Imagine a world where Captain Olivia Benson of Law & Order: SVU was played by another actress because Mariska Hargitay was busy being Monica Geller on the hit sitcom Friends. Moreover, what would this have meant for Courtney Cox’s career path? Well, in a recent interview on Amy Poehler’s Good Hang podcast, Hargitay revealed just how close that scenario almost came to being a reality.
NBC’s Friends made it’s debut in 1994 and the Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (SVU) pilot aired in 1999, marking Mariska Hargitay’s introduction as Detective Olivia Benson and now commanding officer. However, the actress recently told SNL alum Amy Poehler about her early pursuits in the field of comedy and how things changed following a visit to a psychic.
The stars did not line up for a long-term success in a half-hour sitcom
Even though she is the daughter of the late screen siren Jayne Mansfield, Hargitay was once a struggling Hollywood actress trying to make it on her own. According to Hargitay, she tested for Friends multiple times and even read for the part of Monica.
She added that comedy had always been the love language of her family, and she had already secured roles on sitcoms like Seinfeld and The Single Guy. Although the Law & Order: SVU icon wanted to act in some drama, she wanted there to be some humor as well. Believing that’s where her gifts lie, Hargitay even studied improv with the Groundlings comedy troupe.
During her chat with Poehler, costar Christopher Meloni (Detective Stabler) popped in for a surprise Zoom appearance, and she spoke about her early training as a rape counselor in preparation for her role on SVU. Hargitay shared with her host a turning point in her career.
She began, “I’m in LA, struggling actor,” wondering ‘What am I going to do?’ I came to New York, which I did three times a year to see theater. And then I met with this psychic. Everyone said to me, “Oh my gosh, Mariska, you have to meet with this psychic. He’s amazing... I drove out somewhere on Long Island to this man, and I went there, and he started saying all this amazing stuff to me.
“I was listening to him really intently like this. He said to me... ‘You see that face you’re doing right now? You see that face?’ I said, ‘Yeah.’ He goes, ‘You’re going to be famous for that face. You’re moving to New York and you’re gonna be famous for that face.’”
Hargitay said she was still determined to land a Friends-type role, however. “I said, ‘Uh, no.’ I live in L.A. and I’m going to be a comedian. Six months later, swear to God... I got SVU.”
There is only one Olivia Benson in Law & Order: SVU
Mariska Hargitay is the only original cast member on the series, and the tough but empathetic Benson is the longest prime-time live-action character of all time. As of 2024, Benson has been credited in 573 episodes of SVU.
The role has catapulted her into a tier of well-respected actresses who could certainly do funny if she wanted to. For now, fans are still embracing the die-hard Hamilton and Knicks star Jalen Brunson fan as their Olivia Benson.
Law & Order: SVU airs on Thursdays at 9/8c on NBC.
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