Stars from all three current Law & Order shows came together ahead of the 2025 TV schedule returns for the 77th Primetime Emmys to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the franchise, with Special Victims Unit’s Mariska Hargitay placed front and center on stage as the one star who has been with her show from the very beginning in 1999. The actors got giggly behind the scenes, as Organized Crime’s Christopher Meloni shared a cute video of Hargitay teasing him about never winning an Emmy… and then belatedly realizing that he was recording her.
While none of the Law & Order shows had scored any nominations for the 2025 Primetime Emmys, SVU’s Mariska Hargitay remains the franchise’s only star to win an Emmy as a lead actor, taking home the trophy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 2006. Back in his days as an SVU co-lead, Christopher Meloni was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series that same year, but lost to Kiefer Sutherland for 24.
The two are longtime friends, and that friendship was clear in the unfiltered video that Meloni shared from behind the scenes at the Emmys. Take a look at the second slide of his Instagram post for the clip:
I’m not sure what my favorite part of the video is, but the top two candidates are the look on Mariska Hargitay’s face (followed by her laughter) when she realized that Christopher Meloni recorded her saying that he'd "never" win an Emmy, and him gleefully saying “And she curses!” to the camera after her “Oh shit!” reaction. It’s definitely a fun contrast to how they presented themselves on stage. (The Emmys are available streaming with a Paramount+ subscription, while SVU can be found with a Peacock subscription.)
Hargitay and Meloni kept straight faces and stayed on script during the Law & Order segment of the Emmys alongside current Law & Order star Tony Goldwyn, former Law & Order star (and current Chicago Med series regular) S. Epatha Merkerson, and SVU’s Ice-T. Those straight faces were nowhere to be seen behind the scenes with the two pals walking by a tray full of Emmys, and now I’m even more excited to see Meloni reprising his role as Elliot Stabler opposite Mariska Hargitay’s Olivia Benson in the upcoming SVU Season 27.
As for whether Meloni will ever win an Emmy… well, the wait is currently on for Law & Order: Organized Crime to be renewed for Season 6, so let’s cross our fingers for that news before anything else! Meloni also shared a photo of the full SVU reunion, with Ice-T sporting a big smile:
These three stars don’t often have reasons to smile like this when playing their characters in the franchise, especially Ice-T and Mariska Hargitay when their show is about – to quote the opening narration – ”sexually based offenses” that are “considered especially heinous.” So, it’s nice to see them dressed to the nines and looking happy in real life.
All three stars will be back in primetime this fall, and not just with Meloni making an appearance on his old show. On NBC’s Thursday nights, Law & Order Season 25 airs at 8 p.m. ET, Law & Order: SVU Season 27 airs at 9 p.m. ET, and Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 5 (which is already available streaming on Peacock) will air at 10 p.m. ET. Tune in to NBC on Thursday, September 25 to see the first new episodes since back in the spring!
