Viewers have spent more than two decades watching actress Mariska Hargitay on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. In a recent interview, she was recently asked about her plans for a possible retirement. During the interview, the actress also hinted at upcoming news happening next year.
The Actress Has Also Worked As A Director & Producer For The Show
Hargitay first joined the cast of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Olivia Benson back in 1999. As of 2024, she’s notably the only original cast member to remain on the series, having first appeared in the pilot, “Payback.”
With the role, Hargitay has played one the longest-running characters in the longest-running American primetime drama. In addition to playing the character, Hargitay has also served as a director and a producer on the series.
Throughout the series, Benson has risen through the ranks. Starting as a New York Police Department Officer, the character has went on to become a Sergeant, a Lieutenant, and even a Captain. With how long the character has appeared onscreen, some fans have wondered if the character will “retire” anytime soon.
Her actress has recently talked about retirement with E! News. She admitted, “I have thought about that.” However, she felt that it wasn’t time to leave the role. As she put it, “Not yet. Just thought about it for way later. But I’m open.”
Retired Or Not, Mariska Hargitay Still Has Some Upcoming Plans
“I am somebody who follows the signs. I trust that the future will be right and that I will be where I’m supposed to be. I’m very engaged and fulfilled at SVU right now and there’s definitely things that I want to do and achieve challenge myself with.”
The actress also isn’t too concerned about external factors killing the show. When asked what would happen if series creator Dick Wolf simply decided to end the show, she joked that wasn’t going to happen. As she put it, “Dick would be the last person” to get tired of working on the show.
However, that doesn’t mean Hargitay doesn’t have other plans when it comes to the aforementioned “challenges” that excite her. As she teased, “I will have a big, big announcement in January.”
Back in August, Hargitay was previously asked about retirement while talking with Us Weekly. At the time, she shared a similar sentiment, saying, “I’m obviously not done with SVU and I have so much responsibility there still, which is keeping me artistically challenged. It’s challenging. In the meantime, I also have had these incredible moments.”
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