A Milestone Mariska Hargitay Isn’t Ready to Relive
Mariska Hargitay has reached a milestone few TV stars ever dream of: her show, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, has aired its 500th episode. However, Hargitay isn’t quite ready to watch it herself.
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“I’ve been sent the link so many times, but I was actually too nervous to watch it,” the 57-year-old actress confessed on Live With Kelly and Ryan on Wednesday, October 20.
Hargitay, who has portrayed Olivia Benson for 23 seasons, found the gravity of the 500th episode overwhelming. “I’ve been doing this show for so long, and Olivia Benson is in me, but the idea of the 500th episode put so much pressure on me,” she explained. “I was so nervous coming to work that day.”
Having starred on the NBC drama since its premiere in September 1999, Hargitay’s character is an intrinsic part of her. SVU became the longest-running primetime U.S. live-action show in September 2019.
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Reflecting on the relentless pace of the series, Hargitay described it as “a marathon where you’re on the hamster wheel of lines, cuts, edits, and new scripts.” Some episodes are easier than others, but for Hargitay, the 500th was a moment to appreciate their creation.
Titled “The Five Hundredth Episode,” airing Thursday, October 21, the episode features the return of Nick Amaro (Danny Pino), who seeks the unit’s help to clear a convicted man’s name, bringing a familiar face from Benson’s past back into her life.
NBC renewed SVU for three more years in February 2020, securing the show through at least season 24. Hargitay has consistently expressed her dedication to the project.
“I’m in it for the long haul,” she declared at a Paley Center panel in June 2018. “I said, ‘You keep writing like this, I’ll stay for 25 years.’ Why would I leave? I’m so grateful.”
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter in September 2019, Hargitay mentioned she evaluates her decision to stay on the show yearly. “When I’m done, I’ll know it. When I’m like, ‘OK, there’s nothing more to mine here and now I’m phoning it in, I’ve got to go.’ But I’m not there yet. I still get nervous, still get super excited.”
When she does decide to retire her character, Hargitay hopes Olivia finds real peace, balance, and love. “She’s given so much to others. I want her to fight for herself as she has fought for others,” she told TV Insider in September 2018.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on NBC.
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