Overview
- Appearing Oct. 21 on Amy Poehler’s Good Hang, Hargitay looked back on the choices and twists that preceded her long run as Olivia Benson on Law & Order: SVU.
- She said she tested many times for Friends, likely for Monica, after early comedy work that included Seinfeld and The Single Guy.
- Hargitay described her 1997–98 ER arc as a turning point that made her want to pursue more nuanced dramatic work.
- She recounted an unnamed Long Island psychic forecasting she would move to New York and become famous for her serious expression, an anecdote she links to booking SVU about six months later.
- Hargitay also noted she was paired with Chris Meloni at her SVU callback and recalled flagging future standouts among guest stars, naming Abigail Breslin and Meghann Fahy.