Mariska Hargitay Auditioned for ‘Friends’ and ‘Tested So Many Times’; She Only Wanted to Do Comedy Until a Psychic Said It Wouldn’t Make Her Famous: ‘Six Months Later’ I Got ‘SVU’

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• Mariska Hargitay Auditioned for 'Friends' and 'Tested So Many Times'; She Only Wanted to Do Comedy Until a Psychic Said It Wouldn't Make Her Famous: 'Six Months Later' I Got 'SVU'</p>

<p>Zack SharfOctober 21, 2025 at 11:34 PM</p>

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<p>Gilbert Flores/Variety</p>

<p>Mariska Hargitay appeared on Amy Poehler's "Good Hang" podcast and revealed she auditioned and screen tested many times for "Friends" a few years before landing the role of Olivia Benson on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit." Both shows are NBC staples.</p>

<p>"I did a lot of comedy auditions," Hargitay told Poehler (via The Daily Beast). "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."</p>

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<p>Even when more dramatic roles came her way, Hargitay said: "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.'"</p>

<p>Hargitay's reveal may surprise some. The actor has been playing Olivia Benson on "SVU" for more than 25 years, which makes her the longest-running character in live-action primetime TV history. It wasn't until Hargitay consulted with a psychic that she was confronted with the possibility that comedy might not work out.</p>

<p>"I'm in L.A., [a] struggling actor [wondering] what am I going to do?" Hargitay said. "I came to New York, which I did three times a year to see theater. And then I met with this psychic. Everyone said to me, 'Oh my gosh, Mariska, you have to meet with this psychic. He's amazing.' … I drove out somewhere on Long Island to this man and I went there and he started saying all this amazing stuff to me."</p>

<p>"I was listening to him really intently like this. He said to me… 'You see that face you're doing right now? You see that face?' I said, 'Yeah.' He goes, 'You're going to be famous for that face. You're moving to New York and you're gonna be famous for that face,'" Hargitay continued, noting she still wanted to land a network sitcom role at the time. "I said, 'Uh, no.' I live in L.A. and I'm going to be a comedian. Six months later, swear to God… I got 'SVU.'"</p>

<p>Watch Hargitay's full interview on the "Good Hang" podcast in the video below.</p>

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