Mariska Hargitay, who has played Olivia Benson on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit since 1999, considered walking away from the hit NBC drama.
The 62-year-old actor revealed in a recent interview with Variety that she nearly departed the series to pursue comedy and television hosting opportunities.
"The comedy thing was painful to me," Hargitay said, "because I felt like I was only exercising one part of myself. People would say, 'You need to get off that show and do comedy. You need to get off that show and have a talk show.'"
Even when discussing an exit with her friend Julianna Margulies, Hargitay realized she was not ready to leave the long-running show, which also stars Christopher Meloni, Dann Florek, Richard Belzer, and Ice-T. "Because I loved it," she explained. "And then I got to do all this other stuff, and that’s why I don’t think about leaving right now."
Hargitay learned that remaining on the police procedural allowed her to take on side ventures. "Do I want to quit now? No," she said. "Why? I made a movie while shooting; I did a play for six weeks on hiatus. I’m hosting the Emmys." She starred in Every Brilliant Things on Broadway and noted: "Next summer, if I don’t make another movie, I’ll probably do another play. And I love it! After I made my film, it was unleashed. Something got unleashed, or broken open, or freed."
Hargitay is set to make history on Sept. 14, 2026, at the 78th Emmy Awards in Los Angeles as the first woman to emcee the ceremony in 15 years, coinciding with NBC's 100th anniversary year. "Bringing important stories into the light has been the heartbeat of my career," she said in a July 7 press release. "It's my great honor to host the 78th Emmy Awards - in the 100th birthday year of my beloved NBC - and celebrate this extraordinary community of storytellers."
"Whether it's an actor or a director, a costumer or a sound designer, we are all so privileged to take part in creating television that unites us," Hargitay added. "Regardless of how, where or when we watch, we are together in our laughter, our tears, our love of stories - and our delighted anticipation to see what happens next."
Departures across Law & Order and Chicago dramas
While Hargitay remains on Special Victims Unit, other actors across the NBC franchise have announced departures. Reid Scott, who played Detective Vincent Riley for three seasons, will exit Law & Order during its upcoming 26th season in fall 2026. Mehcad Brooks left Law & Order ahead of season 25 in 2025 after portraying Detective Jalen Shaw for three seasons.
In the OneChicago franchise, Joe Miñoso is leaving Chicago Fire during its upcoming 15th season after starring as firefighter Joe Cruz since the show's 2012 debut. LaRoyce Hawkins, who has played Officer Kevin Atwater on Chicago P.D. since 2014, will depart after 13 seasons, appearing in initial episodes of season 14 to wrap his story. Original cast member Jesse Lee Soffer previously left Chicago P.D. in October 2022 after 10 seasons as Detective Jay Halstead, stating: "To create this hour drama week after week has been a labor of love by everyone who touches the show. I will always be proud of my time as Det. Jay Halstead."
Exits from major streaming and network dramas
In HBO's Game of Thrones spinoff House of the Dragon, Fabien Frankel's character Ser Criston Cole was killed in the Riverlands during the July 26, 2026 episode. On Paramount+, Zach Gilford will not return for season 20 of Criminal Minds: Evolution after the July 23 season 19 finale saw his character Elias Voit imprisoned for a murder he took the blame for. "It was hard to say goodbye," Gilford told Us Weekly. "It definitely was one of my favorite characters I’ve ever gotten to play and partially because what a gift. Every season I got to do a different side of this character. It wasn’t like I was just doing the same thing every year."
HBO Max medical drama The Pitt will see two departures. Supriya Ganesh will not return as Dr. Samira Mohan for season three, with her character taking a residency program at another medical center. Tracy Ifeachor walked away after season one, posting on Instagram: "It was an absolute privilege to play Dr. Heather Collins in such a groundbreaking season and piece. Thank you to everyone who has watched & supported Season 1 & shared their stories with me." Meanwhile, Kevin Costner confirmed in June 2024 that he would not return to finish out season five of Yellowstone after playing John Dutton for four and a half seasons.
Pedro Pascal's character Joel Miller was impaled in an April 2025 episode of HBO's The Last of Us season two, mirroring the 2020 video game source material. Pascal, who previously died on screen in Game of Thrones and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, joked to Entertainment Weekly: "I get killed a lot. I like to die." On Netflix's The Witcher, Henry Cavill stepped away from his role as Geralt of Rivia after season three, with Liam Hemsworth taking over for season four. Cavill wrote on Instagram: "My journey as Geralt of Rivia has been filled with both monsters and adventures. Alas, I will be laying down my medallion and my swords for Season 4."
High-profile departures from long-running network series
CBS procedural NCIS killed off Director Leon Vance, played by Rocky Carroll, in a March 2026 shooting with a corrupt agent during the show's 500th episode, 18 years after Carroll joined in season five. Vance was shown welcomed to heaven by late Chief Medical Examiner Donald "Ducky" Mallard, played by Adam Campbell. On Grey's Anatomy, Kevin McKidd and Kim Raver departed as Dr. Owen Hunt and Dr. Teddy Altman in the season 22 finale on May 7, 2026, after nearly 20 years. Ellen Pompeo stepped back from her regular role as Meredith Grey in February 2023 after 19 years, telling The Drew Barrymore Show: "I gotta mix it up a little bit. I'm 53, my brain is like scrambled eggs. I gotta do something new."
Peter Krause ended his eight-year run as Los Angeles Fire Department Captain Bobby Nash on ABC's 9-1-1 in an April 2025 episode. Krause stated: "Bobby Nash was written in sacrifice, and he was built for this. First responders risk their lives on the job so that others can see another day." Showrunner Tim Minear noted to Variety that "after eight years, it just felt like, if we have any hope of creating stories going forward that have actual stakes, then someone's got to die." On ABC's The Rookie, Bridget Regan exited in April 2026 after four seasons when corrupt lawyer Monica Stevens died. "She's escaped multiple assassinations," Regan told TV Insider, "and prison time and being thrown in a woodchipper," adding she was "filled with gratitude."
In the August 2026 finale of Wizards Beyond Waverly Place, Gregg Sulkin's character Mason Greyback returned as a ghost, revealing he had died and telling Alex Russo (Selena Gomez): "You have a whole other life, Alex. You got married. You have a beautiful daughter. And she needs you. That’s the life that you’re meant to live. You have to go back." On soap opera General Hospital, Sofia Mattsson departed in summer 2025 after seven years playing Sasha Gilmore, whose character moved to Paris.
Exits across comedy and reality shows
Bravo reality series Summer House saw double exits following season 10. West Wilson walked away in June 2026 weeks before season 11 filming after a secret romance with Amanda Batula impacted the cast dynamics. Batula, a main cast member since season two, also chose not to return for season 11. Previously, Paige DeSorbo left Summer House in June 2025 after seven seasons, sharing on Instagram that "it's time for this chapter to close." On Hulu, Whitney Leavitt announced season five of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives will be her last as she pursues Broadway roles in Chicago and other projects.
Jenna Lyons announced on Instagram on Nov. 21 that she will not return for season 16 of The Real Housewives of New York City, noting that being a supporting cast member was not for her as "the oldest and only openly gay woman on the show." Chrishell Stause announced her departure from Netflix's Selling Sunset after nine seasons, citing mental health. On Bravo's The Valley, Jax Taylor departed ahead of season three in July 2025 amid a divorce from Brittany Cartwright, stating he needed to focus on "sobriety, my mental health, and coparenting."
NBC's Saturday Night Live saw five cast departures ahead of season 51. Michael Longfellow and Devon Walker left after three seasons, Emil Wakim after one season, while long-time cast members Heidi Gardner and Ego Nwodim exited after eight and seven seasons respectively. On Netflix, Camille Razat confirmed in April 2025 she will not return for season five of Emily in Paris. On Max, Reneé Rapp departed The Sex Lives of College Girls before season three to focus on music, with co-creator Mindy Kaling expressing support on social media.
