Law & Order: SVU just placed a main character on leave — and the actor is speaking out.
During the Thursday, October 22, episode of the hit NBC show, Bruno (Kevin Kane) became very invested in a case that exposed an online community of sex offenders sharing footage featuring children. His commitment raised concern for Olivia (Mariska Hargitay), who told Bruno he would be going on leave.
“You’ll definitely not see Bruno for an episode,” Kane confirmed exclusively to Us. “But it’s handled in the slow roll kind of way where you know he comes back.”
Kane hinted there would be “an acknowledgement,” adding, “It feels like 1,000 pounds, but he’s back and he’s here to help. Then slowly he gets acclimated back to the job.”
The actor clarified that Bruno’s departure would be brief — and wasn’t building up to an exit.
“If that were the case, you would know more than me,” Kane noted to Us. “That’s as far as I know. I’m still showing up every day.”
Law & Order: SVU, which premiered in 1999, follows detectives from the NYPD’s Special Victims Unit as they investigate and prosecute various degrees of sex crimes. The legal drama has faced multiple character exits throughout the years.
Before NBC renewed Law & Order: SVU for season 27, news broke that Octavio Pisano and Juliana Martinez, who portray Detective Joe Velasco and Detective Kate Silva, respectively, were leaving at the end of the current season after Michele Fazekas was announced as the series’ first female showrunner.
Kelli Giddish’s Amanda Rollins, meanwhile, officially returned to SVU in season 27 after she departed in the middle of season 24 in 2022 following more than a decade on the show. She was a guest star in various episodes throughout seasons 25 and 26 before being confirmed as a series regular.
“Bruno has a new partner in Rollins, which was very exciting for me personally because Kelli and I were always passing like ships in the night,” Kane said. “And we never really got to work together. It’s been the thing so far this season that I’ve had a lot of fun with because we really have a great time together, and I feel like it’s starting to show.”
Kane also enjoyed seeing Bruno and Olivia face off.
“He can’t help but watch out for her. There’s been things over the seasons sometimes where it’s very little things written. I remember there’s a moment last season where she was speaking too much about something where she shouldn’t give that much information away. She might get herself in trouble,” he recalled. “Bruno just grabs her and squeezes her arm a little bit to kind of wake her up. That is their relationship. Sometimes there’s a seniority that he has to stay under and respect. But I think what he says to her [this episode] is respecting that.”
He continued: “Bruno is all about getting justice but there are certain lines, he won’t cross, and when Olivia feels like she’s going up to that line, it makes him uneasy and uncomfortable.”
New episodes of Law and Order: SVU premiere on NBC Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET and are available to stream the next day on Peacock.
