LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MY FIRST GUEST IS AN EMMY AWARD-WINNING
ACTOR AND FILMMAKER WHO HAS STARRED FOR 20 YEARS ON "LAW &
ORDER: SVU."
PLEASE WELCOME MARISKA HARGITAY!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
>> OH, WOW!
HI!
>> Stephen: HELLO.
>> THAT'S A WARM RECEPTION.
>> Stephen: ABSOLUTELY.
POLICE LOVE MARISKA HARGITAY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING ON.
NICE TO MEET YOU.
>> THANK YOU.
SO THRILLED TO BE HERE.
>> Stephen: YOU HAVE BEEN ON THIS HIT SHOW FOR SO LONG, I WAS
SAYING I FEEL LIKE I'VE MET YOU BEFORE, BUT I HAVEN'T.
EVERYBODY-- DO PEOPLE OFTEN THINK THEY KNOW YOU WHEN--
>> THEY DO.
>> Stephen: DOES IT EVER UNNERVE YOU THAT PEOPLE WHO
DON'T YOU ACT VERY FAMILIAR WITH YOU?
>> NO.
>> Stephen: YOU HAVE JUST BEEN PART OF THEIR LIFE FOR SO LONG.
>> I AM, AND I'M ACTUALLY QUITE HONORED AND FEEL VERY GRATEFUL
FOR IT.
>> Stephen: "SVU" JUST GOT PICKED UP FOR ITS 21st
SEASON, MAKING IT--
-- THIS IS THE KEY.
THIS IS THE KEY THING.
THIS IS THE LANDMARK.
MAKING IT THE LONGEST RUNNING PRIME-TIME LIVE-ACTION SERIES IN
TV HISTORY, BEATING "GUN SMOKE."
YOU'RE BEATING MARSHAL DILLON.
YOU JUST GUNNED HIM DOWN.
GUNNED HIM DOWN IN THE STREETS OF DODGE CITY.
>> I DID.
>> Stephen: THE LONGEST RUNNING NON-"SIMPSONS" THING ON
TELEVISION.
WHY DO YOU-- WHY DO YOU THINK-- TO WHAT DO YOU ATTRIBUTE THE
LONGEVITY?
BECAUSE THERE ARE GOOD SHOWS THAT DON'T GO 20 YEARS?
>> THERE ARE, AND I'LL TELL YOU SOMETHING, JUST TO HEAR YOU SAY,
THAT I'M STILL ACTUALLY, TRULY, PROCESSING IT, BECAUSE IT'S A
LOT TO DOWNLOAD AND TO PROCESS.
BUT I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT A-- WE'VE GOT A
CREATOR AND A SHOW RUNNER, DICK WOLF, WHO HAS FORMIDABLE
EXPERIENCE -- >> Stephen: IS THAT HIS REAL
NAME BY THE WAY?
>> NO, HE MADE UP.
HIS NAME I IS DAN PSYCHES.
I THINK IT IS.
>> Stephen: WOLF.
DID DICK WOLF.
OR DICK, WOLF DICK.
EITHER ONE OF THEM WORKS.
DID YOU MEET HIM FOR THE FIRST TIME WHEN YOU AUDITIONED?
>> I DID.
>> Stephen: DID YOU AUDITION?
>> I DID.
>> Stephen: WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST IMPRESSION WHEN YOU HEARD
ABOUT THIS SHOW?
TAKE ME BACK TO WHEN YOU FIRST HEARD ABOUT IT-- THAT FIRST
AUDITION.
>> TRUTH BE TOLD, THE FIRST TIME, I WAS SORT OF IN THE
MIDDLE OF A DEVELOPMENT DEAL, DEVELOPING MY OWN SHOW WHICH I
THOUGHT WAS GOING TO BE A COMDIERK IRONICALLY.
AND THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO DO AND THEN --
>> Stephen: IF "SVU" IS A COMEDY.
IT'S SUBTLE.
EXTREMELY SUBTLE.
>> THAT'S THE THING.
I'M MAKING UP A NEW GENRE.
PEOPLE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT I'M DOING.
SO I READ THE SCRIPT, AND I JUST-- I KNEW IN MY GUT THAT I
HAD TO DO THIS ROLE.
AND I HAD NEVER BEEN SO EXCITED ABOUT IT.
AND THE THING THAT WAS INTERESTING IS THAT MY AGENT
CALLED ME AND SAID MARIS, IT'S A VERY DARK SUBJECT MATTER.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S YOUR THING.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S GOING TO BE YOUR BAG.
IT'S SUPER DARK.
I READ IT AND JUST CHILLS AND KNEW I HAD TO DO IT.
I READ FOR A COUPLE OF PEOPLE.
AND THE FIRST TIME I MET DICK I WAS SO EXCITED AND SO SURE, AND
I SORT OF DIDN'T UNDERSTAND FULLY WHO HE WAS, YOU KNOW, THAT
HE WAS THIS CREATIVE VISIONARY OF TELEVISION.
AND THERE WERE ONLY THREE OF THEM, REALLY.
AND SO WE CAME IN, WE READ IT, AND HE GAVE ME A COUPLE OF
NOTES.
AND I GO, "VERY GOOD.
THIS IS VERY GOOD.
I LOVE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING" AND WE DID IT AGAIN.
HE'S LIKE, "OH, REALLY?
IS IT GOOD?" AND I GO, "VERY GOOD.
THAT'S THE THING."
BECAUSE IF I DON'T LIKE TI WOULDN'T HAVE DONE IT.
AND THEN THE NEXT TIME I GOT A CALL-BACK AND THERE WAS ANOTHER
GIRL THERE.
>> Stephen: OH, NO.
>> THAT WAS A PROBLEM.
SO I WALKED IN, I GO, "OLYMPIC, YOU'RE CONFUSED.
HERE'S THE DEAL.
I'M-- I'M PRETTY SURE THIS IS-- THIS IS-- I'M PRET SURE THIS HAS
MY NAME WRITTEN ALL OVER IT.
THIS IS MY PART.
I'M SERIOUS.
WE'RE PAST THIS.
LET'S NOT EVEN WASTE YOUR TIME."
AND HE LAUGHED.
AND THEN WE WENT TO NETWORK AND I GOT IT.
AND I FOUND OUT THAT THE OTHER GIRL WAS FOR ANOTHER ROLE, AND
SHE WAS IN THE PILOT, TOO!
( LAUGHTER )
>> Stephen: DID YOU SAY, "HI, I TRIED TO KILL YOUR CAREER?"
>> I DID, I DID, I DID.
>> Stephen: WATCH OUT FOR ME.
>> "WATCH OUT FOR ME."
>> Stephen: OVER THE YEARS, YOU HAVE INCREDIBLE COSTARS.
CAROL BURNETT.
BRADLEY COOPER.
GARY COLE.
NOW ON TOMORROW'S SHOW IT'S SNOOP DOGG.
>> SNOOP DOGG!
>> Stephen: WHAT'S IT LIKE-- I'VE INTERVIEWED SNOOP DOGG
BEFORE, AND THAT'S A DELIGHTFUL CHALLENGE.
( LAUGHTER )
CHALLENGE.
BUT WHAT'S IT LIKE TO ACT WITH MR. DOGG.
>> THAT'S FUNNY.
I LIKED HIM SO MUCH.
AND, YOU KNOW, ICE, WHO I'M VERY CLOSE WITH, ICE-T --
>> Stephen: ME TOO.
>> THAT'S GOOD.
>> ICE IS SO -- >> Stephen: YOU DON'T THINK I
KNOW ICE"T"?
>> DI.
YOU'RE FUNNY.
>> Stephen: I JUST WANTED TO MAKE YOU SURE I KNOW ICE-T.
>> I DON'T THINK YOU WOULD NOT TELL THE TRUTH, NOT FOR ONE
MINUTE.
SO ICE IS ONE OF THE KINDEST PEOPLE AND MOST HONEST AND
TRUTHFUL PEOPLE THEY KNOW AND IS VERY TRUE-BLUE.
SO WHEN SNOOP CAME ON, HE SAID, "JUSTMENT SO YOU KNOW, MARISKA,
HE'S REALLY GOOD PEOPLE."
SO SNOOP AND I HAD AN IMMEDIATE CONNECTION.
I KNOW ICE AND I ARE OGEES OF OUR SHOW, AND THEY'RE OH, GEES
IN A DIFFERENT WAY.
HE IS SO WARM AND OPEN AND HE HAS THIS BEAUTIFUL CHARITY.
HE HAS A FOOTBALL LEAGUE.
AND HE IS DOING AMAZING THINGS IN THE WORLD, AND HE'S JUST
SSNOOP WHICH IS THE COOLEST THING EVER.
>> Stephen: SURE.
>> I'M DOING THIS THING.
I'M ARRESTING HIM, GIVING HIM THE OLD ONE-TWO-- AS I LIKE TO
SAY-- AND I THINK WE'RE BESTIES.
AND I HAVE THIS IDEA ON SET.
HE'S A BIG TWEETER.
SO I CAME UP WITH-- WELL, MY FRIEND, MY COSTAR CAME UP WITH
THE IDEA, GOES, "DOUBLE "O" "G" IN THE 1 "P" "P," RIGHT?
>> Stephen: I'LL TAKE YOUR WORD FOR IT.
>> I SAID, "OH, MY GOD.
THAT'S SO GENIUS."
SO I RUN TO SNOOP'S DRESSING ROOM AND I BARGE IN BECAUSE BAUZ
HE'S IN ICE'S ROOM.
AND I JUST BARGE IN EVERY DAY TO ICE'S.
THE DOOR IS IT, LIKE, CLOSED AND THERE'S A HUGE GUY, WHO IS
TALLER THAN THIS RAFTER HERE.
AND HE'S LIKE, "WHOA, I CAN HELP YOU."
I SAID, "SORRY, I JUST WANT TO TALK TO SNOOP FOR A SECOND."
AND HE SAID, "UP TO THE TALK TO HIM?"
AND HE SAID, "ONE SECOND."
I SAID, NO BIG DEAL.
I'LL GO."
SECOND GUY COMES.
I'M WAITING HERE.
THE SECOND GUY COMES OUT, "YOU WANT TO TALK TO SNOOP."
AND I SAID, "YEAH.
BUT NOT NOW.
WE CAN TALK LATER, IT'S NO BIG DEAL."
WAIT ONE SECOND.
THIRD GUY COMES OUT.
AND NOW IT'S AWKWARD, AND I JUST WANT TO GO BACK TO MY ROOM.
AND HE GOES, "NO, HE WANTS TO TALK TO YOU."
SO I GO INSIDE, AND I SAY-- ALL THESE GUYS-- THERE WERE SEVERAL
PEOPLE THERE.
I COULDN'T QUITE SEE SNOOP.
>> Stephen: SURE.
WAS THERE ANYTHING IN THE AIR-- >> THERE WAS SOME AMBIANCE, I
LIKE TO CALL IT.
I SEE SNOOP AND I'M LIKE, THERE, YOU ARE."
AND I SEE HIM.
AND HE GOES, "HEY, HEY!" AND I SAID LISTEN, I HAVE AN
IDEA, "DOUBLE "O" "G" IN THE 1 PP.
>AND THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED.
>> Stephen: WHAT DID HE DO?
>> THAT.
>> Stephen: WE'RE VERY SIMILAR.
SNOOP AND I ARE VERY SIMILAR.
>> AND HE LOOKS AT ME AND HE GOES, "I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT
IS."
AND I GO, "THAT'S OKAY."
AND THEN WE JUST HUGGED, AND IT WAS ALL GOOD.
AND SO I WAS, LIKE, 97 YEARS OLD IN THAT MOMENT.
I'M OKAY WITH IT.
>> Stephen: THAT'S A BEAUTIFUL STORY.
>> IT'S LIKE THAT LADY ON YOUR SHOW SO CUTE.
>> Stephen: SO SWEET.
>> Stephen: SO NICE TO MEET YOU, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
THANK YOU FOR THE OG STORY.
"LAW & ORDER: SVU" AIRS THURSDAYS ON NBC.
MARISKA HARGITAY, EVERYBODY!
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH THOMAS MIDDLEDITCH.