14 DAY TRIAL // The other day, word got out that Mariska Hargitay’s role on the very popular series “Law & Order: SVU” would be downsized, which meant producers were looking for another star to play a female detective. The reason why fans will be seeing less of Olivia Benson is that Mariska wants more time with her family.
As we also informed you just recently, Hargitay asked producers for fewer working hours but without a change in paycheck, a request they gladly honored.
Word online had it that Jennifer Love Hewitt, who starred as a victim on one episode, was being considered for the role of the new female detective.
Now, Mariska explains the decision to spend less time on set: family comes first and she wants to spend more time with her children, she told the press at a recent conference, OMG Yahoo informs.
Fans shouldn’t despair though: it’s not until halfway through the next season that any change will occur.
“I think in the second half of the season, I’m going to go into a different position, which is very exciting. It’ll be quite challenging and different, but I think it’s exciting,” she says.
Her character will be promoted to another position, which is good news since it means she won’t be leaving the show altogether because she’ll still make some appearances.
“Twelve years is a long time and I’ve gotten to really flesh out a lot [of Olivia] and I’m ready to do something a little different, but not ready to say goodbye to Olivia Benson,” Mariska says.
“I think that’s the reason we did it this way, and we structured it this way so I could have a little more free time to be a mom – that was the goal,” adds the actress.
As for rumors that the show will no longer be as appealing to fans once Benson is gone, Hargitay doesn’t see how it could happen: come to think of it, “Law & Order: SVU” lasted this long because of excellent writing and perfect chemistry between all the people working on it.
Her getting less screentime will not affect that.