He's played a bullied recruit in "Full Metal Jacket," Al Franken's brother in "Stuart Saves His Family" and an alien cockroach in "Men in Black." But Vincent D'Onofrio is most recognized for playing the intense Det. Robert Goren in "Law & Order: Criminal Intent," which debuted in 2001. D'Onofrio returns to the role Sunday night for the series' final eight episodes after an 18-month departure.
During a break in shooting we talked to D'Onofrio about working with Stanley Kubrick, why "Feeling Minnesota" remains one of his favorite movies and why Goren is a close talker.
Q What persuaded you to come back for one more season?
A When [series creator] Dick Wolf calls you, you've got to consider it. He's been in the business for a long time and has amazing intuition. I wanted to go back to the kinetic Goren, the guy from the first three or four seasons. The only time we get away from the crimes is when Goren is visiting his psychiatrist, who is being played by Julia Ormond.
Q The "Law & Order" franchise has a reputation for being more concerned with plot than character. Did that ever concern you?
A Dick once said that he got into crime shows because there are automatically high stakes and that creates drama. We're a little more character-driven than the other shows, but I'm very happy we don't have a lot of soap. If we did, I would have gotten bored a lot faster.
Q You once collapsed on set and were diagnosed with nervous exhaustion ...
A What? What's nervous exhaustion?
