In an interview with Benjamin Levy Aguilar who stars as Dante Torres in the NBC drama Chicago P.D., he discusses why he decided to pursue acting and how he fell in love with his character on the show.
Benjamin Levy Aguilar discusses why he decided to pursue acting
Born and raised in Guatemala, Aguilar was a standout athlete who excelled in soccer as a child. He was even recruited to participate in the junior academies for the world-renowned Italian football club, AC Milan. Later, his studies in Krav Maga and his discipline led to a position with Guatemala’s largest security firm, where he served during the 2011 presidential election. At 18, he decided to pursue acting and moved to Los Angeles, where he currently resides. When asked about what made him want to pursue acting, Aguilar stated, “I was in a really tough place in my life, and I didn’t know what to do. And it was out of pure desperation, a feeling of ‘this can’t just be it.’ My life can’t just be this whatever – I was feeling.”
Benjamin Levy Aguilar stars as Dante Torres on Chicago P.D
A rookie fresh off patrol, Torres brings a quiet demeanor, confidence, and a deep-rooted sense of self and family to the Intelligence Unit. In the latest episode of Chicago P.D., Season 11, episode 9, “Somos Uno,” the tension in CPD’s Intelligence Unit continues to rise. We spoke to actor Benjamin Levy Aguilar about his character, Dante Torres’, story arc and about his journey into becoming a series regular.
Undercover at Perez’s body shop, Dante Torres’ romance with Gloria blurs lines. But with Perez on edge after Medina’s murder (Season 11, Episode 4, “Escape”), Voight worries about Gloria and Torres’ mental state. Burgess agrees to watch Torres, but his secret moves make it tough. Things escalate when masked attackers hit Torres during a money transfer, injuring a bystander. Now, with Perez suspicious and the money gone, Intelligence needs to find the real culprits before Torres goes in deeper.
Landing a recurring role on Chicago P.D
Aguilar originally came onto the set as a guest star. But eventually, he returned to reprise his role as a series regular. When asked if he ever expected to play Dante Torres for this long, Agular told us, “Oh my God. Not really. I mean, when it started, it was supposed to be a guest star. So yeah, I thought it was just one episode, maybe two and done. And then Jason and I got to talking after that episode, and he kind of unofficially invited me and I was like, okay, let’s see what that really means. And now, two years later, two seasons later, here I am. “
He went on to explain how he really connected with the role. “I was meant to play it.” “I mean, I read him and I said, I know everything about him. You know, There was no doubt that I was meant to play him.”
Chicago P.D. season 11 airs every Wednesday, 10 pm ET on NBC.
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