Mariska Hargitay, who has portrayed Detective Olivia Benson on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" since its 1999 premiere, considered leaving the long-running NBC drama due to concerns about career typecasting. Hargitay, who also serves as an executive producer on the show, expressed that she worried the role had come to define her too narrowly.
"I’ve got to leave the show too. I don’t want people to think I’m a one-trick pony," Hargitay recalled telling "ER" co-star Julianna Margulies, according to Variety. Margulies, who departed "ER" after six seasons, reportedly responded, "Sweetheart, that ship’s sailed."
While Benson made Hargitay a household name, the Emmy winner acknowledged that the demanding production schedule sometimes left her feeling creatively limited. "The comedy thing was painful to me because I felt like I was only exercising one part of myself," she said. "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, Hargitay stated that she was not ready to leave because she loved the show. She has since pursued other projects, including a film during production and a six-week play during an hiatus, as well as hosting the Emmy Awards. "I made a movie while shooting; I did a play for six weeks on hiatus. I’m hosting the Emmys," she noted, adding, "Do I want to quit now? No."
Hargitay has previously praised franchise creator Dick Wolf's writing. In 2023, she told Fox News Digital that Wolf is "truly a visionary" who deeply understands culture. She also commented on the paradoxical calming effect of a crime show, suggesting it can settle the nervous system by providing a sense of order and justice.
"Law & Order's" success has led to seven spinoffs, and in 2019, "SVU" became the longest-running live-action television series in history. Hargitay has been a constant presence as Benson since the show's inception and became an executive producer in 2016.