cool transition for Kate. And in addition, we’re going to search out out in the season why she needed to affix SVU. So she’s undoubtedly somebody fiery, tenacious, sensible. She’s sort of really jogs my memory somewhat little bit of [Richard Belzer’s Detective] Munch in the sort of dry humor she has, and she or he needs to create her personal legacy of justice. So Kate’s somebody to look at.

What are you able to inform us about her onscreen dynamic with the SVU crew?

The relationships really feel actually particular. Somebody from the crew had really informed me that final wee. And I used to be like, “They kind of are, aren’t they?” So, I’ve undoubtedly my relationships with the forged, I really feel like that sort of blends in. With Mariska, there’s sort of an innate admiration for her and what she’s executed for the present, and she or he operates a lot as a captain and primary in the forged. With Ice T, he’s wonderful as an individual, he’s all the time giving recommendation each second all through the day. I’ve a journal in which I sort of gather his quotes. And with Kevin, there’s a pure, playful brutality to us. We’re sort of darkish and twisty as folks, and so I really feel like that performs out actually naturally with Bruno. After which lastly, with Octavio, he’s sort of my religious brother-in-arms. We’ve got actually deep religious conversations collectively. He’s somebody I belief so deeply in the forged, and I really feel like that’s actually mirrored in our relationship.

Now I want to listen to what the most effective bits of recommendation he’s given you is.

Ooooh, that’s so good. He mentioned this factor I assumed was so humorous: “Don’t take advice from broke people. Only take advice from rich people because they’re rich.” I’m a giant finance nerd. I actually imagine in monetary savviness for girls. I don’t suppose it’s one thing that’s taught to us. Not less than for me, it was all the time like, “Well, the man will take care of you,” which I’ve resisted in the previous. So I’ll be on set, and I’ll be studying these finance books, and I’ll go one to Ice T, and I’ll be like, “Yo Ice, what do you think about this?” And he’ll be like, “Well, what’s this man? What’s his net worth? What’s he about? Like, what is it?” And I’d be like, “I don’t know, Ice. I’m just reading this book.” And he was like, “Always seek advice from people you admire and aspire to because they will keep you on the track of where you want to go.” And I assumed that was so sensible and so actual.

I feel what you’re saying about being informed the person will handle you is typically widespread in Latin cultures. So, I get it. I had an identical upbringing.

Yeah, and granted, I’ve grace as a result of my father by no means meant that to be considerably of a burden for me. However I all the time thought — and we grew up very working class — so I used to be like, (*26*) Like, “Why wasn’t I taught how to have a savings account and stuff?” And that comes, I feel, from ancestry and tradition and assets, however I’m very a lot about girls with the ability to get their bag.

You’ve starred alongside main actresses like Sofía Vergara in Griselda and now Mariska Hargitay in SVU. How has it been starring with these main pillars of feminine entertainers?

I really feel like I’m getting a monitor document being round these wonderful girls. I really feel like I’ve discovered a lot from each of them. There’s issues I need to do in the business. I need to be my very own govt producer and my very own director, and likewise spearhead tasks and transfer the narrative in which now we have extra girls in these increased positions, creating tales that matter. So, on a common degree, I really feel I’m being aligned with these actresses who’re actually doing it. They’re simply bosses, and I get to be taught from them each day. And that’s actually thrilling as a result of it makes the longer term a lot extra attainable for me and what I need to do for the business.

Are you able to consider a particular second between you and Sofía that you just had on set or onscreen in Griselda, or with Mariska this upcoming season of SVU?

I really feel prefer it’s me observing how they conduct themselves on set. Sofía was all the time so gracious with Andrés [Baiz], our director, the place she was like, “What do you need for me? How can I deliver the story?” She actually cared about Griselda, and that was, I feel, a 13-year undertaking in the making for her, and she or he was going to make it occur it doesn’t matter what. And what I actually gathered from that was the self-determination you need to have as a lady in this business to make one thing occur. After which with Mariska, she can be an govt producer. She has been with the present because the very starting. She has made this present iconic, and she or he actually cares in regards to the high quality of labor and supporting the visitor stars and ensuring they’re bringing their greatest work. And I really feel like what I’ve discovered from her is the spirit of collaboration, but additionally the tenacity she has for nice work. She doesn’t need to settle, and I feel these are each actually fantastic qualities to have and issues that I’m studying from each of them.

What’s it about SVU that has saved this present working for all these years and has led to it breaking its personal document a number of occasions?

You possibly can’t dismiss the half that Mariska has performed in that. I feel that Mariska has been an enormous a part of the present occurring for thus lengthy as a result of she’s, to me, the largest feminist icon there’s. She’s somebody who began off as a younger, rookie detective with this different male detective, Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni) after which discovering her personal voice to then changing into a lead detective to then changing into a captain and a mom and main on this new legacy. I feel that’s why so many followers reply to her and so they’ve saved watching.

How has it been contributing to SVU‘s rising Latin forged, particularly with season 26 premiering in the center of Hispanic Heritage Month?

It seems like good timing. It feels fantastic. I, as a Latina, simply need to have fun, most likely have some tequila pictures with my mates on this present day that we’re bringing in the brand new season. Additionally, it’s a beautiful alternative to point out the nuances of Latinidad. We’ve solely seen such a restricted purview of what Latinidad might be, and we’re seeing completely different portrayals of that. And I feel that’s actually thrilling. Historically in the previous, I feel folks of coloration and communities of coloration have actually advocated to be simply seen in their humanity and to not be seen in stereotypical methods, and I feel Kate Silva is an instance of that. Aand I’ve to thank the writers, Dick Wolf and Mariska and the forged for permitting that to occur. You’re not going to see a stereotypical model of the Latina on the present with Kate Silva. I’m tremendous grateful for that, and I really feel like that’s such a cool factor to deliver in Hispanic Heritage Month.

I used to be informed that episode six is one in all your favourite episodes of this season. Why does it stand out to you?

You’re going to see Kate Silva in a brand new and actually stunning gentle. And what I actually like about it’s that you just see Kate Silva sort of take the reins for moving into the greatness that she has in her, and I feel that’s simply actually, actually cool, particularly as a younger girl, the place you’re given the house, otherwise you’re given the power to take up house. Episode six is one in all my favorites up to now.

Lots of people come in and out of SVU. Do you foresee Kate being a longer-running character like Carisi (Peter Scanavino) or Velasco (Octavio Pisano), who’s been there for just a few years now?

They have been very intentional about my casting. I feel they needed to verify they bought somebody that would match in with the forged, and who might be with the forged on a long-term foundation and actually contribute to the squad. So, even with the display check, they hadn’t executed that since, I imagine they informed me, like Kelli Giddish. They hadn’t executed a display check for somebody in the forged. So, they have been very intentional about, “We want someone to be a part of the squad.” And I actually felt that from day one from them.

What are you able to inform us in regards to the season total?

You undoubtedly get a brand new detective on the squad, in order that’s a brand new power that’s coming into the house. Then, one of many issues I had talked to the writers about is that these usually are not gentle occasions for many individuals. These are very troublesome occasions. In American society but additionally as simply residents of the world, we’re encountering such darkish and heavy issues round what’s occurring geopolitically and likewise inside our nation. So, one of many issues we had talked about is that this season being a message of hope and that you would be able to tune in and really feel like issues are gonna be OK, irrespective of how darkish they get, that justice can be served, and also you’ll discover reprieve. And I assumed that was actually essential for occasions like these.

One final query, who from the final 25 seasons would you like to see come again?

OK, I don’t know if it’s attainable, however I’m mates with Liza Colón-Zayas, who simply gained the Emmy for The Bear, and she or he was beforehand on SVU. She guest-starred in it. I used to be nominated for the Imagen Awards as she was, and she or he knew about SVU. I’ve all the time been a part of the LAByrinth [Theater Company] group in New York, as she’s one of many founding members, and I informed her that I used to be doing it, and that I’d love a way for her to return again to the present. I imply, she’s unimaginable, and I’m so glad she’s getting her flowers. However it could be very cool for her to be again, and for one way or the other Kate Silva and her to have one thing collectively.

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Legislation & Order: SVU season 26 drops episodes each Thursday night time on NBC, adopted by Fridays on Peacock.