Warren Leight attributes the enduring success of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit to Mariska Hargitay’s unwavering commitment to both the storytelling and her character, Olivia Benson. Speaking from New York, where the show’s 22nd season recently wrapped filming, Leight, a longtime writer for the series, can’t imagine SVU without Hargitay.
“It would never be the same,” he says, reflecting on his own journey with the show, which began just as Christopher Meloni (Elliot Stabler) departed. “When Chris left, everyone doubted the show’s survival without the Elliot-Olivia partnership. I thought, ‘I’m going to put the show on Mariska’s back because I believe she can carry it.’ And she did. We shifted the focus to her character’s evolution, and it worked beautifully.”
Leight is adamant that if Hargitay were to leave, he wouldn’t try to navigate the show without her. “Someone else could figure that out. I wouldn’t try.”
Under Benson’s leadership, her team—including Detective Amanda Rollins (Kelli Giddish), Sergeant Odafin Tutuola (Ice-T), Assistant District Attorney Sonny Carisi Jr. (Peter Scanavino), and Officer Kat Tamin (Jamie Gray Hyder)—tackles cases involving society’s most vulnerable, from women and children to the elderly and disabled. Many episodes are inspired by real-life events, and the latest season addresses the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic and the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder, which sparked the Black Lives Matter movement.
“To write about these issues as they unfold is a privilege. SVU shines a light on subjects often hidden in the dark—assaults, power imbalances, abuses of power,” Leight says. He acknowledges that while the show has evolved and now features a broader range of victims and strives for greater inclusivity, the core issues of assault and abuse persist.
Leight, a playwright, director, and executive producer, has a deep connection to the Law & Order franchise. He worked on Criminal Intent from 2003-2008 before becoming the showrunner for In Treatment. He returned to SVU for its 13th season, left in 2016, and came back again in 2019. As showrunner, he oversees every aspect of the drama, from writing scripts and casting to working with directors to authentically portray New York City and its inhabitants.
“I’ve been in New York forever and I know all the actors here and I know what the scripts are about,” he explains. “You walk them through every beat on every page of the script. You walk them through the backstory of every character and talk about how to shoot it. You talk about the style of acting. You talk to the actors about their characters before shooting, and then you edit.”
Leight’s attention to detail extends to the smallest aspects of production. “I’m very specific about the addresses because I grew up in New York. We have to use fake addresses, but I want them to seem real. I sign off on props. We have a really good team, but I look at everything. They’ll say, ‘What kind of car do you want to blow up, boss?’ That’s a typical conversation.”
Ultimately, Leight believes SVU resonates because it gives a voice to those who have been silenced by trauma. “For many people, the show offers a voice that was taken from them during an assault, or when a friend or relative was assaulted,” he says. “I appreciate the chance to write something cathartic, moving, or even change-provoking. That’s all a privilege.”