Mariska Hargitay Gushes About the 'Meant to Be' Moment Meeting Christopher Meloni: 'Magical Chemistry'

While talking about her legacy on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit recently, actress Mariska Hargitay opened up about how the iconic on-screen duo of detectives Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler instantly came to be.

In a new interview with Today's Willie Geist, Hargitay recounted auditioning for Dick Wolf and meeting Christopher Meloni for the first time.

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Geist referenced the first meeting as he said, “You and Chris get in a room together, and Dick Wolf says, ‘That’s it,’" leading Hargitay to share the story from her point of view.

"That is what happened...In the room, when he walked in, I sort of sized him up, and I said, ‘That’s the guy,’” she explained. "It was so obvious to me that that was the guy, and apparently, he felt the same way.”

She declared that it was "meant to be" and praised their instant connection: "Well, I knew quickly that we had this kind of magical chemistry. I knew that, because I felt it, and we were so close so fast."

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Now, over 20 years later, the two actors are still starring in the Law & Order franchise and remain good friends in real life, with Hargitay telling Geist, "We were just always very important people in each other’s lives, and we knew it. We knew it from Minute 1. And we’re still very close, very close.”

Fans love Benson and Stabler, and Law & Order: SVU, which premiered its 26th season last October, is still going strong.

"It’s really been a gift," Hargitay said of working on the show. "Because although it’s 26 years of one show, you know, there was the first 12 years with Chris Meloni, and (Richard) Belzer, and Dann Florek, and all these other people, and Stephanie March and Tamara Tunie."

The hit show will be back with new episodes on Jan. 16.

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