Why You Recognize Law & Order Guest Stars Reinaldo Faberlle and J. Anthony Pena
The Law & Order crossover event was packed with familiar faces. Find out where you know some of these guest stars from.
The latest Law & Order crossover event was packed with cast members from the two shows involved — which included the franchise's original series and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit — as well as a host of special guest stars.
The guests portrayed everyone from potential suspects to extra law enforcement agents, helping the series' main investigators working on the colossal case that involved both the NYPD's 27th Precinct that's at the center of Law & Order, and the Special Victims Unit that its sister show focuses on.
RELATED: Why Hugh Dancy Was "In Awe" of Mariska Hargitay While Filming Law & Order Crossover
The two-hour event, titled "Play With Fire," Parts 1 and 2, debuted on Thursday, April 17 at 8/7c p.m. on NBC. The back-to-back episodes kicked off with a phone call to Captain Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay), which led investigators to the scene of a horrific murder. The discovery helped uncover a shocking pattern of rape and murder targeting marginalized women.
Among the guest stars that helped pull together the riveting plot were Reinaldo Faberlle and J. Anthony Pena. Faberlle took on the role of a lieutenant in the crossover event, while Pena's character was eyed by investigators at one point.
Read on to find out why they looked so familiar.
Faberlle parlayed his versatile talents into his latest role as Lieutenant Gomez — a street smart member of the NYPD helping to investigate the murder of one of his undercover detectives — in the epic two-part crossover, “Play with Fire,” which joined the worlds of both Law & Order and SVU.
The complicated role wasn't a stretch for Faberlle, who has made a career out of playing complex characters on TV and film.
RELATED: An Iconic Law & Order: SVU Character Was Just Killed Unexpectedly
What else has Reinaldo Faberlle been in?
Fans may recognize Faberlle from his stint as Mexican gang leader Luis on Mayor of Kingstown, or as dangerous drug cartel member Arturo Cabrera on the crime drama Ozark.
During his lengthy career, he’s also appeared on series including Tell Me Lies, Ordinary Joe, Raising Dion, S.W.A.T., and Jane the Virgin. His film credits include 2021's superhero film The Suicide Squad, and he appeared in the 2018 miniseries Unsolved: The Murders of Tupac and the Notorious B.I.G., according to his IMDb bio.
Faberlle is harder to spot in some of his other career-defining roles. He voiced the villain Behemoth — a genetically enhanced bird turned Hell Spawn — in 2023's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
And he earned buzz over the 2024 holiday season for his part as ELF Agent Garcia in the Christmas action/comedy movie Red One. To play the anthropomorphic mercenary polar bear, Faberlle filmed the movie wearing a specialized rig on his body, complete with a rubber polar bear head, according to MySanAntonio.com.
“Even after I booked the role and learned [my character’s] name, I didn't know he was a polar bear,” Faberlle confessed to the outlet in 2024. "I thought he was a human. I didn’t find out until a few weeks [before production]. Once I realized it, I had a chuckle. I’ve never heard of a Latino polar bear, but there's a first time for everything!”
Faberlle was likely not the only guest star in the Law & Order crossover to look familiar.
The episode also featured J. Anthony Pena, who portrayed a possible suspect in the slayings, Miguel Pinto, a mechanic trying to turn his life around after serving a 16-month sentence for sexual assault.
Pinto’s reform efforts were interrupted, however, after his seminal fluid was found on one of the murder victims. Pinto was later ruled out as a suspect after it turned out he had a solid alibi and investigators concluded that he had been framed by the real killer — who was later revealed to be Gomez (Faberlle's character).
RELATED: Everyone Appearing in the Law & Order Crossover Event & Where They Stand
What else has Law & Order guest star J. Anthony Pena appeared In?
Although Pena may have seamlessly portrayed a convict on the Law & Order crossover, he’s perhaps best known for his role protecting the law. For several seasons, Pena portrayed Deputy Mo Poppernak on the crime thriller series Big Sky. Fans may also recognize him as Carl from The Oath.
The California native has also had numerous guest starring roles on hit TV series including NCIS: Los Angeles, S.W.A.T., The Young and the Restless, Magnum P.I., Lucifer, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Love, How to Get Away With Murder, Veep, True Justice, Unsolved: The Murders of Tupac and the Notorious B.I.G., and more.
To keep up with all the latest drama on Law & Order, watch Season 24 on Thursday nights at 8/7c p.m. on NBC or steam episodes on Peacock the next day.
