What To Know
- Mariska Hargitay named her most memorable Law & Order: SVU guest star.
- He appeared in the show’s 200th episode in 2008, playing Merritt Rook; the role that earned him a Primetime Emmy Award.
- Hargitay reflected on the “magic” of working with the actor, describing his performances as electric and authentic.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit star Mariska Hargitay revealed her most memorable guest star — and it’s not difficult to understand why.
“The most memorable Law & Order cameo for me was Robin Williams,” she told Variety in a video posted on Instagram on August 19. “We had so much fun, and there was so much joy. He was such a light.”
Williams died by suicide at 63 in 2014.
In 2008, the Mrs. Doubtfire star portrayed a character named Merritt Rook for the milestone 200th episode of SVU. The Season 9 episode, titled “Authority,” saw Williams playing a man who manipulates people into committing crimes following the deaths of his wife and son due to medical malpractice. He does so to expose how society blindly obeys authority after the legal system failed to provide justice for his family.
Williams won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for the role.
Hargitay noted that the “other most memorable cameo” was her father, Mickey Hargitay, who appeared in SVU’s 100th episode, which aired in 2003.
In 2024, Hargitay also opened up about working with Williams on SVU, telling Vanity Fair that working with Williams was “magnificent.” She explained that late actor was “different every time, funny every time, and truthful and believable.”
Additionally, she said it was “magic” witness Williams in action. “Everything was electric with him,” she explained. “There was no line between acting and who he was as a person. The most fun person and the most generous, and it was pure joy. And he made all of us feel so special.”
Hargitay, 62, has played Olivia Benson on SVU since the NBC crime procedural series premiered in 1999.
Law & Order: SVU Season 28, premies on Thursday, October 8 at 9 p.m. ET on NBC