Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is renowned for its gripping dialogue, but even this intense drama has its moments of levity.
In a recent chat with Variety, Mariska Hargitay (Olivia Benson) reminisced about some of the show’s most memorable lines, including a particularly amusing one from Season 12, Episode 5 (“Wet”).
“I’m not the one who stabbed the captain with a pickle!” Hargitay recited the line with a laugh, recalling the absurdity of the moment.
She went on to explain the scene’s context: “Somebody slipped [Benson] mushrooms, and I had to do an interrogation scene. I had to deliver this line as seriously as I could, and I remember feeling like I earned my money that day.”
Her co-star and long-time friend Christopher Meloni (Elliot Stabler) loves to remind her of that quirky moment.
“Only certain kinds of people bring up that line with me. Mostly my co-star Chris Meloni, who likes to go down memory lane,” Hargitay said with a chuckle.
Christopher Meloni’s Heartfelt Tribute to Mariska Hargitay
Despite their playful teasing, Hargitay and Meloni share a deep admiration for each other. This was evident when Meloni gave a touching speech honoring Hargitay at the Glamour Woman of the Year Awards in 2021.
“I have been trusted with one task tonight: introduce someone who needs no introduction, who I’ve been working with for 13 years and been friends with for 22,” Meloni began. “She’s got great energy, great personality. So tonight, I say this: Radiant. Charming. Funny. Generous. Elegant. Bawdy. Honest. Appreciative. Inclusive. Direct. Vivacious. That’s my favorite word; it comes from Latin, to live. Which is what she does with great passion, every day, with everyone that she engages, be they friends, family, strangers, or commitments.”
Meloni continued his heartfelt tribute, saying, “She’s fearless, without the bravado of the warrior stance, but always with the open arms, the open heart. She’s a connector of people because she knows we’re all better when we’re working together. She is as comfortable in the sacred as she is in the profane; she is a soul in the constant search of the beauty and the truth that she knows this world holds, but she also knows that it requires vigilance, persistence, and insistence to pry magic from the oftentimes mundane reality. Her first instinct is to always react with compassion and empathy. She sees hope in the hopeless; she sees the potential in you, and me, and us.”
Their enduring friendship and professional chemistry continue to be a cornerstone of Law & Order: SVU, making the show a beloved fixture for fans.
Don’t miss Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, airing Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on NBC, followed by Law & Order: Organized Crime, which will move exclusively to Peacock for season 5.
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