Before she became the face of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Mariska Hargitay Could’ve taken a very different path. The actress was once dreaming of a career in comedy, and she came closer than many fans realize to joining another iconic TV show: Friends. Appearing on the latest episode of Good Hang with Amy Poehler, Hargitay revealed that she auditioned for the NBC sitcom multiple times. “I did a lot of comedy auditions,” she told Poehler. “I did Seinfeld and I did The Single Guy, and I tested for Friends so many times.” Mariska Hargitay Could’ve been Monica Geller, a role that eventually went to Courteney Cox, who played Monica for the show’s entire 10-season run. The actress explained how comedy was her early passion, long before she became Olivia Benson.

Mariska Hargitay Could’ve Chosen Comedy Before Olivia Benson

The Emmy winner admitted she initially thought her career would follow a much different path, and perhaps Mariska Hargitay Could’ve ended up in a sitcom instead. Before landing the role of Olivia Benson, Hargitay was so committed to comedy that she studied improv with The Groundlings, the legendary Los Angeles comedy troupe that helped launch countless Saturday Night Live stars. She described herself as a struggling actor in Los Angeles, determined to break into comedy. That plan changed after a fateful meeting with a psychic while visiting New York. “He said to me, ‘You see that face you’re doing right now? 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 was skeptical, insisting her future was in comedy. “I said, ‘Uh, no. I live in L.A. and I’m going to be a comedian.’” But fate had other plans. “Six months later, swear to God… I got SVU,” she said.

 

Mariska Hargitay’s Journey From Monica Geller to Olivia Benson

Today, Mariska Hargitay has played Olivia Benson for over 25 years, making her the longest-running primetime live-action character in television history. But what if Mariska Hargitay could’ve taken a completely different path in pop culture?

 

Few fans realize that Mariska Hargitay could’ve ended up on Friends, possibly as Monica Geller a role that ultimately went to Courteney Cox. It’s one of television’s most fascinating “what-ifs.”

 

It’s hard to imagine SVU without her signature presence, but equally fun to envision how different TV history might have been if Mariska Hargitay could’ve stepped into Central Perk instead of a New York precinct.

 

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit airs Thursday nights on NBC, with new episodes streaming the next day on Peacock. All past seasons are also available to stream on Peacock