Jalen Brunson Makes Brief Acting Debut on SVU

Jalen Brunson made his acting debut on Law & Order: SVU on November 5, playing Detective Madison, a former beat cop who has recently been promoted. The New York Knicks guard appeared in one scene with Mariska Hargitay, who plays Captain Olivia Benson and is a friend of his off screen.

Benson meets Madison at a café while investigating a case in which a 16-year-old girl was sexually assaulted. She congratulates him on his promotion, and he replies that he focused on his goals and gave 110 percent. The line nods to Brunson’s basketball career. He then shares information about a suspect he had previously encountered, helping Benson obtain a search warrant.

Brunson’s father, Rick Brunson, a former player and Knicks assistant coach, also appears briefly in the episode. Speaking after a game on November 4, Jalen Brunson said he was grateful for the opportunity and for Hargitay. The appearance follows a joke he made after the Knicks’ championship win in June, when he said he would try to land a role on SVU. The team’s title ended a 53-year championship drought.