Samantha Maroun was not going to let justice go in the Law & Order Season 24 premiere. She put her career on the line, but it worked out in the end. We sat down with Odeyla Halevi to discuss the storyline, and she shared something special about the actress playing her little sister in the series.
The Law & Order Season 24 premiere was a harrowing case that looked like there wouldn’t be justice for a while. The victim was someone close to Maroun, and she knew that justice was needed. When they got to the murderer’s home only to find him dead, everyone believed the case was done. However, Maroun put the pressure on the murderer’s accomplice.
We talked with Halevi about Maroun’s storyline for the episode. We also discussed what she’d like people to take away from her character in this exclusive interview.
Precinct TV: Maroun is so empathetic and I love that about her. This premiere episode is so personal for her. What’s that like for you to bring so much on a personal level?
Odeyla Halevi: What really helped me as an actor to bring more truth to those moments and her sister in her past is that who plays my sister in the show is my actual sister. So when you come across on film and you see the photo of Maroun and my little sister, that is my actual little sister. When I look at that photo and I think about my little sister and what I would do for her and how much I would fight for her, it really helps me bring truth to these moments.
PTV: Oh wow!
OH: I think that’s the first time I’ve shared that.
PTV: I feel privileged. Thank you! Maroun is able to think on the spot a lot, and she does that in this episode to make sure she brings justice. And bringing justice was so important to Maroun in this episode. Why is that so important for her?
OH: I think throughout her life, Maroun grew up as a daughter to immigrant parents, and being a minority, she always had to fight to win. She always had to be quick to respond, and I think that’s how she gets to where she is. I think that’s her charm and her way to win.
PTV: It looks like we’ll see more vulnerable moments, especially based on the end with Baxter. Is that fulfilling as an actor to be able to portray these moments we don’t often get to see?
OH: Yes, and I think the dynamics certainly changed with Baxter as the new prosecutor. I think he challenges her more to defy convention, to think outside the box, and to really act. It’s very refreshing and I don’t think she was used to that throughout her life.
Tony Goldman, as a person, is just the right person for this role because, even in real life, the conversations that we have between us are always inspiring me and challenging me. Hes such an open book, and I just love being around him and learning so much. I think it mirrors their relationship on the show.
PTV: Has it been easier for you having Baxter come in being so different from Jack McCoy?
OH: I love Sam . I have a picture—the very first picture they took of Sam on his first episode of Law & Order. He’s always there with me. I love him so much, but yeah, absolutely. We have such a great dynamic between me and Tony. I’m so lucky to work with people like that, who feel like they’re my family.
PTV: What’s your favorite thing about bringing Maroun to life in the series?
I think one of the scenes in the premiere episode was very challenging to shoot. It was very emotional and very revealing. We got to improvise a lot to get to that emotional space. Our direct, Eric LaSalle, had us wait for at rain to pass by in the background, and we had to wait for the train to come by. It took a few minutes each time, and it felt like I was filming a movie. It was my favorite thing to shoot. I remember there were so many people on the street around us, but I felt like it was just me and Hugh on the street. It felt very personal to me.
Law & Order airs Thursdays at 8/7c on NBC. Catch up the following day on Peacock.
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