Dante Torres returns in Chicago P.D. Season 12, Episode 4, “Escape,” and it’s a major hour for the newest member of the Intelligence Unit. Torres has been absent for the first three installments of the season, said to be away caring for family. But when the next case throws him right into the line of fire, he might wish he hadn’t come back to work.
Benjamin Levy Aguilar spoke about how meaningful it was to him to be handed an intense Torres-centric episode sending his character undercover—which as Chicago P.D. fans know is usually a recipe for trouble. Find out why Benjamin is excited for One Chicago fans to see “Escape,” plus discover the one aspect of Torres’ character that he wants to see explored more in the future.
Brittany Frederick: You appeared in Chicago P.D. Season 7, Episode 1, “Doubt” in a different role as Franco Chavaro. How much does it mean to you that just a few years later, you’re playing one of the show’s main heroes?
Benjamin Levy Aguilar: It’s very flattering. [“Doubt”] was the second job I’d ever done in my life. I was getting arrested by, I think, Atwater. [Laughs.] And now there’s an episode about a different character that I’m playing. That’s a beautiful, beautiful feeling.
Undercover episodes are some of the most dramatic Chicago P.D. episodes. What was your reaction when you saw that this was the situation Torres was returning to?
I was so excited. I read it [and] I was like, this is good. This is really good. Honestly, they’ve never failed me. [Chicago P.D. showrunner] Gwen [Sigan] and the team of writers have always written such amazing episodes. I think it’s because Torres is such a layered character to write for. He has such an exciting life and past, and intracacies about him that make him so chaotic in a way and so intense. So I wasn’t surprised, because I was expecting something great from [the writers]. But I was definitely excited to shoot this, because I was like, this is gonna be good.
You have a lot of exciting and athletic skills in your own background. Have you been able to bring any of those to your portrayal of Torres on Chicago P.D.? An episode like “Escape” would seem to be a perfect fit for you.
All the time. Just the ways that I can move undercover and allowing my past experiences to take the lead on that. Honestly, sometimes I feel like I’m on autopilot, just flowing through moments. And I know exactly where they come from in my life. But when I’m acting them, or experiencing something, or hearing something from another actor, it’s so well connected. I feel more and more comfortable as I move forward.
The primary guest star in this episode is Yara Martinez. She has a lot of crime drama experience from her roles in other shows like Deputy, True Detective, and Southland. Were you able to learn anything from working opposite her?
For sure. I just felt so comfortable with her. We had so much fun; we would crack up between takes and laugh. It’s so cool to get someone like that, because then all the other intimate scenes become easy. We were really good friends since day one. We spoke the same language and it was really fun. It was so fun to work with her.
Is there anything in particular that you’re excited for Chicago P.D. fans to see as this episode puts Torres to the test?
I’m excited for them to see the ending and see how they react. This is the first time we’ve seen Torres in that space. I’d love to hear their thoughts about how the episode ends!
How do you see Dante Torres now in Season 12, compared to the character you started playing in Season 9? He’s still the newest addition to Intelligence but he can’t be simply called the “new guy” anymore. He’s seen enough things.
He’s definitely grown and gotten more comfortable in this world, and [in] navigating through it. I also see him realizing how much his past still controls him. He’s realizing more and more that there’s a lot to work on within himself.
I would love to see more of his past come up. There’s still so much that haunts him—past traumas and things that he needs to deal with. I would love to see him go through more of that. But I also love these undercover jobs, because I feel like Torres is good at them. I feel like I have a lot of fun with them. And I think he’s a very specific man in the Intelligence Unit that can actually go into these worlds because of his background. Where he grew up, his age—he can really transform and be a chameleon in that way. He adds a lot of value to the team that way. So I would love to see more of these jobs.
You mentioned how your first Chicago P.D. episode was one of your early roles. Just as Torres continues to learn, what have you learned from working with your fellow cast members?
I vibe with everyone, and I learn from everyone. I’m proud of myself [that] I’ve put myself in situations where I always come into a room feeling like I’m the one that knows the least. And that allows me to be perceptive and absorb everything that everyone has to offer. If you come into a room thinking you know anything, you won’t learn anything at all. So that’s always been my way of navigating myself through the world.
I’ve learned from everyone. I learn from them in their characters, and I learn from them as actors. But at the same time, I understand [that] when you see someone at their work and the way they process or absorb things, you start seeing okay, does this work for me? And then you come into realizing that, nothing of that has to work for you, as long as you find your own path. I’ve realized more and more, while I’ve been on this set, that my way of getting into character is completely different to all of them. And I’m embracing that. And I love it.
Chicago P.D. airs Wednesdays at 10:00 p.m. on NBC.