Mariska Hargitay revealed a surprising part of her career history on Amy Poehler’s podcast, Good Hang. Before landing her famous role as Olivia Benson on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, she actually pursued a career in comedy.
She repeatedly auditioned for the role of Monica on Friends, and also tried out for parts on shows such as Seinfeld and Single Guy.
Mariska Hargitay shared with Amy Poehler that she did many comedy auditions, originally thinking she’d land a role on a sitcom, perhaps for the character of Monica. She even preferred dramatic roles that allowed her to incorporate humor.
I knew I wanted to act, but I really wanted to do comedy. I felt like that’s where my strengths lay – I always told people I’d be a comedian because I was both funny and attractive.
Mariska Hargitay has portrayed Olivia Benson on television for over 25 years, a record-breaking run making her the longest-running lead character in live-action primetime TV history. Interestingly, her journey to becoming a star included a surprising encounter with a psychic.
She explained, “I was in L.A., trying to make it as an actor, and I was really unsure about my future.” She continued, “I often visited New York – about three times a year to see plays. Then, a lot of people told me I had to see this psychic; they said he was incredible. So, I drove out to Long Island to meet him, and he started telling me all sorts of things that really resonated with me.”
A psychic predicted she wouldn’t find success through jokes, but through her natural expressions and how she carried herself. She recalled him saying, “Do you see that face you’re making? That’s it. You’re going to be famous for that face. You’ll move to New York, and that face will make you famous.” She was completely focused on his words during the reading.
Mariska Hargitay remembers being determined to get a role on a comedy show at the time. She actually turned down the initial offer, saying she lived in Los Angeles and wanted to be a comedian. But incredibly, just six months later, she landed the role on ‘Law & Order: SVU’!
You know, this story really resonated with me because it shows that even if you’re doing well in your career, things can still change in surprising ways. It also made me think about how helpful advice can come from anywhere – sometimes the people you least expect can point you in the right direction!
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2025-10-22 13:15