NBC Insider Exclusive

Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive show news, updates, and more!

Sign Up For Free to View
NBC Insider Law & Order Franchise

See Mariska Hargitay's Photo Debut with (Most) of SVU's New Season 26 Cast

Season 26 marks Juliana Aidén Martinez and Kevin Kane's first as series regulars.

By Chris Phelan
Mariska Hargitay & Christopher Meloni Re-create the Moment They First Met
Video thumbnail
Now Playing
7:03
Highlight
Mariska Hargitay & Christopher Meloni Re-create the Moment They First Met
Video thumbnail
7:10
Highlight
Michael Longfellow Shares His Worst SNL Sketch Fail, Reveals Which Impression He Wants on the Show
Video thumbnail
3:02
Highlight
Elon Musk Urges People to Have Children During Wisconsin Supreme Court Election Rally
Video thumbnail
8:54
Highlight
Ike Barinholtz Fell in Love with Martin Scorsese While Filming The Studio
Video thumbnail
18:58
Highlight
Seth and Paul Rudd Go Day Drinking
Video thumbnail
10:28
Highlight
Nathan Lane Had an Awkward Encounter with Kevin Costner, Helped Bill Burr Land His Broadway Role
Video thumbnail
5:42
Highlight
Adrienne Warren Talks The Last Five Years with Nick Jonas and Her WNBA Dreams
Video thumbnail
3:05
Highlight
Trump Won't Fire Anyone Over Signal Group Chat Scandal
Video thumbnail
15:50
Highlight
Trump Plots Unconstitutional Third Term, Signal Scandal Grows, Musk Whines About Walz: A Closer Look
Video thumbnail
3:03
Highlight
Amber Ruffin Defends Both Sides After Her Cancelled White House Correspondents' Gig
Video thumbnail
11:56
Web Exclusive
Trump Tariffs Wreak Havoc on U.S. Economy, Tesla Stock Plummets: Late Night's News of the Week
Video thumbnail
7:37
Highlight
Natasha Rothwell Couldn't Stop Screaming While Reading The White Lotus' Season 3 Script
Video thumbnail
4:00
Highlight
Most Americans Disapprove of Trump's Handling of the Economy
Video thumbnail
11:25
Highlight
Colin Quinn Has a Bone to Pick with Modern Television Shows
Video thumbnail
12:35
Web Exclusive
CORRECTIONS Episode 132: Week of Monday, March 10
Video thumbnail
14:13
Highlight
Trump's Tesla Stunt Flops as Stock Drops, Sales Plummet Amid Anti-Musk Protests: A Closer Look
Video thumbnail
14:05
Highlight
Parker Posey Talks Perfecting Her Accent for The White Lotus and Waiting 20 Years for the Role
Video thumbnail
8:16
Highlight
Michael Kosta on Co-Hosting The Daily Show and Getting Injured Before His Andre Agassi Tennis Match

Filming is underway on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and Mariska Hargitay has a tantalizing behind-the-scenes cast photo to show off!

How to Watch

Watch Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Thursdays at 9/8c on NBC and next day on Peacock.

In an August 5 Instagram post, Hargitay shared a group picture of her co-stars. We spot SVU vets Ice T and Octavio Pisano, newly promoted series regular Kevin Kane, and inaugural cast member Juliana Aidén Martinez posing alongside the iconic Hargitay! It's an impressive-looking group, to say the least.

"Back at it with my #Squad #SVU26," Hargitay said.

Peter Scanavino, who portrays assistant district attorney Dominick Carisi, Jr., is conspicuously absent. But there's no cause for alarm: There's on-set footage of him and Hargitay filming already!

Unfortunately for many fans, Ice T's adorable daughter Chanel is nowhere to be found. The 8-year-old social media sensation recently visited the set with her mom and dad during filming and had the time of her life, eventually settling in at Olivia Benson's desk! (Don't worry; Hargitay didn't mind.)

Ice T, Mariska Hargitay, Octavio Pisano, Juliana Aidén Martinez and Kevin Kane posing together in New York City.

Law & Order: SVU Season 26 premieres in October 2024

Hargitay's photo shared on Instagram gives fans a glimpse of what the star believes to be the "sixth or seventh character" of SVU: the Big Apple itself! The streets of New York City have just as significant a role in the show as Hargitay or Chris Meloni has had over the last two-and-a-half decades. 

In a January 2024 interview with Hemisphere Magazine, Hargitay revealed what New York City means to her in the context of the show.

"I love it," she said. "We always view New York City as, like, the sixth or seventh character because it informs so much of what we do. It's been beautiful for me to shoot in so many places and get to know the city so intimately. I can hardly go anywhere without going, 'Oh, I did a scene there with Sam Waterston,' or having these memories of Chris [Meloni] and I doing this beautiful scene at the New York Public Library. It's also a pretty incredible experience to be embraced by the city in such a loving way."

Det. Terry Bruno and Sgt. Fin Tutuola on Law And Order Svu episode 2513

As one of television's most memorable characters, Hargitay's Olivia Benson has evolved over the years in ways that reflect society's changing culture. This fact isn't lost on Hargitay, and fans can expect more moments in Benson's journey as one of the great icons of feminism in modern history.

"[25 seasons] has given us this very unique opportunity to do something unprecedented," Hargitay explained. "It's the longest-running show in history, and it's not by accident that Benson's progression mirrors the exact evolution of women in broader society. She's kind of the greatest feminist character ever, in that way... She rose up through the ranks, became a leader, and now captain — all while being a mother. Let's see how far we can take it, you know?"

SVU Season 26 premieres in October 2024 on NBC.

Sponsored Stories
Recommended by Zergnet