Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) is the glue that holds Law & Order: SVU together. She’s the longest-running character in primetime television history, and that’s not even taking into account all of the cameos and crossover appearances she’s logged on other, Dick Wolf-related shows.
That being said, SVU is gearing up for its twenty-fifth season, and there has been a recent trend of shows parting ways with their protagonist. NCIS no longer has Gibbs (Mark Harmon), and Grey’s Anatomy has been forced to carry on without Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo). Is Benson the next one to go?
Is Mariska Hargitay leaving Law & Order: SVU?
Fortunately, nothing could be further from the truth. Hargitay is still in the mix, as she mentioned during an interview with Nerds of Color. “It’s hard to put into words what it’s like to find your life’s work and find your higher meaning”, she noted. “I am so grateful to play whatever part, however big or small, in any survivor’s healing.
The actress went on to note that were she to leave SVU suddenly, without allowing time for the writers to craft a strong exit, than she would be doing a disservice to the fans. “So for me, if I walked away tomorrow”, Hargitay noted. “I would be happy because it’s just been beautiful to teach people how to deal with survivors, teach people about the neurobiology of trauma, teach people things that they didn’t understand, and also play a part in a victim’s healing, you know?”
While Hargitay still enjoys playing Benson, she did admit that she’s looked to the future, and put some thought towards when she should hang up her badge and gun. She didn’t mention when, but she did make it clear that she and SVU boss Dick Wolf have a plan in place for when the time comes. “Not yet”, was her simple response to E! News during a 2018 interview.
Hopefully Hargitay won’t be leaving anytime soon.
