Jalen Brunson made his dramatic acting debut on Law & Order: SVU on November 5, playing newly promoted Detective Jay Madison. The New York Knicks captain had asked for a role on the show months earlier.
The 30-year-old appears opposite Mariska Hargitay’s Captain Olivia Benson in “Forsaken,” the fifth episode of Season 28. Their conversation takes place in a restaurant, about 20 minutes into the episode, and lasts roughly a minute.
His father, Rick Brunson, also appears. The former NBA player and Knicks assistant coach walks into the restaurant just before Benson, making a silent background cameo documented by The Big Lead.
Jalen had already hosted the Season 52 premiere of Saturday Night Live on September 26, with KATSEYE as musical guest. This time, he was playing a detective in a television drama rather than performing sketch comedy.
Benson Congratulates Detective Madison on His Promotion
Benson finds Madison eating pizza and congratulates him on moving out of uniform. “Focused on my goals, gave 110 percent, things worked out,” he replies, in dialogue quoted by Entertainment Weekly.
She has come to ask about an earlier traffic stop involving a man named Rick Davis. Some of his records have been sealed, and Madison was one of the officers involved, according to TVLine‘s recap.
Madison remembers an item found in the vehicle that officers did not confiscate. That detail gives Benson something specific to pursue. She leaves the restaurant and calls Assistant District Attorney Sonny Carisi to seek a warrant.
Brunson Joined the September Shoot After the Knicks’ Championship Win
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After New York defeated the San Antonio Spurs in June to win its first NBA championship since 1973, reporters asked Brunson what he wanted to do next. His answer was simple: “Try to get on SVU.”
By September 16, Hargitay was sharing a photograph of him with the cast and crew, jokingly introducing them as the Knicks’ new starting lineup. Brunson wore a prop police badge in the picture. NBC confirmed his guest appearance the following day, as Wealth of Geeks previously reported.
Their friendship had already extended beyond courtside visits. Hargitay joined the team’s championship parade, and Brunson attended her Broadway performance in Every Brilliant Thing. They also appeared together in a prerecorded opening segment for the September Emmy Awards, which she hosted.
Rick Introduced His Son to SVU Long Before Their Guest Appearance
Brunson has credited his father’s viewing habits with introducing him to the series. On The Roommates Show, the podcast he cohosts with teammate Josh Hart, he recalled hearing the show’s familiar sound effects throughout their home.
“My dad also watches the TV incredibly loud, so you hear it throughout the house,” he said, in comments documented by Us Weekly. He kept watching as he grew older and eventually made the series part of his pregame routine. Meeting Hargitay left him unusually starstruck.
His wife, Ali, described their friendship to the magazine in June as “captain meets captain,” referring to her husband’s team role and Hargitay’s television character. She said he had watched the show devotedly for years and welcomed the connection they had formed.
New episodes of Law & Order: SVU air Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on NBC, with next-day streaming on Peacock. The network scheduled “Forsaken” to reach the streaming service on November 6.