Law & Order: SVU is gearing up for its 27th season on the 2025 TV schedule, premiering this Thursday on NBC. With the show’s return, Mariska Hargitay continues her reign as not only the longest-running Law & Order franchise star, but also as the actress behind the longest-running primetime live-action character of all time: Olivia Benson. However, these records almost didn’t happen because of a decision the Emmy-winning actress made about her hair way back in Season 3, and she finally told the story.
Considering SVU has been on for 26 seasons, there have been some changes when it comes to the cast, from who has come and gone, to even appearance transformations. This includes hair, and just a few seasons in, Hargitay revealed she was coaxed into a change. She recalled to Allure how her pixie cut during Season 3 came about, and it sounds like it wasn't even her idea.
My hairstylist had a glass of wine, and I really should have known better. Maybe he'd thought I’d be aerodynamic when I was chasing perps. I have no idea.
Through the course of the show, Olivia Benson's signature look has included medium-long hair, but the pixie cut was drastically different for the character. Sure, it was early in the show's run, but it was a drastic change, and if you've been watching the show since it's inception, I'd be willing to bet your remember it. And it came around the time some other famous names like Keri Russell infamously cut their hair for TV.
Of course, it’s not like a haircut changed anything with Benson's storyline, and her hairstylist probably didn’t assume backlash would ensue. But there were some tense moments...
We went real short — shorter than anticipated. I almost got fired.
Say it aint' so! Hargitay has been on SVU since the show’s inception in 1999, and at this point, it’s hard to imagine the show without her. Longtime star Ice-T has even gotten real about how long the series could last, noting that its longevity is due to the actress' devotion and choice to continue these days. However, during SVU’s early years, that power and involvement wasn’t always the case, as evidenced by Hargitay’s story. It’s pretty crazy she almost got fired over a haircut, but luckily, she stayed on, and it’s definitely a good thing she did.
I can't say for certain what would have happened had Hargitay actually gotten fired from SVU, but I'd be willing to bet the show would have turned out completely differently and, more than likely, would not have reached 27 seasons.
A while back, Ice-T did reveal what could happen “if you die on SVU,” saying you could either come back depending on circumstances surrounding your character, or even move on to a different Dick Wolf show. I do think it would have been fun to see her on a different show in the Wolf Universe, especially if she were playing a different character. But if they fired her, who knows what could have happened on that front?
Since almost getting fired, Olivia’s hair hasn’t been nearly as short, so she probably learned a lesson from the surprise cut. That being said, it’s never too late for another change, even if it is a subtle one. Maybe producers will let her get down with a more interesting cut again in the future.
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