Season 22 of Law & Order: SVU is about to premiere, marking a truly impressive milestone. Mariska Hargitay has been a staple of the show since its inception in season 1, and her co-star, Ice-T, who portrays Sergeant Odafin “Fin” Tutuola, has been with her since the start of season 2. Given their long tenure, it’s safe to say they’ve had plenty of time to get to know each other. In a joint interview, Ice-T once revealed a surprising fact about Hargitay that might astonish fans.
In 2018, Hargitay and Ice-T appeared on Late Night With Seth Meyers. During the interview, Ice-T shared a tidbit about Hargitay that contrasts sharply with her serious on-screen persona as Captain Olivia Benson. Meyers asked Ice-T if there was anything about Hargitay that he found “surprising.”
“Well, I think when people watch her on television, she very rarely does anything funny on our show,” Ice-T remarked, eliciting laughs from the audience. “Right?” he added, with Hargitay joking, “There’s so much opportunity.”
Meyers quipped, “Yeah, I was going to say, ‘You know that was a really funny episode of Special Victims Unit.’”
Ice-T then revealed that Hargitay is actually a lot of fun behind the scenes, frequently joking around. “I’m just telling you, I watch her on television, and I’m like, ‘Wow, she’s dead serious.’ But behind-the-scenes, she’s crazy,” he continued. “She’s fun to be with. Nothing but jokes. I mean, not even jokes that we can tell on television.”
Despite Hargitay’s serious portrayal of Olivia Benson, she’s quite the jokester on set, a fact that might surprise many fans.
More recently, Hargitay participated in a video for Wolf Entertainment, shared on SVU’s official social media channels. In the video, Hargitay is joined by Kelli Giddish, who plays Detective Amanda Rollins, and Peter Scanavino, who plays ADA Dominick “Sonny” Carisi. They answer questions posed by someone off-camera, pointing to the cast member they think best fits each question.
When asked who is “more likely to laugh during a scene,” everyone points to Hargitay, and she agrees with a smile. Another question about who is “more likely to joke around with the crew” sees them all pointing to Hargitay without hesitation, reinforcing Ice-T’s earlier comments.
It may be surprising to learn that Mariska Hargitay loves to joke around, but it’s clear that she does. Despite tackling serious subject matter in her role, she knows how to have fun on set. This duality only underscores her talent and versatility as an actress on Law & Order: SVU.
