Mariska Hargitay might be known for her dramatic acting today — but at the beginning of her career, she was set on doing comedy. In a new interview with Amy Poehler on Good Hang, the Law & Order: Special Victims Unit star shared a story about a visit to a psychic that she thinks led her to playing the iconic Olivia Benson.
“I did a lot of comedy auditions,” Hargitay told Poehler. “I did Seinfeld and I did Single Guy, and I tested for Friends so many times. I think for Monica. I always thought I would end up being on a sitcom or doing comedy.” (The role of Monica ended up going to Courteney Cox.)
Hargitay shared that even when she auditioned for dramatic parts, she always figured she’d end up doing something funny because: “I’m going to be a comedian because I’m funny and I’m pretty.”
Instead, Hargitay found her career-defining role on SVU, playing Benson — who she has played for more than 25 years and is the longest-running character in live-action TV history. She said getting that gig may or may not have to do with the help she got from a psychic.
“I met with this psychic. Everyone said to me, ‘Oh my gosh, Mariska, you have to meet with this psychic. He’s amazing.’ … I drove out somewhere on Long Island to this man, and I went there and he started saying all this amazing stuff to me,” she said. “I was listening to him really intently like this. He said to me… ‘You see that face you’re doing right now? You see that face?’ I said, ‘Yeah.’ He goes, ‘You’re going to be famous for that face. You’re moving to New York and you’re gonna be famous for that face.’”
Hargitay recalls responding, “Uh, no. I Live in L.A. and I’m going to be a comedian.” She continued: “He looks at me — and this is my favorite moment of my life — he goes like this, ‘I don’t give a rat’s ass what you say. You’re going to be famous for that face.’”
Call it fate or the psychic’s look into the future, but Hargitay concluded: “Six months later, I was walking around doing that face, going [imitating Benson interrogating a suspect], ‘Where were you Tuesday night?’”
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