Q&A With Mehcad Brooks

When Law and Order calls you say yes. So it was just the nature of the story and the care that Brian wanted to take with it in telling it. And the combination of that and Law and Order and having growing up watching the show and just really wanting to be a part of it. So it was a perfect storm for me._Mehcad Brooks: Law and Order SVU

PERSONAL FOULS (TV-14)
WHEN A WELL-RESPECTED BASKETBALL COACH (GUEST STAR DAN LAURIA) IS ACCUSED OF SEXUAL ABUSE, DETECTIVES OLIVIA BENSON (MARISKA HARGITAY) AND ODAFIN TUTUOLA (ICE-T) ARE JOINED BY NEW DETECTIVE NICK AMARO (DANNY PINO) TO UNCOVER THE TRUTH ABOUT A STAR PLAYER’S (GUEST STAR MEHCAD BROOKS) PAST. SPECIAL APPEARANCE BY CARMELO ANTHONY AND CHRIS BOSH. As Coach Ray Masters (Lauria) is inducted to the Metro Basketball Hall of Fame by former students Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh, an ex-player accuses the coach of sexually abusing him as a child. Detective Nick Amaro (Pino) transfers into the SVU squad and is thrown on to the case. The detectives interview former players but no one admits to abuse, forcing Benson (Hargitay) and Fin (Ice-T) to dig deeper into Coach Ray’s most successful player, basketball star Prince Miller (Brooks) and his manager/cousin (guest star Heavy D.) Also starring: Kelli Giddish (Detective Amanda Rollins) and Dann Florek (Captain Donald Cragen.).

What was it like to play this character as compared to TK?

Mehcad Brooks: Prince Miller is antithetical to TK. And I think one guy has bravado based on inexperience and that’s TK and Prince is definitely, he’s become this person because of the experiences in his past. It was a nice change of pace and I think in a lot of ways more important than TK.

What is it about acting that is gratifying to you and in your particular roles in this show?

Mehcad Brooks: I’d have to say that I’m a big kid in a lot of ways and I’m not childish but I’m child-like and this is the type of job where you can really flourish as being that. And you can’t bring that attribute anywhere else and have it applauded. You can’t be at Starbucks flipping cups and spilling people’s drinks and getting a raise. So yes, it beats working.

How close is everyone on the set?

Mehcad Brooks: We just felt so welcome, like I was always there. It was as if it was a home away from home. And I’ve rarely experienced being a guest on a set like that. So it was amazing. It was very welcoming, very welcoming.

What attracted you to this particular role for this episode that made you actually wanted to do it?

Mehcad Brooks: When Law and Order calls you say yes. I was very blessed in that the nature of this character and it’s something that’s not really touched on. It’s something that’s not really brought to light and the way that Brian, the writer described to me when we had a creative conversation was that it was really important to him and it was really important that we told the story with respect, we told the story with care and we told the story realistically. And I’ve known some people who’ve been sexually molested and it was important . It was a blessing to me and also important to me that I was able to do this. So for me it was just the nature of the story and the care that Brian wanted to take with it in telling it and the combination of that and Law and Order and having growing up watching the show and just really wanting to be a part of it. So it was a perfect storm for me.