For 11 seasons she has played the supportive Detective Olivia Benson to Chris Meloni’s no-nonsense Detective Elliot Stabler on the gritty streets of New York City.

With long days – often 15 hours – together on set, Hargitay and Meloni have formed a bond that goes far beyond their characters on screen. Both married with children – Hargitay’s son August, to husband Peter Hermann, will turn four in June; while Meloni has two children, Sophia, who turns 9 this month, and Dante, 6, to wife Doris Sherman Williams – they have both chipped in to buy a holiday beach property and their combined families often go on vacation together.

On set they talk of themselves as pseudo husband and wife, brother and sister.

It is little wonder Hargitay, 46, has difficulty holding back the tears when she talks about how that perfect working relationship is reaching its end. As revealed in a world exclusive by News Ltd last month, Meloni is walking away from the show at the end of the next season.

Read Full story HERE

Source: Mariska-Online.com

Kathy Griffin is getting serious on an episode of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" and we've got a first look!

"It's definitely more serious than I usually do," says Kathy of her character, a "militant lesbian activist" whose partner is murdered. At first she's a suspect, but soon the SVU team realizes she is also in danger. Kathy delivers her fiery best - and she already has a guest-star Emmy in her sights.

"First of all, let me apologize to the other ladies who are going to lose the Emmy to me this year because they probably worked very hard. But you know what? It's my time," she half-jokes.

Co-stars Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni echo the sentiment: "Oh yeah, that's what it's all about for her -- Emmy gold," says Mariska, while Chris adds, "Oh yeah, she deserves the bling."

"It's so much fun to get in Chris Meloni's face," says Kathy, who ranks "Law & Order: SVU" as one of her favorite shows.

"She's outspoken," says Chris. "She's brash. She's still funny."

Kathy's episode airs next Wednesday on NBC and she says, "I think a lot of straight men will be pleased and I think a lot of lesbians will be pleased."

Source: ETonline.com

Kathy Griffin is used to making people laugh, but her upcoming guest role on NBC's "Law & Order: SVU" was no laughing matter.

The comedian plays a gay activist who works with Detectives Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni) after a woman from a lesbian community is found dead. The episode airs March 3 at 10 p.m..

"With [the cast and the crew] watching you, and the pressure is on, when you mess up a line, you don't want to do it again," Griffin told The News. "My mind is programmed to go for the joke. My whole life is looking for the joke, but this was no joke. I didn't want to disappoint them."

Griffin, who stars in her own Bravo reality series, "My Life on the D-List," scored the plum guest role after "L&O" executive producer Neal Baer attended last September's Creative Arts Emmys (or "Schmemmys," as Griffin calls them), which Griffin hosted. Without even meeting the funny lady in person, Baer vowed to a Griffin pal that he'd write her a part that would get her an Emmy nomination.

"I do think it's a little bit A-list that I'm in this category where people just write parts for me and I don't even have to audition," said Griffin, who is in town for her three-night concert, which kicks off tonight at the Theater at Madison Square Garden.

When Griffin received Baer's script, she was relieved to see that she would be playing Babs Duffy, a "white, lesbian Al Sharpton," rather than a goofy version of herself.

"Playing myself gets kind of boring," said Griffin. "There's enough of myself already out there. I'm sick of myself."

Griffin says she's never been so nervous about an acting gig in her life, despite having run through her lines with the legendary Liza Minnelli (who will appear in an episode of "D-List" in the coming season), as well as with Hargitay.

"By the third day, I worked up the courage to ask Mariska if she could run lines with me. She said, 'I want to be there for you,'" Griffin said. "At first, I thought she was kidding ... she and Chris were so helpful."

In the episode, Griffin's and Hargitay's characters share a kiss - Griffin's first same-sex smooch.

"I was so nervous about getting my character right that the last thing I gave a s- about was kissing a girl," said Griffin. "When it came to the actual kiss, I kind of don't remember it. I'd love to sit here and say her lips are soft, but you'd have to ask Babs."

Though she continues to claim her spot on the D-list ("I'm always putting the hustle on, D-list-style"), Griffin hopes her time on "SVU" proves that she can act, and she's also holding out hope for the Emmy that Baer promised.

Source: NyDailyNews.com

A picture link - Chris Meloni is shown in the above picture - Thanx to 85photobooth.com for this link!

Mystery surrounds actor CHRISTOPHER MELONI's shock announcement he's leaving hit cop drama LAW & ORDER: SVU after show producer NEAL BAER dismissed the story.
His denial comes as Australia’s Courier-Mail newspaper pulls the article, featuring Meloni's statement, from its website.
Meloni reportedly told the publication he'd be stepping down as Det. Eliot Stabler in 2011, stating, "12 years is enough".
But, asked if the story was for real, Baer says, "No".
Meloni has been a part of the drama since it launched in 1999.

But according to Law & Order: SVU executive produce Neal Baer, Meloni is staying put.
Asked by a fan if the star would be leaving his role as Detective Eliot Stabler after the show’s twelfth season, Baer simply said via  Twitter, “No.”

He followed it up by telling a fan, “Don’t believe everything you read in the papers!”
The Courier-Mail story, which quoted Meloni recently saying “12 years is enough,” has moved its URL, but remains online here.

The story was also picked up by numerous US media websites.

Source: Contactmusic.com and Tvtonight.com.au

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit:
Um, we did not authorize this. Christopher Meloni might be leaving SVU—what?!
Apparently the actor told Australia's Courier-Mail, "I think 12 years is enough, a good number...The writers will have fertile ground to figure out how to arc [Elliot Stabler] out to another place—whether it's this world or the next." Meloni wants to do theater and film projects after he leaves the long-running series;
Mariska Hargitay, who plays Stabler's partner, Olivia Benson, told the paper she's sticking around SVU for the foreseeable future.
Reps for Meloni and NBC did not reply to requests for comment at press time.
Oh, Meloni, please don't go. We suspect you might be irreplaceable!!!

Source: Eonline.com

Last night, at a State of the Union dinner hosted by The Atlantic and Celerie Kemble and Boykin Curry at Le Cirque, we ran into Law & Order: Special Victims Unit's always charming Chris Meloni and asked him whether the show could give Conan O’Brien some work. "I’d love to get him on an episode," he told us. As a criminal? "Do you think he could pull it off? He’d be a very goofy criminal." Meloni gave some thought to the other option, and decided, "He’s already been victimized enough. As a matter of fact, after what he’s been through, I think anal rape would be easier for him."

Source: NyMag.com

It was recently announced that Sharon Stone would be appearing in four episodes of ‘Law and Order SVU.’ Though she has not started filming yet, she is set to play a police officer turned prosecutor later on this season. The show which features Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni as its leads is in its 11th season. The series as a whole has been recognized multiple times, and it has also had many outstanding guest stars.

“It is obviously a thrill and a delight to have a star of Sharon’s wattage and importance joining SVU,” producer Dick Wolf told Entertainment Weekly’s Michael Ausiello.

Though the details of when the episodes will air are uncertain, hopes are that Stone’s appearance will help to up the already successful show.

Source: TheCelebrityCafe.com

When it comes to popular television detectives, NBC irrefutably has the two hottest detectives on TV in their long running hit show, Law and Order Special Victims Unit. Law and Order SVU is the "highest ranked drama on NBC" according to TV Guide.

Dr. Neal Baer is the executive producer of this sensational TV show that delves into the lives of criminals and victims with a specific focus on sex crimes. Each week exposes the dark and twisted world where the stories often have a surprise turn, with plots that include human trafficking, rape, and child pornography. The topics cover the full spectrum of human sexual depravity that actually occurs in real life, taking the viewers from the streets and into the court room where the good guys do not always win.

While the show claims each episode is fictional, ironically, many of the plots have an uncanny resemblance to crimes straight from the headlines of news around the country.

The show's lead detectives are Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni). The chemistry between Benson and Stabler is undeniably magical and often alludes to something deeper than just a professional relationship... yet never goes beyond anything other than a strong friendship.

Detective Stabler , portrayed as a deeply devoted Catholic, father and husband, is often emotionally affected by the crimes he must investigate, causing him to reach points of personal rage teetering on instability. His devotion to his work has taken its toll on his family life (as it often does in the life of real detectives) and has brought separation and reunion with his wife and children into the story line.

Detective Benson,portrayed as a child born of an alcoholic mother and victim of rape, is often driven to a level of involvement with her crime victims that becomes very personal. As a product of her mother's rape, Benson has a difficult time coming to terms with her own difficult past, and will often blur the lines of her victims pain with her own.

This duo, coupled with the rest of the talented award-winning cast is now in the eleventh season.

Fret not, tubers. Law & Order: SVU's sexy sex-crimes avengers aren't going anywhere yet, but after last summer's contract-negotiation waiting game, we're still nervous about the fate of our favorite detective series, should the duo decide to call it quits after the 11th season wraps. 

When we asked show runner Neal Baer if SVU would continue on without its stars Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni, he told us, "I don't know, it's a good question because we've never tested that. What's weird is that I was looking at the show titles Wednesday night, and it was like, 'Oh my God, everybody's back together again from when I first came on in year two!' It's a very unusual situation. I can't think of another show where that's happened."

OK, that wasn't quite the definitive answer we were hoping for, but Neal did share some things that point to a promising future for SVU, including the possibility of a buzzworthy Benson-Stabler hookup, a maybe-return to the coveted 10 p.m. time slot and, oh yeah, Sayid from Lost coming by to shoot someone...

Obviously, the switch back to a later time can only happen if NBC pulls the plug on the Jay Leno Show experiment, but with Leno's floundering ratings that might not be such a far-fetched notion. "[The 9 p.m. switch] has cut into our numbers, obviously, because they are lower," Neal mused. "Would we be doing better at 10 p.m.? I think almost certainly, because there are no huge hits at 10 p.m. right now."

That doesn't mean the brains behind the operation isn't completely confident in the outcome should SVU stay right where it is. Said Neal: "You have to look at the whole picture—we are happy to be on, and we're happy to be on a lot. We're holding our own." And when he says a lot, he means it! "I wanted to find out how many people watch SVU in a week...at 9 p.m. on Wednesdays, it's like 8 million. Then I found out you can check with our people, and they told me the average per week is 45.6 million viewers, because it's on USA and also in syndication. The challenge for us on SVU is that it's too much of a good thing, in a way." Don't worry your pretty little heads about SVU overload, because with the guest stars and story arcs coming in the New Year, you'll want to tune in whenever and wherever you can.

"We like to vary things, so when we come back in January, you'll have Naveen Andrews and Sarah Paulson. Naveen is brilliant on Lost, and Sarah was on Studio 60 and many movies. They're in the same episode, Jan. 6," Neal revealed, "Then Jan. 13 you'll have Brian Geraghty, star of The Hurt Locker, and this wonderful actor named Jack Larson who played the original Jimmy Olsen in Superman. We also have Lena Olin, and Richard Burgi from Desperate Housewives. Then we have the inimitable Kathy Griffin, who's going to play a lesbian activist. That takes us to the Olympics."

Neal saidof Kathy's role, "You'll see her in a different light, but it's very funny too." Viewers can also look for a flashback to Lena's Alias days when her character takes a turn for the worse on SVU. "[Lena's] only with her client in the first two acts, then she's in big trouble. She plays a lawyer who faces a horrible ethical decision and is actually on trial and defends herself." And we're convinced that Sayid Naveen's role involves shooting Olivia Benson (we've seen the photos of Mariska on the set the day her character gets shot, and she's a bloody mess!), but that's a storyline Neal remains tight-lipped about.

"Naveen's character is involved [in a shooting], but let's just say he's not what you expect. He's on the show with Sarah, who plays a very wealthy woman whose parents have been murdered," teased Neal.

As for that Stabsen, Benbler, Stabler-Benson romance, Neal would only say: "I guess it's one of those things where you just never know. Time will tell," which sounds surprisingly promising to us. Don't ya think?

Law & Order: SVU is on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on NBC.

Source: Eonline.com

Law and Order: SVU duo Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni, each pick up cheques for 400,000 dollars per episode.

Source: Connect.in.com