Yahoo Lifestyle What Will Mariska Hargitay Do After 'Law & Order: SVU' Ends? Here Are 10 Ideas
Mariska Hargitay has been playing Olivia Benson on Law & Order: SVU since 1999, from when she was 26 years old. Now 60, the Emmy-winning actress has starred in more than 550 episodes and counting. "I can't imagine the show ending, and can't imagine not going on this journey with my cast, my crew," she told People last year, during the series' milestone 25th season.
But what if the show did end?
What if Hargitay, after playing what is now the longest-running character in a primetime live-action drama series, was no longer on Dick Wolf's payroll?
For some fans, the thought alone is too hard to to bear. But for those of us who are kinda excited to see Hargitay step outside the special victims unit, here are some ideas for what she could do next.
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10 Things Mariska Hargitay Could Do After Law & Order: SVU Ends
A period piece
There's something about Hargitay that screams, "Put me in a bodice!" Her stature, her poise. She'd fit right in on The Gilded Age or Bridgerton.
A Nicole Holofcener movie
Director Nicole Holofcener gave memorable movie roles to TV stars Jennifer Aniston (Friends With Money) and Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Enough Said). Why not Hargitay next? It helps that the SVU actress has a similar vibe as Holofcener's frequent collaborator Catherine Keener.
Whatever Reese Witherspoon's next project is
Reese Witherspoon got Aniston back on TV, along with Julianna Margulies (ER, The Good Wife), for The Morning Show, so a Hargitay collaboration just tracks. Besides, Witherspoon loves her a strong woman, and Hargitay is nothing if not strong.
Her directorial debut
We know Hargitay has the directing bug—she's helmed several episodes of SVU. Perhaps now is a good time for her to graduate to the big screen. She's got Focus Features written all over her.
Related: Every 'SVU' Episode Mariska Hargitay Has Directed
A horror movie
Genre pictures are an excellent vehicle for actors these days, as they consistently perform at the box office (just ask Oscar nominee Ethan Hawke, who will next be seen in The Black Phone 2). It helps that Hargitay has plenty of experience telling horror stories, given some of SVU's more serious subject matter.
A holiday rom-com
Ideally it would costar her real-life love, husband Peter Hermann. Every time they step out for date night, hearts melt.
A guest spot on Organized Crime
Duh. Bensler forever.
Peter Kramer/NBC via Getty Images
An animated project
Hargitay's voice is perfect for animation. A little deep. A little raspy. Recognizable but not so recognizable that you'd be distracted if she were voicing, say, a little boy.
A memoir
When you're the daughter of 1950s bombshell Jayne Mansfield and the longtime employee of one of the most prolific TV creators in history (Wolf), you've got some stories to tell. Spill 'em, Hargitay!
A New York City Superhero
First she helped a lost child who mistook her for a real cop when she was in character as Benson. Then she came to the rescue of a passerby whose electric wheelchair “lost control when the wheel fell off.” The woman is already a damn superhero!
