Kelli Giddish on Law and Order SVU, working with Mariska Hargitay

Oct. 8, 2026, 8:02 a.m. ET

NEW YORK – Kelli Giddish says there’s a foolproof way for new “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” actors to know they’re fully initiated: Mariska Hargitay starts messing with them.

“If she’s kidding with you, you’re in,” she tells USA TODAY of costar Hargitay, the actress best known as Olivia Benson. “She does a lot of schtick on set and gives it to people. And you know if she’s teasing you that you’re part of the family.”

For Giddish, 46, that particular milestone happened back when she joined “SVU” as fan favorite Detective Amanda Rollins in 2011. Giddish has played the role since then, with a brief pause in 2022 when she exited the show, only to be met with an outpouring of fan support, which led to her full-time return for last year’s 27th season.

“Thank god,” Giddish says of the impassioned response to her departure, which included petitions and social media backlash. “I’m so grateful for the fans, for getting as up in arms as they did. Now I’m back as a regular character and it feels just like getting right back on the bike.”

It’s easy to assume that a show in its 28th season might start to feel a bit stale. But for a behemoth like “SVU,” it’s quite the opposite. The beloved procedural has recently had a flurry of excitement around it, from that Taylor Swift Emmys sketch moment to an upcoming guest appearance from New York Knicks star (and fellow NY captain) Jalen Brunson.

“It just seems like a very invigorated year,” says Giddish.

This season, the show (which kicks off Season 28 on Thursday, Oct. 8, 9 p.m. ET/PT) will reach a staggering milestone – its 600th episode, which sees Christopher Meloni return as Detective Elliot Stabler.

“It’s hard to even let it sink in that we’ve done that,” Giddish says. “To be a part of a legacy is insane.”

Kelli Giddish and Mariska Hargitay’s bond on and offscreen

Amanda Rollins and Olivia Benson’s relationship is the central female friendship on the show, which has resonated so much with viewers because at its core, “SVU” is about women’s stories.

“It’s in the show’s DNA,” Giddish says.

For the first time in “SVU” history, the show has a female showrunner, Michelle Fazekas, who enters her second season on the job with Season 28. Her presence has made a big impact on how they’ve approached Rollins and Liv’s dynamic.

So what’s ahead for the two in the coming season? “Maybe there’s going to be some exploration of that friendship and its limits,” Giddish teases.

Much like their characters on the show, Giddish and Hargitay share a workplace friendship spanning so many years and life milestones.

“It’s such an organic relationship that’s developed between her and Benson − they’re both working moms − and an organic relationship between me and Mariska,” Giddish says.

Both women are also moms in real life. Giddish has three sons, Ludo, 10, Charlie, 7, and Oldie, 3, while Hargitay is mom to three kids of her own: sons August, 20, and Andrew, 14, and daughter Amaya, 15. Though Hargitay’s kids are a bit older, she has plenty of words of wisdom for Giddish.

“She definitely shares advice,” Giddish says. “She’s just a really good girlfriend. Like, where do I get this? What doctor do I go to? It’s someone to celebrate and to be proud of me as another female.”

The impact and legacy of ‘Law & Order: SVU’

Giddish doesn’t take for granted the impact of her work and how it resonates with viewers. Fans approach her on the street to tell her how the show has helped them or how it’s become a ritual in their homes.