Mariska Hargitay shares why Robin Williams was the ‘most memorable’ Law & Order: SVU guest star

• Mariska Hargitay said that Robin Williams was the “most memorable” guest star on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
• She gushed that the late comedian was “such a light.”
• “We had so much fun,” she said.

Mariska Hargitay is reflecting on one of her favorite Law & Order: Special Victims Unit guest stars.

The actress discussed her fond memories of working with one very special actor on her long-running crime procedural.

“The most memorable Law & Order cameo for me was Robin Williams,” she told Variety. “We had so much fun, and there was so much joy. He was such a light.”

Williams appeared on the 200th episode of SVU, “Authority,” during the show’s ninth season in 2008. The Good Will Hunting star portrayed Merritt Rook, an audio engineer impersonating a police officer on phone calls.

Hargitay previously shared her memories of working with Williams in a 2024 interview with Vanity Fair. “It was magnificent. Different every time, funny every time, and truthful and believable,” she said of his performance.

The actress remembered thinking, “What is happening? How am I so lucky to get to witness it?”

Hargitay said it was “magic” to witness Williams on set. “Everything was electric with him,” she said. “There was no line between acting and who he was as a person. The most fun person and the most generous, and it was pure joy. And he made all of us feel so special.”

She also said that Williams shared a sweet moment with her son August. “I remember my son was, I think 2 or 3, and Robin grabbed him and picked him up,” she said. “And he was so kind and doing voices for him. And you’re just in this moment going, ‘I’m pinching myself that I get to live in the same time with somebody so magnetic and so magic and so generous that…we got to breathe the same oxygen.”

Hargitay is set to host the Emmy Awards for the first time in September. She wasn’t interested in the opportunity when she was initially invited to host. “At first I thought, ‘This is ridiculously thankless — a difficult job that everyone gets ripped apart for. Why? Why would I do that?’” she told Variety.

Hargitay changed her mind when she started thinking about her love for TV as a medium. “I thought about why I love television. Television, in my opinion, is extraordinarily healing,” she said. “Our show [SVU] made people talk about sexual assault. Our show changed the culture.” 

She continued, “And that is the power of television — it creates community, which creates healing. Which is what I’ve wanted to do my whole life…I love inspiring people. I love bringing people together. I love television.”