Mariska Hargitay Nearly Joined ‘Friends’ Before a Psychic Changed Her Path

Mariska Hargitay recently shared a surprising story from her early career on Amy Poehler’s Good Hang podcast. Before she became famous as Olivia Benson on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Hargitay was trying to make it in comedy.

She auditioned and screen tested many times for Friends, aiming for the role of Monica, and also went after parts on shows like Seinfeld and Single Guy.

“I did a lot of comedy auditions,” Hargitay told Poehler, according to The Daily Beast. “I think for Monica. I always thought I would end up on a sitcom or doing comedy.” Even when dramatic roles came her way, she said she wanted them to include some humor.

“I was like, I want to do drama but it has to be funny because that’s what I felt like my gifts were… [I would tell people], ‘I’m going to be a comedian because I’m funny and I’m pretty.’”

Hargitay has now played Olivia Benson for over 25 years, making her the longest-running character in live-action primetime television. But her path to fame took an unexpected turn after a visit to a psychic.

“I’m in L.A., [a] struggling actor [wondering] what am I going to do?” she said. “I came to New York, which I did three times a year to see theater. And then I met with this psychic. Everyone said to me, ‘Oh my gosh, Mariska, you have to meet with this psychic. He’s amazing.’ … I drove out somewhere on Long Island to this man and he started saying all this amazing stuff to me.”

The psychic told her that her future success would not come from comedy, but from her presence and expression. “I was listening to him really intently like this. He said to me… ‘You see that face you’re doing right now? You see that face?’ I said, ‘Yeah.’ He goes, ‘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 recalled. At the time, she was still focused on landing a sitcom role. “I said, ‘Uh, no.’ I live in L.A. and I’m going to be a comedian. Six months later, swear to God… I got ‘SVU.’”

This story shows that even a successful career can take unexpected turns. Sometimes, advice from an unusual source can help guide someone to the right opportunity.

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