Peter Scanavino: Early Life, Career & Net Worth
If you watch the NBC legal drama series Law & Order, you must know Peter Scanavino.
Peter portrayed more than one role in different episodes in the show before becoming a show regular.
Peter is from Colorado, United States. Moreover, he has been in the acting industry for over fifteen years.
Peter is married to a post-war artist and painter, Lisha Bai. In addition, Peter has three kids with her.
Peter Scanavino has appeared in more than twenty TV shows. In addition, Peter has worked on eleven films.
This article looks into the early life, career, and personal life of Peter Scanavino.
Quick Facts
| Real Name | Peter Muller Scanavino |
| Known as | Peter Scanavino |
| Date of Birth | February 29, 1980 |
| Age | 44 years old |
| Place of Birth | Denver, Colorado, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Residence | Miami, Florida |
| Ethnicity | Italian |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Education | Boston University |
| Profession | Actor |
| Acting Debut | 2005 |
| Movie Debut | On the Shoulder, 2006 |
| Television Debut | Jonny Zero, 2005 |
| Mother | N/A |
| Father | N/A |
| Sister | N/A |
| Brother | David Scanavino |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Spouse(s) | Lisha Bai |
| Children | 3, (Leo, youngest) |
| Height | In feet: 6 feet and 0 inches In centimeters: 183 cm |
| Weight | In kilograms: 75 kg In pounds: 165 lbs |
| Zodiac | Pisces |
| Eye Color | Blue |
| Hair Color | Brown |
| Favorite Team | New York Islanders |
| Source of Income | Acting |
| Net Worth | $1 Million – $9 Million |
| Social Media | Instagram, Twitter |
| Last Updated | April, 2024 |
Peter Scanavino: Appearance
Peter is a handsome man of Italian descent. This actor has a long face with blue eyes and brown hair.
Despite being in his 40s, Peter still has a head full of hair. Additionally, Peter’s hair is always well maintained, making him look sleek.
In addition, Peter always clean shaves his beards to look smart.
He is mainly seen wearing suits and three pieces which go well with his tall height.
This American actor stands exactly six feet tall. In addition, he has an average body build with a weight of 75 kgs.
Additionally, Peter has a dimpled smile, which adds to his charming smile.
You might be interested to read about a specialist in lead climbing and bouldering, Adam Ondra: Rock Climber, Wife & Net Worth.
Peter Scanavino: Early Life
Peter Scanavino was born in Denver, Colorado, the USA, to his Italian parents on February 29, 1980.
In addition, Peter grew up with his brother David Scanavino in Colorado.
Initially, Peter was not drawn to acting and pursued a career in other fields.
To build his career, Peter went to Boston University for higher studies. However, he later dropped college to pursue an acting career.
Peter started getting into the theater during his first year in college and later dropped out to move to New York City.
In addition, he was in his early 20s when he moved to New York City. He then started performing different theater roles.
In addition, he worked in different theaters before breaking into Television and Movies.
Peter Scanavino: Career
Television
Scanavino made his first television appearance in an American action-crime drama series called Jonny Zero in 2005.
In addition, Peter portrayed Travis’s role in the episode “No Good Deed.”
In the same year, Scanavino worked on two episodes of Third Watch. Additionally, he also portrayed two different characters in different episodes of Law & Order.
The following year, Peter appeared only in The Bedford Diaries for two episodes.
In 2009, he was seen in another episode of the series called Just a Girl in the World as Jim Anderson.
Similarly, he also worked in the comedy series Royal Pains as Mr. Blackman in the same year.
Additionally, Peter worked on different television shows from 2010 to 2014 as a guest cast.
To clarify, Peter appeared in shows such as Banshee, The Leftovers, The Blacklist, The Good Wife, Golden Boy, Unforgettable, etc.
Peter also worked on a web series called Old Friends in 2010. Moreover, he returned to Law & Order in 2013 as a guest star for another episode.
Law & Order
In 2014, Scanavino was called up for a recurring role as a new detective, Sunny, in Law & Order.
After five episodes later, Scanavino was promoted to the main cast in the same role.
Hence, Scanavino has been working as the main cast of the series since its fifth episode of the seventeenth season.
He has now been part of the show for more than six years. Additionally, the actor has only appeared in two other shows after being a regular.
Peter worked in Chicago PD and Social Distance in 2015 and 2020, respectively.
In addition, he portrayed the father of his real-life son Leo Bai-Scanavino in Social Distance.
He did not portray any roles in television in 2007, 2008, and 2011.
Additionally, Peter has mainly worked on Law & Order only since 2014.
Film
Peter Scanavino has worked on a total of eleven movies so far.
His debut film role came in 2006 as Gus in the movie On the Shoulder. In addition, he also worked on Under Surveillance the same year.
In 2008, Scanavino worked on Deception and The Informers as a desk clerk and character Leon respectively.
Similarly, he worked on Happythankyoumoreplease and Zenith in 2010, followed by Javelina in 2011.
He worked on his lowest-rated film work in 2012, Watching TV with the Red Chinese, where he plays Czapinczyk.
Additionally, he also acted as a chef in Frances Ha in the same year.
The following year, Peter was cast on two of his highest-rated movies.
He has roles in films The Cold Lands and Mutual Friends from 2013.
After Mutual Friends, Peter has not appeared in any movies till 2021.
Cooking
In between his acting career, Scanavino also pursued his interest in cooking.
He took some time away from acting in 2010 and joined The French Culinary Institute in New York.
After graduating from the Institute, Peter began working in the kitchen for a brief period.
Moreover, this actor worked at Blue Hill restaurant in Greenwich Village.
Blue Hill is a Michelin-starred restaurant owned by the famous chef Dan Barber.
You might be interested to read about the first and only gold medalist in karate from Japan, Ryo Kiyuna: Karate, Olympics & Net Worth.
Peter Scanavino: Personal Life
In Denver, Colorado, Peter Scanavino married Lisha Bai on July 2, 2011.
Initially, the couple met on the set of Law & Order and had been in a relationship since.
Additionally, this series has a significant role in improving the life and career of Scanavino.
Law & Order provided Peter the opportunity for a leading role when he sought a way to stabilize his future.
Moreover, the couple has three children as of 2021. However, their second son, Leo Scanavino, is the only child known to the public.
The name and other details of their other two children are not known and have never been talked about.
Peter’s wife, Lisha Bai, is a painter and postwar artist. In addition, she is of Asian descent but is an American citizen.
Lisha earned a bachelor’s in Fine Arts from Washington University.
In addition, she initially studied painting and printmaking at Yale Univerity as an undergraduate.
Moreover, his older brother, David Scanavino, is also a well-known artist.
Peter Scanavino: Net Worth
Peter’s primary source of income is his acting job in Law & Order.
Before becoming a regular cast of the show, Peter worked only as a guest star in shows.
As a guest star, Peter did not earn as much as he makes now as a show regular.
The estimated net worth of Peter Scanavino is between $1 million and $9 million.
On the other hand, Lisha Bai’s net worth is estimated to be between $500 thousand and $2 million.
Therefore, the couple lives a comfortable life with three children and does not have any financial problems.
You might also be interested to read about Daniel Woods: Family, Rock Climbing & Net Worth.
Peter Scanavino: Social Media
Peter is an active social media user. His Twitter page is regularly updated with new tweets, retweets, and replies.
Peter also occasionally posts on his Instagram page. However, in comparison, he is more active on Twitter.
He has a following of 91.8K on Twitter. Similarly, he has 210K followers on Instagram.
Many posts related to Law & Order can be seen on his social media accounts.
Additionally, he also rarely posts pictures with his friends and families.
Peter Scanavino: FAQs
How old is Peter Scanavino’s wife?
Peter’s wife, Lisha Bai, was born in 1979, but her birth month and date are unknown.
However, she is older than her husband Peter and is currently around 45 years old.
How does Peter feel about being on Law & Order?
Peter said that he would be forever grateful for the show in an interview.
In addition, he also said that it has changed his life and made it a different world. This actor also loves the experiences with fans.
Who is David Scanavino?
David Scanavino is the elder brother of Peter Scanavino.
In addition, he is a graduate of RISD and Yale University in painting. He is widely known in New York and the USA for his artwork.
