While filming in the middle of New York City, Law & Order: SVU star Mariska Hargitay had to intervene when a man disrupted the shoot by singing.
Law and Order SVU Mariska Hargitay Olivia Benson
Law & Order: SVU star Mariska Hargitay perfectly handles a man who kept singing during the show’s on-location shoot. The Law & Order franchise has long reigned on television as the shining example of what a procedural can be, though few of its offerings have made it nearly as far as SVU has. The series first premiered on NBC in 1999 and has been a network mainstay ever since. It even surpassed the flagship Law & Order and became the longest-running primetime drama in history; Law & Order: SVU is currently in its 23rd season.
Hargitay has remained the face of Law & Order: SVU since its premiere, playing Detective Olivia Benson. For years, her partner was Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni), and the Stabler/Benson relationship was a vital part of the series for some time. Meloni exited SVU after season 12, but Hargitay stayed on. Meloni has since returned to the Law & Order fold with his own series, Organized Crime, though he regularly crosses over with SVU. In season 23, Law & Order: SVU celebrated its 500th episode with a deeply personal story for Benson, proving just why Hargitay was the first Law & Order star to win an Emmy.
Hargitay’s impressiveness on camera is evidently matched by a wonderful off-screen persona as well. Law & Order: SVU regularly films on location throughout New York City, and during a recent shoot in Washington Square Park, Hargitay had to confront a man singing so loudly he was disrupting production. As seen in a video shared on social media (via ale), Hargitay politely asks the singer if he could hold his music until after they complete their scene. Though it must’ve been a bit frustrating, the actress keeps her cool and is never anything less than friendly. Check out the video below.
As noted by the woman who shared the video, the man singing was not a street performer. Perhaps the funniest part of this interaction was that the man didn’t know who Hargitay was; she had to confirm she was one of the stars of the show attempting to shoot nearby. Hargitay also said she would stop by again after she completed the scene to give the man an autograph, but according to Law & Order: SVU showrunner Warren Leight (via The New York Post), the shoot lasted too long, and when Hargitay returned, the man was gone.
Hargitay has been on television for a long time, but evidently spending years playing Olivia Benson on one of the most iconic procedurals of all time hasn’t given her a big ego. The above video is a sweet peek at the actress’ off-camera self, and based on the reactions to said video, many were delighted to see how kind she was to the singing man. Hargitay may get tough on Law & Order: SVU, but she also knows when to fire off some much-needed kindness.
