Mariska Hargitay is the longest-running actor in the Law & Order franchise and, at this point, she's arguably the face of the franchise. Having been a mainstay on SVU since it premiered in 1999 (and continues its run amid the 2026 TV schedule), it’s hard to imagine the show without her. Before locking down the role of Olivia Benson, though, Hargitay got some blunt advice, and I’m so glad she didn’t take it.The newly-minted Broadway star has been open about what her life was like when she was first getting into acting and how a psychic even predicted her SVU fame before she got the role. The psychic is not the only one whom Hargitay saw, though. While speaking with Jamie Lee Curtis for Variety’s Actors on Actors segment, Hargitay recalled how her acting teacher at the time told her she needed to be on stage, and she became good friends with Oscar and Emmy-winning director Fisher Stevens as a result.Stevens would take her to Broadway shows whenever she was in New York and introduce her to actresses. It was then that she knew that’s what she wanted to do. There was one actress that Hargitay became friends with who warned her to avoid one thing, and those comments couldn’t have come at a more interesting time:I became friends with the amazing Kathleen Chalfant, and she was like, ‘Don’t sell out [and] do TV.’ Seriously, an hour later, I got SVU. So that was a hard call to make!Well, that guidance certainly wasn't too subtle. Interestingly, at that time, Hargitay had done quite a lot of TV, as she landed recurring roles in Falcon Crest and ER as well as leading roles in Downtown, Tequila and Bonetti, and Can’t Hurry Love, among others. But the fact that Kathleen Chalfrant -- known for her work across film, TV, and stage -- gave Hargitay that advice just before she got the call for SVU is hilarious. It’s a good thing Hargitay ended up not taking the advice, because who knows what could have happened with her career or the L&O franchise.Peacock TV: from $7.99 a month/$79.99 a yearLaw & Order fans should check out Peacock TV for plenty of content from the franchise. It costs as little as $7.99 a month, and you can also pay more for Peacock Premium or Peacock Premium Plus. With those tiers, you can enjoy ad-free streams as well as the option to download titles to watch offline later.View DealLuckily, Hargitay has been able to finally live out her Broadway dreams, even as Law & Order: SVU continues going strong. The actress recently made her Broadway debut in Every Brilliant Thing, taking over the narrator role from Daniel Radcliffe. Her run, which began on May 26, will go through July 5, and I'd imagine that'll end shortly before filming kicks off for SVU’s 28th season. So, while it took some time, I'm glad Hargitay got to experience the bright lights of Broadway.Still, I'm looking forward to seeing Mariska Hargitay back on set for Law & Order: SVU. Both that show and Law & Order will be back for new seasons later this year, but it’s hard to know just how much longer the Dick Wolf franchise will be around for. As of now, there doesn’t seem to be any end for SVU, and I'm hopeful that the same level of vigor that pushed Hargitay to sign on for the show years ago continues to stay with her as she continues to make it.Law & Order: SVU Season 28 will premiere on Thursday, October 8 at 9 p.m. ET on NBC, streaming the next day with a Peacock subscription.