LAW And Order: SVU star Mariska Hargitay recently spoke out in support of a fellow cast member.
The 60-year-old actress graced the cover of a popular magazine this month and discussed her 550th episode of Law and Order.
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Mariska celebrated her iconic role as Olivia Benson and said she was proud of her work.
“The world and the culture needed an Olivia Benson, needed someone to talk about these things and fight for survivors and believe victims,” she said. Variety.
“The beginning of the show was so genius, because Olivia was the loving mother we all want and Stabler was the angry, protective father.
“It was a beautiful, perfect construction of what a wounded soul needed,” she concluded.
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Mariska was then asked about Kelli Giddish, who left last season.
“Kelli is my favorite actor to work with,” said Hargitay.
“Kelli is my heart. It’s a delicate subject. I have a lot to say about the show, but I didn’t have enough there.”
Mariska said she fought to keep Kelli on the show.
“I don’t like not being heard, especially when I’m right,” she explained.
“That relationship was one of the most powerful on television because you saw these two badass women, so flawed and so present for each other.”
Kelli left the show earlier this year, which reportedly wasn’t her decision.
According to Variety“Kelli Giddish’s departure from Law & Order: Special Victims Unit was not her choice, nor was it a decision made by showrunner David Graziano.”
The decision, made by management, was partially made to ensure that the program always remained as up-to-date as possible.
Variety also reported, “Mariska Hargitay, who stars and executive produces the Dick Wolf drama, as well as at least one other producer, pushed to keep Giddish in the procedural, but the decision had already been made.”
SAD TIMES
In addition to potentially wanting to bring new blood to the team, SVU executives reportedly didn’t see eye to eye with Giddish regarding her contract or Rollins’ future on the show.
Kelli released a statement regarding her departure
“I wanted to address the conversation I saw online and let everyone know that this will, in fact, be my last season on ‘Law & Order: SVU,’” she wrote.
Kelli is my heart. She is a delicate subject. I have a lot to say about the show, but I didn’t have enough there
Mariska Hargitay
She went on to say that playing the character Rollins was one of the greatest joys and privileges of her life.
“There is simply no other character on TV like Rollins,” she said.
“She’s grown and changed, and so have I.”
“I started on this program when I was in my late 20s and I am grateful to have spent so many years of my adult life with Rollins in my life.”
Kelli returned as a special guest for the Season 25 premiere, but it’s unclear if she will appear in future episodes.
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
