‘Law & Order: SVU’: Why Jamie Gray Hyder Says She ‘Lost’ Her ‘Sh*T’
Fans of Law & Order: SVU have really gotten to know and love the squad’s newest officer, Katriona “Kat” Azar Tamin, played by Jamie Gray Hyder. Kat first makes an appearance in season 21, and she quickly becomes a part of the squad. She’s a force to be reckoned with, and although not every fan warmed up to her at first, she’s now an integral part of SVU.
Why Jamie Gray Hyder says she ‘lost’ her ‘sh*t’
With season 22 only days away, Jamie Gray Hyder jumped on the official Instagram for SVU during the USA Network marathon for season 21 of the series on Sunday, November 8, 2020. The first episode in the season, “I’m Going to Make You a Star,” was the first episode that Hyder took part in. Obviously, she was “nervous,” as anyone would be. But the reason she says she “lost” her “sh*t” might surprise some fans.
“So, I was really nervous to shoot the premiere of season 21,” Hyder says in an Instagram Story on the page. “I was already nervous about working with Mariska, and Ice, and Kelly and Peter. But then when I found out that they had asked Sir Ian McShane to play Toby, I lost my sh*t.”
She laughs, and she continues saying that she had just seen Deadwood, the hit HBO series where McShane played Al Swearengen. “I had just watched Deadwood for the first time,” she says. “And I was obsessed with Swearengen, and to have my first episode be alongside him was exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. But, everyone was so lovely, the regular cast and the guest cast, and I just had to tell myself that I had a reason for being there, and just try and do my best.”
‘I’m Going to Make You a Star’
McShane plays Sir Tobias “Toby” Moore in the season 21 opener that Hyder refers to. The episode put the #MeToo movement front and center. According to People, the episode is impacted by the Harvey Weinstein allegations and the women that have come forward to accuse Weinstein of sexual assault.
In the episode, Moore assaults a woman named Pilar Reyes (Carmen Berkeley) when she assumes that she has an audition, which turns into an assault. Later, Captain Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Detective Amanda Rollins (Kelli Giddish) interview the woman.
A controlled meet is arranged between the victim and her assailant, leading to Moore threatening her. The detectives quickly realize that Moore is a serial offender. When another woman comes forward, things get messy. During a tape recant of her initial statement on television, the detectives soon notice the couches in the background have been switched out in Moore’s office.
Once they have the security footage on Moore’s assistant switching out the couches, it becomes clear they were getting rid of the evidence. Hyder’s character plays a major part in taking Moore down. When Officer Kat goes undercover, Moore chokes her during the altercation, and Benson and the team arrest him. At Moore’s hearing, dozens of women are outside the courtroom and they hold #MeToo signs and messages.
It was a deeply impactful episode for Hyder’s first on the show. However, she came out swinging, and she continues to do so. Season 22 of Law & Order: SVU will premiere on Thursday, November 12, at 9 p.m. E.S.T.
