Law & Order’s David Ajala Reveals Memorable Moment with Ice T: “He Pulled Me Aside…”
As David Ajala joins the 27th Precinct on Law & Order, it didn’t take long for him to click with Law & Order: Special Victims Unit icon Ice T behind the scenes of the long-running procedural.
“He’s great, man,” Ajala gushed in an interview with NBC Insider.
While Ajala’s Detective Theo Walker has made his debut amid a milestone season of Law & Order, Ice T continues to boast a historic tenure on Season 27 of SVU. And as Ajala settles into the 2-7, the British star shared a behind-the-scenes photo of him and Ice T catching up while filming an action-packed episode. “Energy doesn’t lie. It connects,” Ajala captioned the photo on Instagram.
Ajala also revealed to NBC Insider that the SVU veteran was keen to connect with the franchise newcomer and ask about his experience joining the primetime classic.
Law & Order’s David Ajala talks about his quick connection with SVU star Ice T
“Very, very kind guy,” Ajala told NBC Insider about connecting with SVU legend Ice T. “Within the first hour or so of working with him, he pulled me aside and was just saying, ‘Yo, man, how you feeling? How’s the show going on? You enjoying the character? How’s the collaborative process with the producers?'”
Aside from checking in on how Ajala was enjoying playing Detective Theo Walker, Ice T also gave Ajala some tips and tricks for gaining his bearings on the long-running procedural. “He really just took time to help me out, which is super kind,” Ajala said.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a brush-in with Ice T without a few laughs involved. As the originator of countless hysterical SVU one-liners, it’s no surprise that Ice T is just as chucklesome behind the scenes on Law & Order.
“He’s funny too. Yeah, he’s funny,” Ajala told NBC Insider. “He’s just like one of those cats that’s just like, been there, done that. He’s seen everything. So nothing really phases him. Really nice guy.”
David Ajala breaks down his “very real” Law & Order arrival
Ajala made his triumphant arrival to the 2-7 in Season 25’s “Guardian,” where he instantly emerged as a steadfast investigator who Ajala says is “in the business of justice.”
“[Walker] is somebody who’s very comfortable in his skin. Who can walk into any room knowing that no one’s above me, I’m not below anybody, and I have something to offer,” Ajala told NBC Insider. “I think there’s something very powerful, a quality that a guy can have that and be in any room knowing that he deserves to be there. And not just that, but I have something to offer.”
Ajala has enjoyed partnering up with Reid Scott’s Detective Vincent Riley on the NBC nail-biter, though the two detectives had a rocky first impression during their first investigation together. While Theo Walker is a lone wolf type who has always had to have his own back, Riley prefers staying on the same page and working as a team, so they’ll need some time to get in sync.
“He’s not used to relying on somebody else, but now in this situation, with this partnership, that’s something he’s gonna have to figure out very, very quickly,” Ajala explained. “I like how it’s not like, ‘OK, we’re cool, we’re buddies. OK, we’re gonna work together.’ I like how they have to kind of go through a trial-and-error process of figuring it out. That feels very real to me.”