The Manhattan Special Victims Unit returns in 2024 with its familiar cast and a surprise returning star in Law and Order: Special Victims Unit (SVU) Season 25.
Created by Dick Wolf, Law and Order: SVU tackles the story of how a team of expert policemen from the Special Victims Unit unwrap the dark underbelly of New York City, primarily focused on catching criminals link to heinous sexual offenses.
Law and Order: SVU Season 25 premiered on NBC on Thursday, January 18 at 8 p.m. ET.
Every Main Cast Member of Law and Order: SVU Season 25
Mariska Hargitay - Captain Olivia Benson
Mariska Hargitay reprises her role as Captain Olivia Benson in Season 25.
Initially starting as a junior detective, Benson rose to captain in 2019 after being promoted by Deputy Chief William Dodds.
Captain Benson is front and center in Season 25's teaser as her resolve will be tested in the new season due to the emergence of a precarious situation.
At the end of Season 24, Benson discovered that the rape-and-murder-for-hire website that they tried to shut down is still up and running, and there is a hit posted for her.
Hargitay has been a mainstay of Law and Order: SVU, starring as Olivia Benson for over 500 episodes. The actress' other credits include Leaving Las Vegas, Lake Placid, and Can't Hurry Love.
Ice-T - Sergeant Odafin “Fin” Tutuola
Another Law and Order: SVU mainstay returning in Season 25 is Ice-T as Sergeant Odafin "Fin" Tutuola.
As the second-in-command to Olivia Benson, Fin is highly respected among his peers. The renowned sergeant is best known for aiding male survivors to a better life and being a tenacious police officer during intense situations.
Ice-T is a legendary actor with over 100 credits to his name. He starred in notable projects like Surviving the Game, New Jack City, and Tank Girl.
Peter Scanavino - ADA Dominick “Sonny” Carisi, Jr.
Peter Scanavino is part of the cast of Season 25 as assistant district attorney Dominick "Sonny" Carisi, Jr.
Sonny is usually calm in tense situations, but the former detective knows when to flip the switch, especially if his team and loved ones are in danger.
The character is Amanda Rollins' husband. After the pair tied the knot in Season 24, they became the only main characters in the franchise married to one another.
Season 25's debut shows the squad celebrating the birth of Carisi and Rollins' first child.
Scanavino's notable credits include Deception, Frances Ha, and The Cold Lands.
Octavio Pisano - Junior Detective Joe Velasco
As the second youngest main cast member of Law and Order: SVU, Octavio Pisano's Joe Velasco has much to live up to.
The up-and-coming junior detective is involved in high-profile cases, with him going undercover in several situations.
At one point in Season 24, Velasco was reprimanded by Olivia Benson due to his unorthodox interrogation methods. After that, Velasco's ties with the squad became stronger.
Pisano is known for his roles in Coyote, Ms. Purple, and Smartass.
Kelli Giddish - Professor Amanda Rollins
Professor Amanda Rollins (played by Kelli Giddish) is a former detective who became a professor of Criminal Behavior at Fordham University. She is also the current wife of Dominick "Sonny" Carisi, Jr.
Giddish returns triumphantly to the world of Law and Order: SVU after her controversial exit in 2022. The actress explained to Variety in December 2022 that she left because she felt that "it's time in the Rollins storyline:"
"My side of things is just that it’s time in the Rollins storyline. I felt like where it was heading, and where it headed last night, just seemed the right place to leave it right now. I am so excited about things going on in my personal life and kind of the mirroring of what’s going on in my personal life and in Rollins’, there’s a lot of joy to be experienced."
Rollins can easily be integrated into Season 25's main story due to her close ties with Carisi. Considering Olivia Benson's precarious situation, all hands are on deck for the Manhattan Special Victims Unit.
Giddish previously appeared in Chase, All My Children, and Past Live.
Ryan Buggle - Noah Porter-Benson
Ryan Buggle plays Noah Porter-Benson, the adoptive son of Olivia Benson.
Noah's real father is a sex trafficker named Johnny Drake who impregnated his mother, Ellie Porter.
After being traumatized in Season 24 due to being abducted by a local gang, Noah is on a path to recovery, but he needs to do it quickly to help his mother in the brand-new season.
Buggle is known for his roles in Lazy Susan, Sneaky Pete, and Mindhunter.
Kevin Kane - Detective Terry Bruno
Detective Terry Bruno is an experienced detective who transferred from a corrupt department in the Bronx Special Unit to the well-respected Manhattan Special Victims Unit. Kevin Kane plays the character.
Kane's notable credits include The Irishman, Snatched, and Turtleface.
Terry Serpico - Chief Tommy McGrath
Chief Tommy McGrath (played by Terry Serpico) is the Chief of Detectives with a tense relationship with the Manhattan Special Victims Unit.
During the Season 24 finale, it was McGrath who pushed Benson and the others to arrest suspects in their open rape cases as soon as possible.
The chief is described as someone hard to work with, putting him in several clashes with Olivia Benson throughout the series' run.
Serpico's most recognizable role is playing Mitch Ohlmeyer in The Inspectors. The actor also appeared in Yellowstone and Army Wives.
David Krumholtz
David Krumholtz joins the cast of Law and Order: SVU in a guest role. His character has yet to be revealed as of writing.
The actor expressed excitement about appearing in the long-running series, telling fans in his Instagram post, "LOVED working on L&O SVU these past couple weeks. Stay tuned!”
Krumholtz is known for his roles in The Good Wife, Billions, and Mom.
Amy Carlson
Another newcomer to the world of Law and Order: SVU is Amy Carlson.
This isn't the first time Carlson will appear in the series since she played a significant role in the show's episode "Asunder" in 2000.
Carlson's notable credits include Blue Bloods, Criminal Minds, and Fringe.
Law and Order: SVU Season 25 airs on NBC every Thursday at 8 p.m. ET.
