Mariska Hargitay Wanted to Jump Into the Arms of This ‘Law & Order’ Star
The Law & Order franchise has seen Mariska Hargitay collaborate with several actors over the years. But Hargitay was particularly impressed by this newcomer who she instantly bonded with.
The ‘Law & Order’ star Mariska Hargitay felt was like a superhero
Hargitay has a habit of bonding fast and hard with her co-stars, from Chris Meloni to Kelli Giddish. Recently, she’s opened up her big heart to Law & Order newcomer Mehcad Brooks. The Mortal Kombat star was recruited to lead Dick Wolf’s long-running franchise, which experienced a revival after a long 12-year-hiatus. A longtime fan of the show, Brooks was more than excited to join the series as detective Jalen Shaw.
“It was great, this was a show that I grew up on, myself. It was always on in the house. It was something that felt like a staple in our home. So, to get the call that I’m going to be one of the lead detectives on it is a dream come true,” Brooks recently told The New York Post.
What further endeared Brooks to the role was the fact that he was able to emotionally resonate with the character.
“I draw inspiration from my father, who is a civil rights attorney who is hell-bent on restorative justice. I think Jalen has that in his DNA,” Brooks said.
“I see Jalen as this other version of me. I believe in the multiverse. So I think this is ‘New York 2.’ Jalen lives in New York 2, and I could easily be Jalen, if I lived in New York 2,” he added.
The actor also immediately got along with Hargitay when they met on the Law & Order set. Hargitay was as impressed by Brooks’ personality as she was with his physique.
“Well, Mehcad is just this amazing specimen. He looks like a superhero,” Hargitay said in an interview with Today. ” So every time I see him I’m just like I just want to run into his arms and have him hold me because, because he can. And so, I was like, ‘Can I come and jump in your arms?’ And he’s like, ‘Sure,'” Hargitay said in an interview with Today. “But it’s like acting with a superhero. He’s so much fun and so kind and so sweet, and it’s really been a joy to get to know him.”
Mehcad Brooks learned a lot from acting alongside Mariska Hargitay
Brooks found himself especially inspired by watching Hargitay’s performance as the iconic Olivia Benson.
“The thing is, it’s so interesting because you look at Mariska and you think ‘all timer.’ All timer legend. She brings this youthful exuberance to every moment that she’s in, and this wonder, this joy. I have gotten a lot just by acting in scenes with her. She’s been just an amazing soundboard to bounce off things from,” Brooks said.
Hargitay already has plenty of experience bringing the best out of her co-stars. Not just as an actor, but as a director, too. One of the reasons Hargitay was interested in directing was the joy she experienced helping actors tap into their potential.
“Since I’ve been on SVU, I get more joy, sometimes, from helping somebody else with their performance than my own. That’s when I got the idea,” she once said according to HuffPost.
This isn’t the first time Mehcad Brooks and Mariska Hargitay worked together
Supergirl star Brooks and Hargitay actually crossed paths before. In 2011, Brooks guest-starred in the season 13 episode “Personal Fouls” as basketball player Prince Miller. Even back then, Brooks and Hargitay had immediate chemistry. The often generous star even surprised Brooks by doing a personal favor for his brother. Brooks’ brother was a huge SVU fan, and when Mehcad told Hargitay this, Hargitay ended up giving him a surprise phone call.
“My brother is going to remember that the rest of his life, and so that’s who she is,” Brooks said. “She’s a legend in our house.”
