After 25 years in the Law & Order universe, Mariska Hargitay has gained the power to have a say over things in her series. However, when it came to one actor’s exit from SVU, Hargitay hated that she couldn’t do anything. She wanted co-star Kelli Giddish to stay on for more seasons as Detective Amanda Rollins.
However, her favorite actor to work with was written off the show midway through Season 24. Rollins and Olivia Benson said heartwarming goodbyes in the series, while things were equally emotional between Giddish and Hargitay. Giddish’s departure came after 12 seasons on the show.
Hargitay tried to argue with Dick Wolf over the decision. She didn’t have much luck with the creator, which is not surprising after she revealed that he threatened to fire her over her decision to cut her hair.
Mariska Hargitay Hated That Dick Wolf Wrote Off Kelli Giddish’s Character From Law & Order: SVU
Fans were heartbroken when Detective Amanda Rollins left the SVU family midway through Law & Order: SVU Season 24. After working in the unit for years and seeing terrible things happen to women, it seemed right for Rollins to choose a different career path. The detective left to teach criminology at Fordham University.
Kelli Giddish stated at the time that the character was unmatchable in TV history because of the way she had grown and changed over the years (via People). Giddish has since returned to the show a few more times in a guest actor capacity but leaving the show as a regular was tough for her. It was even harder on her co-star for over a decade, Mariska Hargitay.
Hargitay has been the one constant thing in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit since its inception in 1999. Hargitay grew as an actress in the role over the years and she was promoted to a director and executive producer in Season 15. While Hargitay holds greater power in the show now, creator Dick Wolf has the final call in the series.
Hargitay shared with Variety that she couldn’t stop Wolf from writing Kelli Giddish off. With sadness and a lot of love for her co-star, Hargitay shared, “Kelli is my favorite actor to work with. 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.” Hargitay fought to keep the characters’ beautiful relationship on TV but Wolf apparently didn’t listen. She shared:
I don’t like not being listened to, especially when I’m right. 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.
Giddish shared with People that the relationship between Amanda Rollins and Olivia Benson developed organically throughout the show. Giddish shared that she too had a relationship with Hargitay that mirrored their characters.
Dick Wolf Once Tried To Fire Mariska Hargitay From The Series
Mariska Hargitay shared with Variety that she was “extremely close” with Dick Wolf like a family. They had their arguments and negotiations over the years, as Hargitay shared, “When I say tough love, I mean, tough love. There’s no coddling.” Hargitay revealed that she once faced the tough love of Wolf when he threatened to fire her when she cut her hair.
However, Hargitay harbors no resentment towards her creator. Rather, she credits him with making her “a warrior in a way.” She shared, “He makes me stronger.” She shared that she had learned to do the hard things over the years and advocate for herself from Wolf, which she admitted was an irony. She shared:
I can do hard things now. I don’t know that I was always like that. I think in the beginning of the show, I had to fake a lot of it. I was still learning it. Now I fit into these shoes. It’s been a magnificent journey. I have learned to advocate for myself, ironically, from Dick.
The 26th season of the show is currently airing on NBC. Law & Order: SVU is now available for streaming on Peacock.
