Mariska Hargitay says she fought to keep Kelli Giddish on ‘SVU’ and is still trying to get her back
Mariska Hargitay is the heart and soul of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” as well as an executive producer. But the leading lady says even she doesn't have full say on what happens on the show.
In a feature story with Variety, Hargitay revealed she fought — and continues to fight — for Kelli Giddish to return to the long-running procedural drama. However, “SVU” creator Dick Wolf has the final call.
Giddish, who portrayed Det. Amanda Rollins for 12 years, was written off midway through Season 24. She made a brief return during that season’s finale and on a couple Season 25 episodes.
“Kelli is my favorite actor to work with,” Hargitay, known as Olivia Benson on the show, said in the May 1 interview. “Kelli is my heart. It’s a sore subject. I have a lot of say on the show, but I didn’t have enough there.”
“I don’t like not being listened to, especially when I’m right,” she added. “That relationship was one of the most powerful relationships in television because you saw these two badass women, so flawed and so there for each other.”
Despite not being able to bring back Giddish on a full-time basis, she says there’s a “beautiful mutual respect” between her and Wolf.
“We’re extremely close, like family. He and I have had some gnarly negotiations. And I don’t think he’s had that with anyone else,” the actor said. “He’s said things to me that are almost paternal over the years, but tough. When I say tough love, I mean, tough love. There’s no coddling … I can do hard things now.”
She elaborated by saying she wasn’t always like that. “I think in the beginning of the show, I had to fake a lot of it. I was still learning it,” Hargitay continued. “Now I fit into these shoes. It’s been a magnificent journey. I have learned to advocate for myself, ironically, from Dick.”
Giddish, who starred in “SVU” for 11 seasons, announced that she was leaving the show in an Instagram post in August 2022. In her last appearance as Rollins, she married Assistant District Attorney Dominick “Sonny” Carisi (Peter Scanavino) and then left the unit to team at Fordham University.
She returned in the Season 24 finale to tell her former coworkers that she was pregnant. The on-screen news coincided with Giddish’s real-life pregnancy. Rollins returned for the Season 25 premiere and another cameo later in the season.
After her final episode as a series regular, Giddish told People she was "overwhelmed" by fans' concerns about her character's future and relationship with Benson.
“They were going to miss, not only the Carisi-Rollins thing, but also Benson and Rollins. I think the fans were right in saying, ‘Wait, what’s going to happen there too? What about Benson?’” she said.
Giddish also touched on how close she and Hargitay became while working together.
“That relationship really developed organically over time into such a strong female relationship. And it wasn’t like I came on the show 12 years ago and we were like, ‘Hey, I’m going to be your best buddy,’” Giddish said. “It wasn’t that. Every step of the way was earned, every hardship and every step back, Rollins had to fight her way back into being trusted again. So it was really fun to play and it kind of mirrors mine and Mariska’s relationship in real life.”
Hargitay also penned a heartfelt message to her former co-star and friend after the Dec. 8, 2022 episode.
“Kelli, I’ve loved acting, learning, growing, talking, laughing and crying with you,” Hargitay wrote on Instagram following Giddish's official exit. “I’ve loved watching your achingly beautiful performances. I’ve loved watching our friendship deepen and grow and blossom. I’ve loved every single minute of it, and I will miss you so much. You have my respect, love and gratitude forever.”
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
