Mariska Hargitay’s Spot-On Predictions About 2 ‘SVU’ Guest Stars Come True

After more than 25 years leading “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” Mariska Hargitay has worked with hundreds of guest stars — but only a few ever made her stop and think, that one’s going to be huge.

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The ‘Law & Order: SVU’ Guest Stars Who Impressed Mariska Hargitay Early On

Appearing on Amy Poehler’s podcast “Good Hang,” Hargitay was asked which guest stars stood out over the years. Without hesitation, she replied, “Abigail Breslin.” She added that there were “two people that I went, ‘Holy God,’” including Breslin and another familiar face, Meghann Fahy.

Breslin appeared in the season 6 premiere at just seven years old, playing a young kidnapping victim. Hargitay recalled being blown away by her raw talent even between takes.

“She was so young on the show,” Hargitay said. “She kept doing this dance between takes, some kind of nursery rhyme schtick. I would just do it with her. Then they’d say ‘Action,’ and I swear to God, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it.”

The actress remembered that Breslin could shift instantly from playing to performing. “She would turn, one tear, and start lip quivering. No acting. I remember going, ‘What the (expletive) are you like Meryl Streep?’”

When filming stopped, the future Oscar nominee would immediately return to her playful routine. “I was like, ‘This kid is touched. She is so magical,’” Hargitay said.

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Meghann Fahy Earned Early Praise on the Set of ‘SVU’

A decade after Breslin’s episode, another rising star caught Hargitay’s attention — Meghann Fahy, who appeared in the season 16 episode “Downloaded Child.”

“Another person that I called it, I remember saying it to her, is Meghann Fahy,” Hargitay shared on the podcast. “When she did the show, I was like, ‘Let me tell you something. I’m just gonna tell you right now — you’re gonna be a big movie star. You’re gonna be a huge star.’”

Fahy’s role as a mother accused of keeping her daughter locked inside their apartment showcased the emotional depth that would later help her shine in “The White Lotus.”

“I don’t like using that word ‘star’ because what does that even mean?” Hargitay said. “But I just recognized her talent, her light — she was so sparkly internally, like an internal sparkle. It’s so exciting to see them go on and go, ‘I called it! I called it!’”

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Mariska Hargitay: From ‘Friends’ Auditions to a Record-Breaking TV Career

During her chat with Poehler, Hargitay also reflected on her early career and revealed she once auditioned multiple times for “Friends.”

“I did a lot of comedy auditions,” she told Poehler. “I did ‘Seinfeld’ and I did ‘Single Guy,’ and I tested for ‘Friends’ so many times. I think for Monica. I always thought I would end up being on a sitcom or doing comedy.”

Even when she transitioned to dramatic roles, Hargitay said she still leaned toward projects with humor. “I was like, I want to do drama but it has to be funny because that’s what I felt like my gifts were… I would tell people, ‘I’m going to be a comedian because I’m funny and I’m pretty.’”

Her instincts eventually led her to “Law & Order: SVU,” where her portrayal of Olivia Benson made television history. Now in season 26, she holds the record for the longest-running live-action primetime character of all time.

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