Danielle Moné Truitt is back as Sergeant Ayanna Bell in the fifth season of Law & Order: Organized Crime, which premieres Thursday, April 17, with the first two episodes on Peacock. After that, new episodes will be released weekly, and the first episode will also air at 10 PM on NBC.
Season five explores the dangerous worlds of cross-border smuggling, high-tech domestic terrorism and a crime family intent on repaying Stabler for the injury he did them in Rome. As his worlds collide, Stabler will put everything on the line to protect the vulnerable and fight for justice.
“I think it helps people feel seen. There’s something righteous about telling people’s stories that can’t tell them for themselves and being a conduit or a vessel to get information out in the way of art because art speaks differently than a newscaster or a news personality getting up, just giving you your daily news,” the actress explained, reflecting on how the Law & Order universe impacts viewers beyond just entertainment. “It’s just information. There’s no heart in it. You don’t see how people are affected by it per se unless somebody is doing an interview, but then they’re right on to the next terrible thing that happened that day. With television and film being able to tell these stories, you’re getting a more well-rounded view of how these kinds of things affect people’s lives and how detrimental some of it can be, but also how good it feels when you have a hero show up to give you justice in this way.”
She called the experience of maturing and evolving with her character “gratifying,” sharing, “It’s always a blessing when you get to spend time with a certain role over an extended period of time, because TV is so fast-paced that sometimes it takes time for you to feel like you’re completely connected to that character and that you know what they would think, what they would say, what they would do in any given situation, and now that I’m in season five, or hopefully going into season six, there’s nothing about Bell that I feel I don’t know. It makes it easier to have discussions with the writers and the showrunners about your character. You’re just more invested in your job when you have the opportunity to grow with a character.”
We talked about connecting with her character, watching the show, how the franchise continues to help people feel seen, Bell’s best leadership qualities, and more.
Watch my interview below:
