After more than 25 years of portraying the iconic Olivia Benson, Hargitay revealed that she was nearly axed from the series in Season 3

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After more than 25 years of portraying the iconic Olivia Benson, Hargitay revealed that she was nearly axed from the series in Season 3

2026/06/29 Report

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The verdict came in — and this hairstyle was a no-go.

After more than 25 years of portraying the iconic Olivia Benson on "Law & Order: SVU," Mariska Hargitay revealed that she was nearly axed from the series in Season 3.

The actress, 61, came to work with a pixie cut that the producers found too drastic.

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"My hairstylist had a glass of wine and I really should have known better," Hargitay told Allure Magazine earlier this month. "Maybe he'd thought I'd be aerodynamic when I was chasing perps. I have no idea. We went real short—shorter than anticipated.

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