Long before kicking butt together in the Windy City, Mandi and Aguilar were training partners on the West Coast.
Fate can work in mysterious ways, and for Chicago P.D. newcomer Arienne Mandi, that twist of destiny happened after meeting Benjamin Levy Aguilar in Los Angeles years before either of them landed roles on NBC’s police drama.
Ahead of joining the P.D. Intelligence Unit in Season 13 as Eva Imani, Mandi opened up about the “kismet situation” during an interview with NBC Insider, where she reflected on the wild circumstances that eventually led Mandi and Aguilar to become friends and costars. While the two actors are now navigating the high-stakes beat of the Intelligence Unit as Imani and Dante Torres’, they both got their start out in Los Angeles.
“Getting the job was crazy because I read for the part, and it’s something that I was really excited to play,” Mandi tells NBC Insider, adding, “Also, I know Benjamin Levy. I’ve known him for a few years before coming into the show.”
Mandi and Aguilar knew each other longer before working together on Chicago P.D.
Mandi revealed that she first became friends with Aguilar far from the Windy City.
“We met actually back in 2020 in a jiu-jitsu class. We were training in L.A., actually, both of us at the time…” Mandi recalls. “We realized we have the same sense of humor, and obviously, we were both actors, so we started hanging out, helping each other with self-tapes, training a lot.”
With their shared passions, it didn’t take long for Aguilar and Mandi to develop a friendship. “We were kind of just very kindred spirits. I guess you could say we just had a blast together and became the closest of friends.”
Mandi can even recall the moment when Aguilar got the call to join P.D. ahead of Torres’ Season 9 introduction, leading her to briefly bid farewell to her L.A. friend.
“I remember when he booked the show and he gave me the news, and he was so excited,” Mandi says. “He’s like, ‘I’m moving to Chicago, it’s so crazy!’ And, you know, as friends, you always say, ‘One day we’ll work together.’ And it sort of just happened for real. Which was nuts.”
Years later, when Mandi scored an audition for Chicago P.D., she touched base with Aguilar to celebrate the exciting development.
“I reached out to him, and I was like, ‘This is so crazy, what if it happened?'” Mandi explains. “And then shortly after the first read, I met with [P.D. showrunner] Gwen [Sigan] and a few other people, and it just fit like a glove. And then within two days, they were wrapping up the deal, and I was heading out… And then as soon as we touched down here, we got right to work, and I met everybody.”
Hopping aboard such a long-running series can be intimidating, but Mandi felt at peace knowing that she already had a friend on the inside of the Intelligence Unit.
“It made the welcome to Chicago just that much warmer. You know what I mean?” Mandi explains. “You never know coming onto Season 13 of a show what it’s gonna be like. And having him here was really special, because there was someone that was familiar… It was just such a great reception.”
Don’t miss the friends’ on-screen union as Torres and Imani combine their talents in Season 13 of Chicago P.D., premiering Wednesday, October 1, at 10/9c on NBC for the return of One Chicago Wednesdays.
Chicago Med Season 11 kicks off the premiere event at 8/7c, followed by Season 14 of Chicago Fire at 9/8c, concluding with the Season 13 premiere of Chicago P.D. at 10/9c. All new One Chicago episodes are available to stream the day after they air on Peacock.
