NEED TO KNOW
- Mariska Hargitay opened up on the new episode of Good Hang with Amy Poehler about her dreams of being a comedic actress early in her career
- She also revealed that she auditioned many times for Friends
- Hargitay said she was convinced she’d make it as a comedian because ‘I’m funny and I’m pretty and that is a deadly combination’
Mariska Hargitay could have been a regular at Central Perk!
On the Oct. 21 episode of Good Hang with Amy Poehler, Hargitay, 61, opened up about her early career. Even though the actress is best known for playing Olivia Benson on NBC’s Law & Order: Special Victims Unit since 1999, Poehler pointed out that people don’t know that she wanted to be a comedian first.
“Always,” Hargitay said, then joked, “How did I end up as America’s sweetheart sex cop? I should have been you!”
Poehler, 54, said that she wanted to be “a model” and “taken seriously” like Hargitay and joked that they should “Freaky Friday that s—” so they could experience each other’s careers.
Hargitay told the Parks and Recreation alum that during her 20s, she performed improv with the Groundlings with Kathy Griffin. “In her book, she tells a story about how she dropped me. She said we did the trust exercise,” Hargitay said, adding that she doesn’t remember the incident.
From left: Mariska Hargitay, Kevin Crowley, Nancy McKeon and Louis Mandylor in ‘Can’t Hurry Love’.
CBS via Getty
When Hargitay first began to book TV roles, after early parts on Downtown and Falcon Crest, she was focused on comedies. “I did Seinfeld and I did Single Guy,” she said. She also ended up with a main role on the 1995 sitcom Can’t Hurry Love, as well as episodes of Ellen and Key West.
“And I tested for Friends so many times,” the actress revealed. Poehler asked if she remembered which part, and Harigtay said, “I think it’s Monica,” the role ultimately made famous by Courteney Cox.
Hargitay never ended up appearing on Friends, but she did land a recurring role on another NBC hit: ER. When that ended, she told Poehler, she wasn’t sure what she was going to do next and was a “struggling actor.” She dreamed of doing a “dramedy” like Ally McBeal. “I was like, I want to do drama, but it has to be funny because that’s what I felt like my gifts were,” she said.
Courteney Cox as Monica Geller in ‘Friends’.
NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty
During that time, she came to New York to see plays and musicals. Her friends urged her to see a psychic on Long Island who was “amazing.”
“I went there and he started saying all this amazing stuff to me,” she said, including predicting some family drama that was about to unfold.
“I was listening to him really intently like this,” Hargitay said. “And he said to me, ‘You see that face you’re doing right now? You see that face? You’re going to be famous for that face. You’re moving to New York and you’re gonna be famous for that face.’ ”
She didn’t believe him. “I said, ‘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 is a deadly combination,’ ” she remembered. “I am going to be a comedian.’ ”
“And he looks at me, and this is my favorite moment in 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,’ ” she said.
Hargitay said that “six months later,” she booked SVU. She has starred on the show for all 27 seasons since then.
Law & Order: SVU airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on NBC.
