Arienne Mandi (Eva Imani on Chicago P.D.)

Summary

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One Chicago Podcast

Guest: Ariane Mandi (Officer Eva Amani on Chicago P.D.)
Host: Brian Luce
Date: February 5, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode features an in-depth interview with Ariane Mandi, who plays Officer Eva Amani—the newest member of the Chicago P.D. "bullpen." Host Brian Luce (a former cop and Chicago P.D. producer) invites Ariane to discuss what it's like joining an established cast, building her character, and the behind-the-scenes dynamic on set, especially her longtime friendship with co-star Benny Aguilar (Officer Torres). The episode also provides a deep-dive into Eva’s pivotal solo episode, her character’s traumatic backstory, and Mandi’s approach to performing emotionally charged material.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Real-Life Friendship with Benny Aguilar (Officer Torres)

[04:11–08:28]

• Ariane and Benny met in a Los Angeles jiu-jitsu class; their friendship predates the show.
• Their off-screen chemistry feeds into authentic camaraderie on-screen, especially in scenes like the "wire room."
• Early disbelief and excitement at being cast together made their first episodes special and “surreal.”

Quote:
"We just became the best of friends. Just very like, cut from the same cloth kind of people, you know?"
—Ariane Mandi [04:23]

Memorable moment:
Brian shares that on set, Jason Beghe (Voight) calls Ariane and Benny "two kittens in a basket of yarn" because of their playful energy. [07:52]

2. Crafting Eva Amani’s Character

[08:32–17:53]

• Ariane watched prior seasons to prepare, wanting to honor first responders’ real life stakes and trauma.
• Eva’s backstory includes a missing sister, shaping her as a solo, guarded person.
• Episodes gradually reveal her vulnerable and tough sides—balancing impulsiveness with restraint.

Quote:
"It's about the work. We're clearing this house while also getting to know each other... so who are you? What do you do? Oh, I don't trust you."
—Ariane Mandi [07:27]

Memorable scene:
First vulnerable car scene with Jason Beghe (Voight), where her character gently pushes Voight for personal information. Both actors relished the nuanced give-and-take. [10:43–11:52]

Notable insight:
Ariane is "still finding" Eva, allowing her real-life self and the character to mutually evolve:
"Just allow for Ari to learn from Eva and Eva to learn from Ari."
—Ariane Mandi [16:32]

3. Highlights from Key Episodes & Scenes

[17:53–19:19]

• Eva’s defining scene (with Ruzik in Episode 1): physical altercation and standoff—showcasing her fearless, lone ranger persona.
• Quiet, personal moments in her apartment reveal the character’s solitude and focus.

Quote:
"I'm like, I don't care what happens to me. I'm here, I'm doing my thing. I'm not afraid of this gun."
—Ariane Mandi [18:40]

4. Behind the Scenes: Ensemble, Crew, and Set Culture

[19:22–31:39]

• The ensemble cast is "tight-knit," with many team members rising through the ranks.
• Cast and crew maintain warmth and humor even in grueling conditions (e.g., filming in snow).
• Background actors and stunt coordinators (particularly Tom Lowe and Ariane’s stunt double Adrienne) are credited for professionalism and safety.

Quote:
"I feel so lucky to be with people who love their job as much as I do."
—Ariane Mandi [33:15]

Behind-the-scenes fun:
Shooting in the museum (Episode 12) involved real laughter and adventure between takes, exploring exhibits in downtime. [29:27–30:17]

5. Deep Dive on Eva’s “Solo” Episode (Episode 12)

[22:44–32:37]

• Ariane describes her mix of excitement and nerves tackling heavy subject matter (child abduction/pedophilia).
• She notes the emotional ambiguity of scenes where her character must notify a mother about her missing child—with no clear-cut answers.
• Guest stars (Donna Lynn, Jacob, Austin) were praised for powerful, sensitive performances.

Quote:
"How do you expect a mother to give up hope?"
—Ariane Mandi [27:12]

Most Challenging Scene:
Delivering devastating news to the mother:
"I really struggled with delivering the news to Gemma..."
[26:27–27:39]

6. Learning from Cast & Crew; Set Philosophy

[12:49–14:36, 34:11–35:28]

• Ariane has learned the most from both Benny (personal growth) and Jason Beghe (persistence, knowing when to lead vs. support).
• Crew-wide ethos: growth is valued, advancement is possible, and mutual care is palpable.
• Luci praises “undeniable” family atmosphere on set, highlighting cast longevity and deep bonds.

Quote:
"Everyone's so tight and all up in each other's business. And I love it."
—Ariane Mandi [34:11]

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Notable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• "Two kittens in a basket of yarn." —Jason Beghe’s description of Ariane & Benny [07:52]
• "He's unapologetically himself." —Ariane Mandi on Jason Beghe/Voight [12:16]
• "The beautiful thing is we're all...giving from the top to the bottom." —Brian Luce [40:24]
• "Just allow for Ari to learn from Eva and Eva to learn from Ari." —Ariane Mandi [16:32]
• "How do you expect a mother to give up the hope?" —Ariane Mandi [27:13]

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Rapid Fire: Fun Questions & Reflections

[35:41–38:52]

• Would bring Peitha (from Law & Order SVU) onto P.D.—for her legacy and power. [36:03]
• Who does Eva want on her six? Larois—"he's a tank." [36:59]
• Most tactically sound: Based on experience, Ben (Torres), but hears Ruzik and Burgess are top-notch. [37:13]
• If she could interrogate one castmate: Jason Beghe, and would ask "What are you most afraid of?" [38:48]

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Behind the Scenes: Tricks, Challenges, and Camaraderie

• Ariane credits guest star Donna Lynn for her ability to switch intensity on/off, dancing after intense scenes [31:43–32:37].
• Crew members commonly advance through the ranks in the Chicago P.D. family, which is unusual in TV [34:33].
• Cast and crew remain connected to the “realness” of police work—Brian Luci’s background lends authenticity and gravity in handling sensitive storylines [40:24].

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Final Reflections & Closing Words

• Ariane expresses ongoing gratitude for joining a community that is both talented and welcoming.
• Brian Luce praises Ariane for her dedication, humility, and positive energy as a newcomer.

Quote:
"You have brought this energy to Chicago PD being the newcomer, and you've taken on so much, and you've befriended everybody, and everybody just loves you."
—Brian Luce [39:03]

• Ariane reciprocates, crediting Brian as "the heart and soul of the show." [39:39]

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Suggested Listening Segments

• Ariane on Friendship with Benny Aguilar (Torres): [04:23–08:28]
• Discussion on Building Character and Vulnerable Moments with Voight: [10:43–12:49]
• Detailed Analysis of Eva’s “Solo” Episode: [22:44–32:37]
• Rapid Fire Q&A: [35:41–38:52]

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Tone & Takeaway

The conversation is warm, candid, and often humorous—peppered with fond teasing, earnest praise, and a clear sense of mutual respect throughout. Both host and guest remain deeply engaged with the emotional reality and responsibility of portraying law enforcement, but never lose sight of the value found in camaraderie, growth, and a tangible off-screen “PD family.”

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Transcript

[Ariane Mandy]

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[Brian Lucci]

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[Ariane Mandy]

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[Brian Lucci]

Hey, I'm Brian Lucci, and this is the official one Chicago podcast.

[Ariane Mandy]

Action.

[Brian Lucci]

There's a new face in the bullpen this season. It's Officer Eva Amani, played by Ariane Mandy, our brand new squad member. Look out, Chicago. This one comes with surprises. Police. Stop struggling.

[Ariane Mandy]

Put down your gun, you idiot. I'm on duty with the atf.

[Brian Lucci]

Fans have called her a fearless outsider, a lone wolf, a younger mirror image of Sergeant Hank Voight.

[Ariane Mandy]

We crash the house. Claim exigent. No judge in the world would disagree. They would. I don't care. We gotta move.

[Brian Lucci]

Today on the pod, you'll hear about what it's like to be the newbie on the set, how Ariane is developing her character, and why she and Benny Aguilar, AKA Officer Taurus, can't stop cracking each other up.

[Ariane Mandy]

In the very beginning, I think it, we were still in this disbelief that we were on the same show together.

[Brian Lucci]

That's all coming up next, so don't go anywh.

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[Brian Lucci]

Okay, let's get cooking. With Ari and Mandy, we started things off talking about her long time real life friendship with Benny Aguilar, better known as Taurus, and how they met.

[Ariane Mandy]

We met in Los Angeles in a jiu jitsu class. We both happened to start in the same week and we became training partners and became friends outside of that and, and realized we were both actors and. And kind of started hanging out and doing tapes together and we just became the best of friends. Just very like, cut from the same cloth kind of people, you know, you could see it.

[Brian Lucci]

It's. It's.

[Ariane Mandy]

It's contagious.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah. It's an undeniable. We're just two idiots. We're all jealous of it, you know? Ahrii, when you were watching Chicago pd, was there any favorite moment that stuck out, anything he did, any part of the episode?

[Ariane Mandy]

Before I came here to Chicago, right around the time when I auditioned for this role, there was an episode from last season that was Ben and Toyah.

[Brian Lucci]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Ariane Mandy]

And it was raining.

[Brian Lucci]

Is she breathing?

[Ariane Mandy]

No.

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No.

[Ariane Mandy]

What? Somebody killed her. And it was so intense. And then there was a fight that happened. And that was just so well done and so well choreographed and just looked so believable. I was like, blown away by that. Shut up. Shut up.

[Brian Lucci]

Swells in the water. So that. That felt real to you?

[Ariane Mandy]

Oh, my God. It felt so real.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah. And he plays this dark, dark character, but when he's in real life, he's like this goofy little kid. Right.

[Ariane Mandy]

He couldn't be more opposite from what Torres is.

[Brian Lucci]

What is your favorite scene so far with Benny that you guys did? Can you think of one?

[Ariane Mandy]

Yeah, it was a couple episodes ago. It was a Torres driven episode. And he. Him. It's when him and I, Imani and Torres, kind of start helping each other on a case. I start helping him. He, like, asks for my help. And there's a scene where we're in the wire room and he's asking for my help, and. And we kind of got to let a little bit of our camaraderie show there.

[Brian Lucci]

He didn't hear anything. And those places are super loud.

[Ariane Mandy]

Hang on. Scuba needs to make deliveries to a paper warehouse that shut down a year ago. Raw pulp smells like sulfur. And that was really fun because I don't think you ever see Torres in a light situation like that with somebody, and that was really fun to capture.

[Brian Lucci]

There was a scene with you and Jason Begay in 1301 or one of the beginnings where you guys went in to search an apartment.

[Ariane Mandy]

Yes. Oh, you love that scene. I love that scene, too. It was a great scene.

[Brian Lucci]

I love the scene. Remind me of. Of the Wire. You know, you went as the police and you worked, and you guys never looked at each other.

[Ariane Mandy]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

And it was like a full conversation. And I remember this scene in the wire room with Benny.

[Ariane Mandy]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

You walked in and you're, like, taking in the boards and you ain't looking at the knucklehead.

[Ariane Mandy]

I'm looking for a phone.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah, yeah.

[Ariane Mandy]

Looking at the knucklehead.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah. Right. You're looking for a phone for your desk because somebody stole it. You knew he needed help, but you guys played it, and it was like this. This amazing feel. You know what I mean? I love that because it was about the work.

[Ariane Mandy]

And that's the same thing that was happening with that scene with Jason is it was about the work. We were cleaning this, clearing this house while also getting to know each other at the same time in these very quick moments of like, so who are you? What do you do? Oh, I don't trust you. Oh, who? You know what I mean? Like, it's this. While you're doing the work, it's dirty.

[Brian Lucci]

And messy and stepping on it.

[Ariane Mandy]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

Is it hard to be in a scene with Benny because you guys are such good giggle buddies?

[Ariane Mandy]

I think in the.

[Brian Lucci]

You know what Void calls you? I'm going to tell you what Void calls you. He calls you to two kittens in a basket of yarn.

[Ariane Mandy]

That's Right.

[Brian Lucci]

That's what he calls you.

[Ariane Mandy]

In the very beginning, I think it. We were still in this disbelief that we were on the same show together. And it was such a happy coincidence that it all went down the way it did. So in the very beginning, it was surreal and kind of challenging. But I think, like, once we got to that episode that I was telling you about, I think it was so. Cause we both love the work and we were both very into the work, so it was pretty easy to kind of fall into that.

[Brian Lucci]

Did you watch any Chicago PD before joining because of Benny?

[Ariane Mandy]

I did. I actually. Not. Not even because of Benny, but just because I wanted to get a feel for the show, obviously. Like, I. I remember getting shy hard. Him. Yeah, yeah. Oh, yeah. I got the call from him when he got the job and he was really excited to come here. And I remember wanting to support him through that. And then also when I got the audition, I. I went and binged some of, I think last season. And then prior to that, I'd seen a couple other seasons. And I think what the show does so well and what I'm really grateful to be able to do is to you maintain the integrity of these people who are putting their lives on the line every day.

[Brian Lucci]

Oh, that's nice.

[Ariane Mandy]

In these situations, but also still finding the truth in these characters lives of how they navigate that and what it does to them. And I think that's what people love to see. It's a beautiful thing.

[Brian Lucci]

It's never the case. It's what the character went through, you know what I mean? But it's also what I love that you guys honor and what the show honor is what the victim went through. The one that we're gonna talk about later was about someone who lost their son who was abducted, who was taken and oh, was he just missing and what happened to him. And the story bedded down in your.

[Ariane Mandy]

Character is about my sister who was also abducted and went missing. And the reason why I'm essentially in.

[Brian Lucci]

Chicago as a crew, you know, we get to see a take after take after take, but you're sitting there going, oh, my God. This story for the people who. Who lost somebody, you know, I mean, who has the missings that we see and the seek to identify and all these things that we're going through that we put you through. Someone sitting on the couch who. Who missed and lost somebody.

[Ariane Mandy]

So I remember being outside when we were shooting that episode with you and with Chad, and we were trying to find this moment. Right. I remember you explaining to Me. You were like, this is for those people who have experienced this loss, the people who never found their people.

[Brian Lucci]

Right. Has there been any scene that really stood out, just you and Jason, that hit you? I know these are hard to be asked on the spot because there's been so many.

[Ariane Mandy]

Yeah, there's been so many. There was a day at Smash Studios when we were just in the car all day, and we were, like, doing all these driving scenes that we had that we hadn't covered yet.

[Brian Lucci]

And.

[Ariane Mandy]

And it was like the first vulnerable moment between Jason and I. I was basically asking him, is that photo? Is that you?

[Brian Lucci]

That's that. I love this scene.

[Ariane Mandy]

I love that scene.

[Brian Lucci]

It came to my head. Go ahead, keep talking.

[Ariane Mandy]

I have a vulnerability. Cause you don't. You never see the old man being vulnerable. Like, he's never. He keeps to himself, and he. He doesn't let anyone know how he feels. And to get these two people together who are Both have a very hard shell and to kind of open up to each other.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah.

[Ariane Mandy]

Even if just for a moment, very subtly, I thought that was so special. The hell is that? Is that from a case? Who sent it? Tell me when I should stop asking questions. I mean, I dropped that off of your truck.

[Brian Lucci]

What I loved about your character is, like, you don't hold back. Oh, what's that? Blah, blah, blah. But you. You won't answer too much. Like, you. You'll be quiet about it. So you have this mirror between you two, and that picture came out, and you knew it hit him. It was nice.

[Ariane Mandy]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

When it finally came around and you guys talked about it, it was beautiful. That's a beautiful moment.

[Ariane Mandy]

You're right.

[Brian Lucci]

And then even with Amy Morton, you had some stuff with where Platt. You know, you could see that they're up to something, and the way they played it.

[Ariane Mandy]

Oh, was. Was great. And me sticking my nose in the whole situation, I was like, so what's. So what's going on here?

[Brian Lucci]

If you had only one word to describe Jason, Begay Voight, what would that word be? I got you tapping your toes.

[Ariane Mandy]

Yeah. One word. That's tough. Unapologetic.

[Brian Lucci]

Oh, that's perfect.

[Ariane Mandy]

In the sense of, like, he's unapologetically himself.

[Brian Lucci]

No, I love that he preaches, like, truth. That's it. That's his word. Truth.

[Ariane Mandy]

We've had some really profound conversations to really dig to the truth of a situation, and Jason loves to go there with me, and we'll have these wonderful conversations, and I think he just seeks out truth.

[Brian Lucci]

Who have you Learned the most from out of all the cast. And what did you learn from him?

[Ariane Mandy]

I think I learn so much from everyone. It's really. It's really beautiful how everyone has been strung together so perfectly. Everyone brings something to the table that's different. Obviously, Ben, on a personal level where we're constantly. We're obsessed with growth, the two of us. So I'm always learning from him and his desire to grow in the work and outside of the work. And then from Jason, I think he's also on the same pursuit of growth constantly, and he's not afraid of it, and that's really inspiring to me. Cause, you know, along the course of this season, I think there are a lot of parallels in the work that we do. There are parallels in life that come out in the work and how beautiful that we get to explore that. Yeah, there have been a lot of very challenging moments for me, and I think Jason really sees me and sees where he can give his guidance and also when to kind of, like, back off. And there's just such a deep level of care there, I think, on both parts. And he knows when to chime in and when not to. But he's always, like, there for me.

[Brian Lucci]

I love that. It's just a very awesome community of people that are just trying to get it right.

[Ariane Mandy]

Absolutely. And everyone brings something special to the table. Like, even, you know, Marina was one of my. Really just extended herself to me from the very beginning when I got here and was just so welcoming. Patty, the same. Laroise cracking jokes from the very beginning. Like, everyone brings something really special, and I'm really grateful.

[Brian Lucci]

What do you like most about playing Eva Amani?

[Ariane Mandy]

Knowing when to be impulsive and when to kind of hold my impulse. I think that's the most fun thing to explore with her.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah.

[Ariane Mandy]

Because there is a part of me, Ari, that's also like that. I. I'm. I can be very impulsive and. And sometimes I need to know when to reel it back and when to express and when not to express. And. And I really enjoy that part of Ava as well. Like, she's. Sometimes she can't hold back, and she does things that. That get her in trouble, but that's just who she is. And that's.

[Brian Lucci]

When you went in the bell house, went through the door.

[Ariane Mandy]

Oh, my gosh.

[Brian Lucci]

You know, I mean, you weren't making the call. You. You made it.

[Ariane Mandy]

I didn't think about it. I thought about it for a millisecond. Right.

[Brian Lucci]

I thought about it.

[Ariane Mandy]

I was like, do I. Do I reach out to Voight. Do I bring him into this? But I was like, no, I gotta move. I gotta move right now. That's what's important. And I couldn't let anything stand in the way of that.

[Brian Lucci]

And I love that you knew that if you would have called Jason Begay in the scene where you were at the back door and it was dark and you knew you had to go in, and you breached that door in that spooky house, and we creep through with you. And what was kind of neat about that, it was. Even though it was in the middle of our episodes, it was kind of like a solo adventure for you.

[Ariane Mandy]

Totally.

[Brian Lucci]

It was like the first scene, like, I'm alone. She's alone with the rest of the team. This isn't like, Jason ain't tailing you. This guy ain't out in front of you. It was all you. And I remember being out there, and we're like, oh, my God, look at. My lady friend's killing it, you know?

[Ariane Mandy]

Julie. Julie, it's Officer Imani.

[Brian Lucci]

How did you find her? Based on the aspects of yourself or people you know or a certain character that you like, how did. How did you find her? Or are you still finding her?

[Ariane Mandy]

I'm still finding her.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah.

[Ariane Mandy]

I think that's the beauty of any character that you're lucky enough to get to play for an extended period of time is, like, you're constantly finding. You're finding, and you're. You're integrating and you're exploring. And I'm someone who is very obsessed with details. And what I'm learning currently is that sometimes the little details don't matter. It's about how something makes you feel. I remember having a conversation with Chad early on where he was like, you know, you're gonna be finding it. And same with Jason. He said the same thing. He's like, just allow for Ari to learn from Ava and Ava to learn from Ari.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah. We speak of Chad. Chad Sexton is our executive directing producer who's just an amazing human being. Chad started out as the second AD and then here on the show, he worked his way to 1st AD they gave him a couple episodes to direct. He's wicked smart. He's so smart. I called him the robot because he didn't have any emotions. Like, it took him to be able to show his emotions to, like, working with you guys. Nobody knows the show better, I mean, Gwen, than him. They're just a wonderful pair. And he'll, like you just said, it'll take you a while to Find it. And I asked that to Jason, and Jason said, if I'm not evolving, I'm no longer like even.

[Ariane Mandy]

What's the point?

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah, what's the point? Yeah.

[Ariane Mandy]

I couldn't agree more.

[Brian Lucci]

What's a scene or a moment that you think best represents who she is as a character?

[Ariane Mandy]

Oh, I think that scene with Ruzik where we run into the back. The very episode one, Right. Where we're running into the back. And then we get into that physical altercation. I'm scrapping and I'm throwing hands and legs and whatnot and. And then the gun is in my face, Right. Voight comes up and the gun is in my face and I don't flinch. The chances are we're chasing the same guy. Look, I don't gotta tell a beat sergeant what I'm working.

[Brian Lucci]

Excuse me.

[Ariane Mandy]

Did I stutter? I don't need to tell you. All right, I gotta go right now. So you got my name, you have all my input. You can run up to your superiors, give me my id. No.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Ariane Mandy]

I'm like, I don't care what happens to me. I'm here, I'm doing my thing. I'm not afraid of this gun.

[Brian Lucci]

Because you've been a lone ranger on a job. They call it a lone ranger. Someone that's just out there. And now you became a part of a pack and you're learning how to do that and navigate through that. I'll tell you a scene. It was beautiful. When you go get your apartment and then later. I know it sounds funny, but it's later we see you on the quest of trying to find your sister.

[Ariane Mandy]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

And it's like this quiet place.

[Ariane Mandy]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

There we see she doesn't care about fancy clothes.

[Ariane Mandy]

No.

[Brian Lucci]

Fancy furniture.

[Ariane Mandy]

She's got a bag full of stuff. And that's it.

[Brian Lucci]

That's it. Sit down. And you're. You're working at home.

[Ariane Mandy]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

You know what I mean? And I'm like, oh, my God. This is. This is who we have on my.

[Ariane Mandy]

Little blow up mattress with my beer and my takeout.

[Brian Lucci]

Your beer.

[Ariane Mandy]

And that's all I need.

[Brian Lucci]

Don't go anywhere. When we come back, we'll go over episode 12 with a fine tooth comb. It's a real breakout episode for Officer Amani and the woman who plays her, Ariane. Manny takes you behind the scenes right after this quick break. The world of Sonic the Hedgehog has been thrust into a not so dark, not so stormy, hard boiled detective story that probably nobody saw coming. Follow Sonic and the intrepid Chaotix Detective Agency as they take on their biggest case yet. This high flying, action packed adventure will take them across the world, fighting for every clue they can find. It's one heck of a tale, which is good because this story might be the only thing that can save their lives. Well, if that's all, I can just dispose of you.

[Ariane Mandy]

Wait, what.

[Brian Lucci]

All will be revealed in Sonic the Hedgehog presents the Chaotix Case Files. Listen now, wherever you get your podcasts.

[Ariane Mandy]

When the Chaotics are on the case. From the parents behind Law and Order comes a mystery the whole family can enjoy. Patrick Picklebottom Everyday Mysteries Step into the whimsical world of Patrick Picklebottom, a precocious 11 year old with a love for reading and an uncanny ability to solve mysteries. Inspired by the beloved children's book of the same name, this podcast vividly brings Patrick's tales of deduction and everyday adventures to life as he unravels baffling enigmas and and solves clever cases. Patrick Picklebottom Everyday Mysteries is perfect for kids and is just as entertaining for grownups who love a good mystery. The whole family can listen now, wherever you get your podcasts. Oh, please, not that music. That music gives me nightmares from my childhood. Could we get something a little bit lighter?

[Brian Lucci]

Some lighter music here?

[Ariane Mandy]

Are you a fan of true crime TV shows?

[Brian Lucci]

And what about Unsolved Mysteries, the show that jump started all of our love of true crime?

[Ariane Mandy]

I'm Ellen Marsh.

[Brian Lucci]

And I'm Joey Taranto and we host.

[Ariane Mandy]

I Think Not a true crime comedy podcast covering some of the wildest stories from your favorite true crime campy TV shows all the way to Unsolved Mysteries.

[Brian Lucci]

Baby, you will laugh, you will cry. You'll think about true crime in a whole new way.

[Ariane Mandy]

And you'll also ask yourself, who gave these people mics? New episodes of I Think not are released every Wednesday, with bonus episodes out every Thursday on Patreon. And every Monday you can listen to.

[Brian Lucci]

Our true crime rundown where we go.

[Ariane Mandy]

Over the top true crime headlines of the week. So come and join us wherever you listen to your podcasts.

[Brian Lucci]

Okay, let's talk about episode 12 from this season. All right. When you first read the episode, because I know you get it a little ahead of time to get to practice. Was there any first impressions? Were you nervous? Were you excited? Because this is your solo. Yeah, this is all about you.

[Ariane Mandy]

I think I was, you know, equal. Equal parts nervous and excited. Like a sharp inhale and exhale where you're like okay. We're dealing with this topic of freaking pedophiles. Right. And it's so real and so heavy and. And it's a lot. And even in those initial scenes with our wonderful guest stars, the people who we have cast in. In this episode playing the mother and the son.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah. Gemma and Grady, the brother.

[Ariane Mandy]

Yes.

[Brian Lucci]

They were awesome.

[Ariane Mandy]

They were incredible. Both of them, such amazing actors. And I remember reading that and being like, wow, this is. This is going to be intense. This is going to be really. We're going to have to go there. I wanted to make sure we found the truth, but also explore what Imani's going through, which is the possibility of her sister and her finding her sister or never finding her sister again. So I think I was really excited to get to do my solo mission, like you said, but also nervous because of the topic and the severity. It's just. So. Yeah. Nothing about it is good.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah. The woman that called you for help, she was calling you for help, and you showed up on the scene, and you guys were outside. I sat in the back of the apartment behind the camera just to see how you dealt with the domestic. Because you were put in the middle of a domestic. The mother was throwing shit.

[Ariane Mandy]

Oh, yeah. Screaming.

[Brian Lucci]

The kid's screaming. And you have no idea what's going on. And you're trying to figure this out. And I'm watching you, but I'm also watching you as a policeman, and you're doing everything right. Like, you're keeping your distance. You're de. Escalating. You're talking to him. You're taking in the data, and this is your solo mission.

[Ariane Mandy]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

You know, one of the first things that we filmed, and I'm like, oh, my God. I'm like, okay, my lady's doing. She's killing this. You know what I mean? Like, it was so good. Yeah. There's a sense of, like, you're proud. You know what I mean?

[Ariane Mandy]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

But then.

[Ariane Mandy]

Thank you.

[Brian Lucci]

You're trying to have fun, but then you're thinking about this little boy who's missing and the man that took him and this woman. Leave the light on.

[Ariane Mandy]

Leave the light on. The. She's got this thing tied around a tree outside. You know, parent of a. Of a. Of a child that's been abducted, and all that is so real.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah.

[Ariane Mandy]

There are so many situations and so many cases, and.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah, I'm gonna give you that one. Yeah. This episode reveals more about the mystery of Imani. We already knew from earlier seasons that she's been looking for a Sister who disappeared. But now we learn more that she reported sightings in Chicago. Supposedly your sister was here, right. Did anything that you learned about her backstory especially stick out or surprise you?

[Ariane Mandy]

I think. I mean, she's alone. She's really alone. She doesn't have parents. Her parents are gone. They spent their whole lives looking for their daughter till the bitter end. Right. And I think that really informs a person. I think that really informs her and. And how she moves and. And does she let people in? Does she not? Like, that stuff was very interesting to me. I thought it was. So she's unavailable in that sense. Do you know what I mean? Like, she's very closed off, but seeing her then interact with Voight and the rest of the team and, like, how she kind of integrates herself or doesn't at times.

[Brian Lucci]

You carried the whole episode, you know, solo, and it wasn't an easy feat at all. As a newcomer, what scene, out of all of it, do you think was the most challenging?

[Ariane Mandy]

I really struggled with delivering the news to Gemma, and I still am on this hill, potentially willing to die on it and saying that I don't really have all the details. There was never a body that was recovered. There were sightings. It could have been another kid. This kid. This guy had abducted many kids. Was it Ben that was dumped off the boat? We don't know that for certain. And I was talking to Chad about this. I was like, chad, how am I supposed to deliver this information to this woman who could have potentially been my mother? Right? Ava's mother, getting the news of her own daughter, and it's not concrete. And you're like, how do you expect a mother to give up the hope?

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah. How do you die out that hope?

[Ariane Mandy]

How do you die out that hope? And I really struggled with, like, delivering the news to Gemma, so much so that I was, like, avoiding eye contact. And both Chad and Jason gave me this wonderful note of, when in doubt, just remember that you're a cop and your job is to be of service to them. So whether or not you agree, you also want to put this woman out of her misery in some way.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I remember we had long talks about it, and you were trying to wrap your head around it. And I remember saying, ari, this individual said that Ben didn't look right.

[Ariane Mandy]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

Like he needed medical attention.

[Ariane Mandy]

Basically got hit in the head.

[Brian Lucci]

You investigated as a copper, you were able to find out that he rented a boat when he would have never rented a boat.

[Ariane Mandy]

Right.

[Brian Lucci]

That he was pulled over because somebody said something Was dropped off.

[Ariane Mandy]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

The kid was never seen again.

[Ariane Mandy]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

You know, so you read the script, but you also broke it down like I break it down.

[Ariane Mandy]

I had to as a policeman.

[Brian Lucci]

Of course, the facts aren't here.

[Ariane Mandy]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

And what's. What's nice is when we watch it, we're going to see. It's a little ambiguous of you, you know, coming to that scene with her at the end. I'll tell you one rule tough for me. When she asked you if she could come in and talk to the bad guy, Tillman.

[Ariane Mandy]

Oh, my gosh.

[Brian Lucci]

And we were in interrogation room, something we haven't done forever. Here's the mom of a kid that was taken. And he was. He was just a piece of crap. Like, you know, and I seen you guys sitting and you were dying inside.

[Ariane Mandy]

I was. It was. It was so difficult because here's this woman that's already so fragile as is, and she's sitting in front of someone who has information saying, I forgive you. And that this man who could potentially have something to do with it, who. Who took advantage of her for money.

[Brian Lucci]

Oh, my God. That. That actress.

[Ariane Mandy]

Oh, my God. Donna Lynn. She was incredible. Incredible. And Jacob, who played Grady. Incredible. Also Austin, who played Tillman. They were all so great.

[Brian Lucci]

Grady. Yeah. The kid.

[Ariane Mandy]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

The scenes that he did and the conversations that took place for when we weren't filming.

[Ariane Mandy]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

About. No, I think this or I would do that. You know what I mean?

[Ariane Mandy]

Like, so much care.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Ariane Mandy]

So much care. It was amazing.

[Brian Lucci]

Was there any scene that was fun out of that whole episode?

[Ariane Mandy]

It was fun running around the museum. Remember that? That was pretty fun.

[Brian Lucci]

Oh, geez, I forgot. That's. That. Yeah. The whole museum thing. Yeah, yeah, yeah. How did I. How did I even lose that?

[Ariane Mandy]

I think in between takes was really fun too, because we walk up to different exhibits and just like, kind of check them out in the little downtime that we had. That was fun.

[Brian Lucci]

The scene that you speak about now about the museum, Imani is set up. Her character is set up. Iri's set up to be like, what they call the ghost surveillance officer, the one that's closest enough to call and figure out when the bad guy shows up. So you were set up in, like, the tornado room, I believe it was. Right. So you're in a tornado room. It was like Chernobyl in that room. How hot was it?

[Ariane Mandy]

It was a thousand degrees and running around. And I'm in winter clothes, like double layers underneath and a puffy puffer coat thing. And I was Dying.

[Brian Lucci]

So here's one. What's something that you saw in this production, by our team, in this episode that kind of blew you away? Whether it was production designers, whether it was stunts, costumes. What impressed you?

[Ariane Mandy]

Hmm. Like you said, we had so many background actors. Right. And their willingness to tell this story with us. I thought everyone was so respectful and so on board, and there were so many moments where I had close encounters pushing random people out of my way, or I thought they just brought everything together. And I think people forget how important background is. Oh, yeah. You really like setting the tone and setting the mood, and I think they all did such a great job. Also, just in general, I think our stunts team is amazing.

[Brian Lucci]

Oh, yeah. Tom Lowe is our stunt coordinator.

[Ariane Mandy]

Amazing.

[Brian Lucci]

Your stunt lady. I don't know her first name.

[Ariane Mandy]

Adrian.

[Brian Lucci]

Adrian. So she's new. You know what I mean? But I see her, like, she gets the crap beat out of her, and she just keeps coming back for more. And you two look so much alike.

[Ariane Mandy]

I mean, we have the. The. So my full name is Ariane and her name is Adrian Spend. The spelled the exact same way, which hers has a D and mine has no D. Oh, yeah. What are the odds of that?

[Brian Lucci]

That's bananas, right?

[Ariane Mandy]

So, yeah, she's. She's great. I mean, the whole team is. Is really. And like you said, Tom goes above and beyond to make sure we're all safe at all times. And because we're doing these take after take after take of things that are dangerous and. Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

All right. This is a part we call Talk Nice about someone behind their backs. All right.

[Ariane Mandy]

Yes.

[Brian Lucci]

Was there any actor, director, producer on this episode, you. That you really enjoyed working with and why. I think you named her, in my.

[Ariane Mandy]

Opinion, because you guys specifically. Who, Donalyn.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah.

[Ariane Mandy]

Yeah, she was. She did this thing that, like, when the take would end. And mind you, every.

[Brian Lucci]

We're talking about the woman that played Gemma, the mother in this episode.

[Ariane Mandy]

Yes. Her ability to. In the. Through doing these intense scenes over and over and over again. Every time there was, you know, cut was yelled, she would just, like, break into a little dance move she would like. And we would lock eyes and we'd do this little dance move together. I was like, okay, this is what we're doing. She's like. Was just so able to, like, separate herself from. From the work as soon as cut was yelled. It was amazing. She was such a joy to have around because she gave everything in the take and then immediately checked out when it was cut.

[Brian Lucci]

You've been on your share of TV sets. But what is something that happened behind the scenes on PD that you think is special and unique?

[Ariane Mandy]

I think we're in the season of snow and we're outside shooting these scenes and to still be able to laugh when we're not rolling and still enjoy the day as we go through it. And it's freezing outside. It's snowing sometimes. I remember sitting in the car waiting for them to set up this next shot, and I was just watching the PAs and different departments interacting and enjoying themselves, and it's freezing outside.

[Brian Lucci]

We got all the big coats all.

[Ariane Mandy]

Bundled up and, like, kind of dancing around. I just. I was observing everything, and I. I think I even said to Jason, I was like, man, I feel so lucky to be with people who love their job as much as I do. I really do feel that way about the whole cast and the whole crew. I think everyone loves being here.

[Brian Lucci]

You're right. Anybody that comes, they're like, you don't know how fortunate you are. Like, in the business right now, there's not a lot of work.

[Ariane Mandy]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

Like, and people come here and they stay here, you know, and everyone that I talk to in the podcast or whatever. Yeah, man, I'm just fortunate. I'm just so happy to be here. I'll do whatever you want, whatever you need. They're just happy to be doing their craft.

[Ariane Mandy]

Absolutely.

[Brian Lucci]

You know, and then, you know, our lighting people, our grips.

[Ariane Mandy]

Oh, my gosh. Our camera, everyone.

[Brian Lucci]

You're friends with these people.

[Ariane Mandy]

Absolutely.

[Brian Lucci]

You know, they love you. They see you.

[Ariane Mandy]

I love them too.

[Brian Lucci]

And you aggravate each other. It is kind of neat if you had to pick one word or two words that describe our Chicago PD family. What. What would you pick?

[Ariane Mandy]

Tight knit. Everyone. Everyone's so tight. Yeah, everyone's so tight and all up in each other's business. And I love it. And we laugh and we joke, and I also think one of the most incredible things about this set specifically is, is the way people have worked up.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Ariane Mandy]

In their posts.

[Brian Lucci]

Like, that's nice.

[Ariane Mandy]

So many people started at, like, down here in a base level position, putting.

[Brian Lucci]

Tape on the floor.

[Ariane Mandy]

Yes.

[Brian Lucci]

Than pulling focus.

[Ariane Mandy]

Yes.

[Brian Lucci]

Than holding cameras. And our dp, our James. I mean, Gwen's story is a beautiful story.

[Ariane Mandy]

Beautiful. So writers of people have that, you know, Kyle, Jay Z, like, all these people started as much lower positions in.

[Brian Lucci]

Jay Z is James Zukal. And Kyle is our. One of our camera. A. Focus.

[Ariane Mandy]

Focus pullers.

[Brian Lucci]

Who you like this. This man you just like, he's just the sweetest Nicest guy in the world.

[Ariane Mandy]

So many individuals that have just worked their way up just by showing up and being good at what they do and learning, it really shows that that is rewarded. And people do. Yeah, they stay and they work their way.

[Brian Lucci]

I think people need to know out there, like, what. What an incredible crew we have, but what an incredible cast we have. There's an undeniable family.

[Ariane Mandy]

Absolutely. Undeniable is another great word. It's just undeniable.

[Brian Lucci]

It's. It's awesome. And the other two shows have it too. All right, here we go. Here comes one of my favorite parts of doing this interview. I get the people, they call it a hot seat, but it's actually a cool seat, ain't it?

[Ariane Mandy]

It's pretty. I don't know. I'm kind of warm, right? I don't know how cool I am.

[Brian Lucci]

Yes. Is on fire. Could you turn her heat cedar off when I told you we're gonna come do this? And I loved what you said, I said, oh, I get to talk to Luch for an hour, and I always think I'm boring you to death with all the crazy stuff.

[Ariane Mandy]

No, I love it.

[Brian Lucci]

All right, here goes a really cool part. Oh, they call it rapid fire, but I call it rapid pd. All right, fpd, are you ready?

[Ariane Mandy]

Yes.

[Brian Lucci]

If you could bring any character from any Wolf entertainment show. I'm talking Law and Order, svu, FBI, other Chicago shows. On the. Our show, Chicago pd. Who would you choose and why?

[Ariane Mandy]

I'm gonna go Peitha. Yeah. We have the annual Dick Wolf dinner, and I didn't get to meet her at the dinner, but I'm aware of her longstanding relationship with Wolf Productions and how long she's been working with the shows, and I would love to have her on pd.

[Brian Lucci]

That's a powerful. That's a powerful person right there. I love her. She was one of the first podcasts we did. I was blown away. I called her. She's absolutely. I'd love to do it. And she's six. I can't. I don't know the numbers, but we talked about. It's like, over 600 episodes. 40 years.

[Ariane Mandy]

Unreal.

[Brian Lucci]

In the business. All right, here's another one. Ari, which PD character would you want to be with on your side or holding your six as you bust down the door as a bad guy? You could only pick one.

[Ariane Mandy]

Damn. I'm gonna go Larois. Cause he's a tank.

[Brian Lucci]

There you go. And they'll shoot himself. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Who do you think's the most tactically sound out of everybody. Who do you think? Moves and grooves, agile, mobile, hostile.

[Ariane Mandy]

Based on my personal experience, what I've seen, I would say Ben, but then again, I haven't worked enough with other people to know. I've heard from other people that Ruzik is amazing.

[Brian Lucci]

Ruzik's flawless. Yeah, he floats.

[Ariane Mandy]

I've barely. Unfortunately, I haven't got to work much with Patty.

[Brian Lucci]

What do you see when you go in with Burgess?

[Ariane Mandy]

That too.

[Brian Lucci]

Killer.

[Ariane Mandy]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I've seen some of her episodes and she's just so agile. She, like, folds into these tiny positions.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. You'll see.

[Ariane Mandy]

Yeah, she's.

[Brian Lucci]

But you're there, dude. You're there. You're rocking it. People should know the hard work that you put in to just become a cop. You're doing a little extra homework with police officers, which I am so proud of you for that. I just want to let you know at the end of this interview that I'm so proud that you're. You're still hungry.

[Ariane Mandy]

Like, so excited about it.

[Brian Lucci]

What is this a female officer I told you about?

[Ariane Mandy]

I need to know.

[Brian Lucci]

Yes. Cynthia Contreras is this woman who I worked with, who was an incredible officer. She worked undercover, she did this. Now she's a detective. She's someone you're going to be playing with soon. At the end of the day, I love how hungry you are and I love how you keep training. And then even you're going to go do some special shooting and clearing and fighting, and it's going to be. You're going to be more badass than.

[Ariane Mandy]

You'Re really excited about it.

[Brian Lucci]

Ari. If you could pick one castmate to throw into the interrogation room, sweat them a little bit, and ask him a burning question you always wanted to know the answer to, who would it be and why? And what's the question? You get to put him in the territory.

[Ariane Mandy]

Kind of a rapid fire question. Is that some thoughts?

[Brian Lucci]

You got to throw a guy in the interrogation room or a woman. Who would it be? You get to cuff him, put him in the hot seat.

[Ariane Mandy]

Okay, I'm gonna go. Jason, what's the question? What are you most afraid of?

[Brian Lucci]

Oh, that's badass. I love that. Do you think there is anything.

[Ariane Mandy]

Yes.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah, I do. I know he doesn't want this to end. I know he wants this to go forever.

[Ariane Mandy]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

You know what I mean? And I know he cares about everybody. You know what I mean? Like, and he just. Yeah, he's like, look at. There's 400 people counting on us so much. Yeah. Well, all I want to say is thank you so much for coming in play with me. I'm lucky enough to have the opportunity to play with you every day. You have brought this energy to Chicago PD being the newcomer, and you've taken on so much, and you've befriended everybody, and everybody just loves you. You're just humble and sweet and kind and an incredible human being. And I can't wait to see what Gwen's gonna throw at you and Chad. And here we go.

[Ariane Mandy]

Likewise. Luch. I don't know if I ever told you this, but you. Your reputation precedes you. Oh, I. By every single person before I met you, they were like, he is the real deal. He's the guy. He's like the heart and soul of the show.

[Brian Lucci]

Oh, thank you.

[Ariane Mandy]

And you are that very much. So. And. And you care so much, and I love that.

[Brian Lucci]

You're gonna make me cry. I'm not good at this. I mean.

[Ariane Mandy]

So. Thank you.

[Brian Lucci]

I just. I just know that there's so many people that wear the uniform, not just here in Chicago, but everywhere.

[Ariane Mandy]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

And I've lost so many people.

[Ariane Mandy]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

Like 15 guys.

[Ariane Mandy]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

My father. That when you come onto this show and you give everything, no one is calling it in. You know what I mean?

[Ariane Mandy]

Like, no one is.

[Brian Lucci]

No one.

[Ariane Mandy]

That's. That's the beautiful thing is we're all.

[Brian Lucci]

Giving from the top to the bottom. You know what I mean? Like, everybody. It's such a special world. I. I appreciate that. I. I hear it a lot, but, like, I. I'm not good at taking, like, the compliment, to be honest with you. I just think that because we're all. It's a macro and not a micro. But knowing the people respect who they are playing and how they're playing it, it's going to carry us forever. As long. As long as they'll let us. So thank you so much for being an incredible officer, friend, classmate, crew member, everything.

[Ariane Mandy]

Thank you so much.

[Brian Lucci]

And that's the end of this podcast. One Chicago airs on Wednesday night at 8, 7 Central on NBC. And you could stream it on Peacock. The One Chicago podcast is a production of Wolf Entertainment and USG Audio. The series is hosted by me, Brian Lucci. It's executive produced by Dick Wolf, Elliot Wolf and Steven Michael at Wolf Entertainment, Josh Block and USG Audio, and John Yell Kastner at Spokmedia. Our showrunner is Derek John, our producer is Maggie Dubrizi, and our audio producer is Jason Mark. Video production by Bo Delmore coordinating production by Tess Ryan. Our Production assistant is Montserrat Rodriguez with engineering and mix by Evan Arnett and original music by John o'. Hara. This series is produced produced by Spoke Media and distributed by Realm Production Support for USG Audio by Josh Lalonghi I'm Brian Lueuch. Thanks for listening and we'll see you all soon.

[Ariane Mandy]

This Valentine's Day, the UPS Store certified packing experts are helping pack and ship all the ways we care from the lovey dovey XOXO Gifts Gifts for your Galentine's gal pal. Even pet gifts for Doggie Dearest. When you ship UPS Air at the UPS Store, your items arrive on time or your money back guaranteed at no extra cost. Exclusively at the UPS Store US retail locations. Send your Valentines on time at the UPS Store. Visit theupsstore.com airguarantee for full details. Terms and conditions apply. Well, the holidays have come and gone.

[Brian Lucci]

Once again, but if you've forgotten to.

[Ariane Mandy]

Get that special someone in your life a gift, well, Mint Mobile is exciting, extending their holiday offer of half off unlimited wireless. So here's the idea. You get it now, you call it an early present for next year. What do you have to lose? Give it a [e-mail] Switch limited time 50% off regular price for new customers. Upfront payment required $45 for 3 months, $90 for 6 month or 180 for 12 month plan taxes and fees. Extra speeds may slow after 50 gigabytes per month when network is busy.

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