\u201cI might give it to Mariska,\u201d he says of the actress, 61, whose character Captain Benson is the “longest-running primetime drama character in television history,” per NBC<\/a>. \u201cBut yeah, we keep it light when we can and serious when we have to.\u201d<\/p>\n Virginia Sherwood\/NBC<\/p>\n The actor, 45, also shares what he thinks keeps both viewers and the cast passionate about the NBC series \u2014 which follows the Special Victims Unit of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) as they investigate some of the city\u2019s most sensitive and complex crimes, often involving sexual assault, child abuse and domestic violence.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen it’s cold outside and it’s raining and it’s snowing, it gets old,\u201d he laughs. \u201cBut when it’s warm and with your friends, no, no it doesn’t. It’s a show that keeps reinventing itself and we keep reinventing ourselves and they give us the space to grow as characters.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s a really interesting job in that, I’ve been on the show for a long time, but it doesn’t feel like it’s the same thing every day at all,\u201d Scanavino continues. \u201cSo I’m very lucky for that.\u201d<\/p>\n Along with Scanavino and Hargitay, SVU currently stars Ice-T<\/a> as Fin Tutuola, Kelli Giddish<\/a> as Amanda Rollins and Kevin Kane as Detective Terry Bruno, among others.<\/p>\n Scott Gries\/NBC<\/p>\n Scanavino has opened up about his relationship with Hargitay in the past as well, telling PEOPLE in 2024 that he admires her in many ways<\/a>.<\/p>\n “Mariska’s a very playful person. She’s totally collaborative, open to whatever, and that’s really impressive,\u201d he explained. “But then that also carries on to what she’s like as a parent and a friend, open. And that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have her strong opinions and her viewpoints and all that, but she’s completely willing to be open to other points of view and understand and sit there and listen and talk and joke and all that.”<\/p>\n “She’s a really inquisitive, strong person that’s open to all kinds of different things, and I think that’s just invaluable as a friend, as a parent, as an actor,\u201d he added, noting: \u201cI have a few role models in my life as a parent, and she’s definitely one of them.”<\/p>\n Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/a> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer\u200b\u200b, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories<\/p>\n Law & Order: SVU airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on NBC and is available to stream on Peacock<\/a> the next day. All 26 previous seasons of the drama are also available on the streaming platform.<\/p>\n![\"Mariska](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/014bb1a446221bc70155f2bc4f9b157e.jpeg\"\/)
Mariska Hargitay as Capt. Olivia Benson, Peter Scanavino as A.D.A Dominick “Sonny” Carisi Jr. on ‘Law & Order: SVU’ <\/p>\n![\"Ice](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/84fc1b15d7da5435cb727e870f8366a5.jpeg\"\/)
Ice T on ‘Law & Order: SVU’ <\/p>\n