Before she was dubbed “America’s favorite sexy cop” by herself during her podcast appearance on Good Hang with Amy Poehler, Mariska Hargitay envisioned her career in comedy, auditioning multiple times for roles on Friends.
In her discussion on her comedic leanings with the star of Parks and Recreation, Hargitay expressed her aspirations, saying, “all I wanted to be was you,” while recounting her early days with The Groundlings, a well-known training ground for Saturday Night Live.
“I went to numerous auditions for comedy,” Hargitay shared with Poehler, mentioning her attempts at landing roles on Seinfeld, Single Guy, and particularly frequent auditions for Friends.
When probed about which role she tried out for, Hargitay responded, “I think it was Monica — it was so long ago. But I always pictured myself in a sitcom or doing comedy, that’s where I saw myself.”
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However, an unexpected meeting with a psychic, who came highly recommended by her friends, shifted her career path entirely.
At that time, after finishing her role as Cynthia Hooper on ER and struggling in her acting career, she was developing a dramedy with DreamWorks, reminiscent of Ally McBeal. During a routine trip to New York City, she visited a psychic in Long Island on the advice of her friends, where she received some surprising insights.
“He told me, Amy, ‘You see that face you’re making right now? You see that face?’ … I said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘You’re going to be famous for that face. You’re moving to New York, and you’re going to be famous for that face,’” she recounted. “And I told him, ‘Uh, no, I live in L.A., and I’m going to be a comedian because I’m funny and I’m pretty, and that’s a killer combo.’ And he just looked at me — and this is the highlight of my life — and he said, ‘I don’t give a damn what you say.’”
She concluded, “Six months later, I swear to God, I landed SVU.”
Since 1999, Hargitay has been portraying the tough and fiercely protective NYPD officer-turned-captain Olivia Benson on Law & Order: SVU, a series created by Dick Wolf that is currently in its 27th season on NBC.
Watch the full episode below:
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