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

Ice T & Mariska Hargitay Are the Cutest Besties Hugging & Smiling on the SVU Set

Ice T and Mariska Hargitay have a bond over 25 years strong.

By Chris Phelan

When you've worked together for as long as Ice T and Mariska Hargitay have, you develop an unbreakable friendship on and off the set. 

How to Watch

Watch the Season 26 premiere of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Thursday, October 3 at 9/8c on NBC.

The two iconic stars of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit are currently in the middle of filming Season 26 in New York City, and although they're busy, they're having a blast. We see this firsthand in a September 6 Instagram photo posted by Ice T.  In the picture, he and Hargitay smile, hug, and enjoy some bestie time in between takes on the set

See the cute photo here.

“26yrs… Good friends? YES. 4Life. SVU Season26," Ice T captioned the snap. 

"Love you boo," responded Hargitay in the comments.

RELATED: Ice T Looks Like a Different Person With Shoulder-Length Blonde Hair

Their super-sweet pic was a throwback to a similar moment between the two that occurred on the SVU set last year. After playing Odafin Tutuola and Olivia Benson for so long, these two really are family! 

Ice T and Mariska Hargitay have been friends for over 25 years

Ice T, Mariska Hargitay and Octavio Pisano on the set of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

Ice T and Hargitay go back a long way—and while speaking to Entertainment Weekly in 2024 for a feature commemorating the 25th season of SVU, both stars revealed what it was like working with each other early on in the show's run.

"It was interesting, because I only came on for four episodes, so I didn't know how long I was going to have to be around the people," Ice T explained. "You're walking into a room full of people you don't really know. I didn't know Chris [Meloni], I didn't know Mariska, so I was just trying to be good."

"I remember thinking he wasn't anything like what I had imagined, or anticipated, or sort of projected on him, because I was like, 'Oh, God. He's this rapper with this reputation,'" Hargitay said about meeting Ice T. "And then I met him, and he was just gentle and kind."

RELATED: Ice T's Daughter Chanel "Stole Her Dad's Face" in New Lookalike Pic

SVU returns to NBC Thursday, October 3 at 9/8c and streams next day on Peacock.