Known for portraying the notorious Marvel villain, Kingpin, Vincent D’Onofrio has enjoyed a lengthy career filled with standout performances in both film and television. And one of his roles that really impacted the actor was Robert Goren from Law & Order: Criminal Intent.
The actor portrayed the junior detective in the police procedural drama throughout its 10-season run and later opened up about how starring in the show left a lasting impact on him and significantly enhanced his skills to make him a much better actor.
Vincent D’Onofrio Reflected on the Challenges of Starring on Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Starring in the Law & Order spin-off, Criminal Intent, Vincent D’Onofrio made his debut as the junior detective Robert Goren in 2001, a character which has since become his longest and one of the most popular roles.
However, starring on the show was not without its challenges, as he later opened up about how he and his co-star Kathryn Erbe had to work long hours on the police procedural drama.
In an appearance on the Inside of You podcast, he shared,
I just couldn’t believe that we were working so much. I just couldn’t believe that it was okay to do year after year. And I learned the hard way that it was okay, that that’s the way the business was.
And his demanding schedule for the show put a strain on the Daredevil actor, who shared, “You get nasty. I got to a point where I was completely in my head and just had no patience for anything.” He further stated,
The only people that I would give back to would be the other actors and the camera crew. Everybody else, to me, was just in my way and taking up my time from getting home and going to sleep.
While he stated that the show took a toll on him, D’Onofrio also acknowledged that his decade-long experience on the show ultimately contributed significantly to his growth as an actor.
Vincent D’Onofrio Admitted Law & Order Shaped Him into a Better Actor
Further into his conversation with Michael Rosenbaum on the Inside of You podcast, Vincent D’Onofrio also discussed how things have since improved, noting, “And it’s not like that anymore… Today these days, it’s like f**king vacation.”
However, despite the challenges and struggles he faced on the show, the Chained star admitted that it also helped him improve his acting skills. “I have to say, having said all that, when I left that show, I was ten times a better actor than before I went on it,” he shared on the podcast.
The actor further highlighted how the fast-paced nature of television, with its quick and significant transitions within scenes, helped refine his technical abilities. He shared,
My chops got so good. I learned how to transition so much easier. I was just used to doing film where you do story transitions or emotional transitions, over like three scenes or an act, you know? But on television, you do transitions within a scene. Big ones.
D’Onofrio continued,
And so to be able to pull that off was… it makes you or breaks you. You either end up coming in and doing one line, cut, one line, cut, one line, cut, which a lot of people end up doing. Or you master it and become this machine.
“And you leave a situation like that like you’re great at the technical aspect of your job,” he noted concluding his thoughts. D’Onofrio’s journey on the show came to an end with the show’s conclusion after 10 seasons in 2011.
However, he has shared that he would be open to returning as Robert Goren. Though his return as the junior detective remains uncertain, the actor is set to reprise his most popular role as Wilson Fisk, aka Kingpin, in the upcoming MCU series Daredevil: Born Again.
Law & Order: Criminal Intent is available to watch on Peacock.
