Rapper and actor Ice-T, known for his long-standing role as Detective Fin Tutuola on Law & Order: SVU, shared a surprising tidbit about his beginnings on the show during an interview on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. He revealed he was initially brought on for only four episodes—very different from his current tenure as one of the show’s most beloved characters.
“I came on for four episodes,” Ice-T said with a chuckle. “And 26 seasons later, I’m like, really, man? But I’m black—I don’t jump off a boat while it’s floating. And I can swim.”
The success of Law & Order: SVU is nothing short of historic. Premiering in September 1999 as a spinoff of the original Law & Order series, the show has become the longest-running primetime live-action series in American television history. Now in its 26th season, SVU has maintained its relevance and popularity, always discussing sensitive topics with compelling storytelling.
When Fallon asked if Ice-T saw himself staying on for 30 seasons, he candidly responded, “Well, honestly, at the end of the day, it’s Mariska’s show. It’s morphed into the Olivia Benson story. As long as Mariska [Hargitay] wants to keep doing the show, I think we got at least 30, easy.”
He went on to joke about SVU creator Dick Wolf’s humorous encouragement to keep the series alive. “Mariska will buy another house, and he’s [Dick Wolf] like, ‘Yes, keep spending your money.’ That means we’re doing it again,” Ice-T said.
Despite the jokes, Ice-T made it clear he loves being part of the SVU family. “I love working with her [Mariska]. I love working with everybody. It’s a beautiful crew and cast. We get new cast members, and we’re just very fortunate. The fan base just keeps growing.”
