I am excited to be doing ‘SVU’ – I think there’s a lot of inherent drama and a lot of inherent conflict in procedural shows. I have a lot of respect for police officers and the work that they do. There’s a lot of nobility to depicting what these officers do on a day to day basis.

Choose wisely, then eat in moderation. When I know I’m going to Mom’s for dinner, I throw an extra 20 minutes on the cardio machine so I can be ready to eat.

The centerpiece of ‘Law and Order’ is the crime, and it starts with the writing. There’s a beginning, a middle and an end. It allows the audience to watch any given episode and can drop right in and not feel lost. I think the stark, raw structure has a lot to do with its longevity.

For me, being in front of a camera is a matter of practicing and refining your art. I think, if you’re telling a story worth telling, it’s worth investing the time into developing.

I’m very involved in FIU. I’m class of ’96 and my wife is class of ’97. I’m a member of the foundation board. We talk about where the university is strategically and the evolution of programs for the near and distant future.

I’m certainly proud to be Cuban American, and it’s a fantastic opportunity for anybody – regardless of their ethnicity or nationality. It does carry a measure or pride to know where you’re from and to know what your roots are.

He's very much veiled in some mystery about where he came from, how it is he got into the department so quickly, the secrets he holds,

He's such a great dog. I never thought I was going to be a weird dog person, because there are a lot of weird dog people in L.A., but I'm officially a weird dog person.

I don't think there's a way to replace Stabler. The most I could hope for is to come and try and develop a character who is interesting, who is interesting to me, who is interesting to fans and who could contribute to the storytelling that is 'Law & Order: SVU.'

Growing up seeing Desi, I thought there were Cubans all over Hollywood. I understood that dialogue, everything he said. It wasn't weird to me because that's the way my dad talked.