“Law & Order: SVU” remains one of NBC’s most popular shows as it heads into its 28th season. Recently, the star of the show, Mariska Hargitay, opened up about previously considering leaving and why she ultimately decided against it. Of course, this comes after her former costar, Christopher Meloni, departed in 2011.
Regarding the current cast of “Law & Order: SVU,” Hargitay stars alongside Ice-T, Peter Scanavino, Kelli Giddish, and more. The upcoming season premieres on October 28.
Mariska Hargitay Has No Plans to Leave ‘Law & Order: SVU’
GettyHargitay interviewed with Variety in August 2026, discussing everything from her “Law & Order” legacy to her hosting duties for the upcoming Primetime Emmys. Specifically, she stated that her love of comedy led her to consider leaving the series at one point in her career.
According to her, “The comedy thing was painful to me because I felt like I was only exercising one part of myself. People would say, ‘You need to get off that show and do comedy. You need to get off that show and have a talk show.'”
However, instead of leaving the ever-popular NBC series, Hargitay realized the filming schedule would allow her to pursue other passions. She said, “Do I want to quit now? No. Why? I made a movie while shooting; I did a play for six weeks on hiatus. I’m hosting the Emmys.”
The actress added, “Next summer, if I don’t make another movie, I’ll probably do another play. And I love it!” She continued explaining, “I wasn’t ready to leave, because I loved it. And then I got to do all this other stuff, and that’s why I don’t think about leaving right now.”
She Also Opened Up About Meloni Leaving ‘Law & Order’
GettyDuring the Variety interview, Hargitay also spoke about her relationship with Meloni, including how much she didn’t want him to leave “Law & Order: SVU” when he did. She told the outlet, “I did not want him to leave. I tried so hard to broker that, because it didn’t end great with them. “
Regarding her becoming the face of the show after Meloni’s exit, the actress stated, “It was a question for everybody: Can she hold the show? Can she lead the show? Nobody knew. It was one of those moments of stepping up. And sometimes you don’t step up until there’s a space.”
The Actress is Hosting The Emmys
GettyNBC will air the 78th Primetime Emmys on September 14. Per PEOPLE, Hargitay opened up on “Today” about how she was offered the gig, sharing that she believed she was being fired. According to her, “I was backstage, doing my play, and I got a call. It was Pearlena [Igbokwe], who’s head of the network, and I thought, ‘Oh, I should answer this. Am I getting fired?'”
She continued, “She asked me about it, and at first, I thought she was kidding. I actually thought she was kidding. It took me a while to process it.” Hargitay explained her shock, saying, “Because I thought, ‘I’m not a comedian, and it’s historically comedians.'”
She then said, “It was probably the farthest thing from my mind that I thought she was gonna say, so I actually was kind of shocked. But I said, ‘Listen, I’m about to go on [stage]. Let me think about it.'” From there, Hargitay shared that she took the weekend to consider the offer before ultimately deciding, “Why not.”
