Mariska Hargitay Reveals She Nearly Got Fired From ‘SVU’ After Doing This

‘Law & Order: SVU’ star Mariska Hargitay, known for her role as Olivia Benson, almost said goodbye to the iconic character as Dick Wolf was close to firing her from the franchise, that is, according to the actress.

Hargitay has portrayed police detective and now Captain Olivia Benson since 1999, starring alongside several actors and actresses, including Christopher Meloni, Ice T, Dann Florek, and the late Richard Belzer. 

While she has been with the franchise for 25 years, her time as Olivia Benson almost ended after she made a major change to her look.

While Dick Wolf created Olivia Benson, the 60-year-old actress made her an icon and a household name. But, the show almost had to say goodbye to the Special Victims Unit detective as Wolf threatened to fire her after she cut her hair. 

“We’re extremely close, like family,” Hargitay told Variety in a new interview. “He and I have had some gnarly negotiations. And I don’t think he’s had that with anyone else. He’s said things to me that are almost paternal over the years, but tough. When I say tough love, I mean, tough love. There’s no coddling.”

And that includes the time he almost fired her for cutting her hair. But lucky for ‘SVU’ fans, Wolf didn’t stick with the threat, and television screens across the country are still graced with Captain Olivia Benson.

According to the actress, Wolf told her that there’s no crying in the television industry, but over the last quarter-century, she has learned to pick her battles. She now knows when to push back and when to accept that he did know best.

“He’s almost made me a warrior in a way,” she told the outlet. “He makes me stronger.” And even though the ‘SVU’ actress says it can get “ugly at times,” she always tries to be optimistic.

“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,” she told Variety. “Now I fit into these shoes. It’s been a magnificent journey. I have learned to advocate for myself, ironically, from Dick [Wolf].”

Not only is Olivia Benson inspiring to many young girls and women worldwide, but Mariska Hargitay is also a wonderful role model—especially since she is always vulnerable and encourages other women to feel the same.

“I think I’ve always known my vulnerability is my superpower; it’s not something that makes me weak. I always try to share that with women. I think so many women are confused," she said. "They’re like, ‘Don’t cry in front of a man.’ I’m like, ‘F-ck that!’ I’ll cry in front of them, but I’ll also go kicking and screaming. It’s part of us, and it’s part of the human condition.”

Hargitay has channeled Benson off-screen as she uses her free time and her voice to help survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse, as well as advocate for other causes she is passionate about.

“That kind of integration has been the most liberating because I can cry and I can be a bada-- and scare the f-ck out of you,” she told the outlet. “We’re a pie; we have all these different pieces. I’m many things, and I accept that. So being all of it makes me feel I’m more compassionate with myself and therefore others.”

Considering the show has been around for 25 years, Hargitay has generations of fans, all of whom she says are "loyal" and "protective."

“I feel like I have different kinds of fans because of the subject matter. They’re so loyal and protective, it feels personal,” Hargitay told Variety.

Ever since the show's debut, fans have written letters to the actress, telling her how much they love the show and have shared their own stories and trauma they have faced.  “This show is such a unicorn,” she said.

'Law & Order: SVU' is streaming on Hulu. New episodes air on Thursdays on NBC.