This ‘Law & Order’ Actor Shared What Mariska Hargitay Was Like as a Director
Law & Order star Mariska Hargitay hasn’t only been the star of the show. She’s also directed quite a few episodes herself. One actor recently commented on what he thought about Hargitay’s directorial skills.
Kevin Kane on Mariska Hargitay as a director
Kane has been a recurring character in Law & Order SVU. He’s known now on the show as detective Terry Bruno. But this wasn’t the first time Kane appeared in SVU, as he’s played a variety of characters over the years. In an interview with Collider, Kane recently revealed what it was like becoming a permanent part of SVU history.
“It felt amazing and really unexpected,” Kane said. “I had done an episode that Mariska directed a few years before, and I was prepping our series Life & Beth. I was on a director scout in New Orleans, and they called me like, ‘What do you think about coming in to do this role?’ And I was like ‘yes’ immediately. I was very surprised. I’ve been on the show a bunch over the years, and I know what it means just being a New York actor. There’s something really special about it.”
Kane also shared what he thought about Hargitay’s skills behind the camera.
“There’s such a joy in her for directing,” he said. “She loves it so much that it’s so infectious and really nice to be around. You really want to explore, and she gives you the room — she makes you feel like, ‘We’ll just go for something.’ Sometimes, on the show, you have to keep giving the audience very specific information, and you get a little in your head. You’re like, ‘Am I insane? Did I say everything right?’ It’s this out-of-body experience, and she has this way of grounding everybody and making it feel alive again like the first time.”
Why Mariska Hargitay couldn’t stay away from the director’s chair
Hargitay has already directed several SVU episodes. But her first time going behind the camera was in the SVU episode Criminal Stories. According to Buzzfeed, she released a statement explaining how her dream of directing was finally about to come true.
“I’m thrilled to be directing,” Hargitay said. “It’s been a goal of mine for a long time, and it’s quite an experience to see it realized. My respect for the process of making this show and telling these important stories deepens with every scene we shoot. I have always been so honored to work with this cast and crew, but never more so than now, as a director collaborating in a new way.”
It didn’t take long before Hargitay assumed directing duties again. When TV Guide asked her why she couldn’t leave directing alone, Hargitay confided that she simply developed a passion for it.
“You know, I loved it. I feel like I’ve been here so long and have found certain rhythms that I find help people stay in the moment. It’s a love of telling stories, of telling the story my way and being able to shape the story. But also my love for actors and my appreciation and respect for the process, but I also love helping to create an environment where I can get an actor’s best work. Just loving the creative process and finding the unexpected,” she said.
How directing changed Mariska Hargitay as an actor
Directing an entire SVU episode also changed Hargitay’s approach to acting as well. The Golden Globe winner initially was interested in filmmaking to tell stories in a different way other than acting. After seeing actors’ performances from the outside in, it impacted her own behavior on set.
“I started reading scripts differently after I read it and never, ever being late again,” Hargitay once told The Paley Center for Media. “You’re in the set, and if a director’s like, ‘You’re cutting into my day.’ It’s funny, you just look at everything differently because you’re in charge of everything.”
