Benjamin Levy Aguilar Praises NBC Over Spanish-Speaking Scenes On Chicago P.D.

The scene in question comes relatively early in the proceedings and finds Detective Dante Torres returning home from a long day at the Intelligence Unit to find he’s missed supper with his doting mother (Stephanie Diaz). Their interaction indeed unfolds entirely in Spanish, complete with subtitles. This fact might seem immaterial to some, but it’s actually pretty rare for a network television series to do full scenes in Spanish. While the moment was, naturally, all the more genuine for featuring the characters speaking in their native tongue, according to Benjamin Levy Aguilar such moments are also huge in terms of authentic Latino representation in the network realm.  

The actor made that clear in a recent interview with Deadline, telling the publication he couldn’t be happier that NBC and “Chicago P.D.” creatives are making such efforts to represent Latino culture on the show. “It was an honor for me to do it and I share the same love that you have right now,” Aguilar stated. “It’s a beautiful honor that also comes with a responsibility as someone representing us through these stories. We’re here to be more than someone who is just ticking a box.”

Aguilar continued to praise the network and series’ creatives in a separate interview with Fangirlish, offering, “Sometimes [representation] does seem like checking a box and that’s literally the opposite of what [‘Chicago P.D.’] is doing.” The actor continued, stating that he couldn’t be more thrilled that the series is giving him room to explore his own story, and perhaps summed up his feelings for his role on “Chicago P.D.” best by noting simply, “I just feel so fulfilled.”