Law & Order: SVU has been on for almost 20 years now and is showing no signs of slowing down. The show has totally captivated audiences with episodes that deal with truly uncomfortable situations, but it has also shined a spotlight on some of the issues that surround sexual assault and crimes against the world's most vulnerable people. Some episodes are hard to watch. The subject matter really hits some of us to the core, but that is what makes the show so great. There are a ton of things that also go on behind the scenes. Here are eight facts that you probably did not know about the show.
Eight Facts About Law & Order: Special Victims Unit That Most People Do Not Know
By
Missy aka Tizzy in
Entertainment
On 26th January 2018
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The "Voice" of SVU is actually a former politician.
The haunting voice that introduces every show belongs to Steve Zirnkilton. He was first hired to play a small role in Law & Order. He was in the pilot episode, which is the only episode that he did not do the intro for. The show's creator loved his voice so much that he was hired to do the intro for each episode. This break also landing him appearances on Family Guy and Rugrats Movie. He was also a Republican member of Maine's House of Representatives for eight years.
"Special Victims Unit" wasn't the first choice for the show's title.
The show's working title was Sex Crimes, but the network had issues thinking the title would make the audience uncomfortable and could cost the show a major loss in advertising. Special Victims Unit sounded much smoother and more inclusive.
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Mariska Hargitay has taken her TV role to heart.
Mariska Hargitay is a trained rape crisis counselor in real life. After working on the show for some time, she realized that the system surrounding these kinds of crimes and the support for victims was a total mess. She even founded the Joyful Heart Foundation back in 2004 that helps survivors of sexual assault, child abuse, and domestic violence.
Ice-T really connected with the cast.
The former rapper, Ice-T, was originally cast to just do four episodes. He was supposed to be a fill in for a character that left the show, but he did so well and got along brilliantly with the cast. They ended up deciding to keep him on for the long haul.
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A celebrity pet is named after Detective Olivia Benson.
Taylor Swift announced on her Instagram account back in 2014 that she named her new kitten Olivia Benson after the SVU character.
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Mariska Hargitay is a distinguished linguist.
Besides being an amazing actress and human being, Hargitay is also a well-educated woman. She is fluent in five languages, English, Spanish, French, Italian, and Hungarian.
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Several Oscar-winning actors and actresses have made guest appearances on the show.
Seeing big stars making an appearance on SVU is nothing new. Some of the more well-known stars that have been on the show include several Oscar winners. This list includes Jeremy Irons, Marcia Gay Harden, Robin Williams, Whoopi Goldberg, Marlee Matlin, Angela Lansbury, Olympia Dukakis, and Ellen Burstyn.
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Not everyone is a fan of the show.
Since SVU covers a lot of topics that are hot in the media and on social media. They use these for inspiration and because of this, several different groups have tried to stop them from using that kind of inspiration for their episodes. Two organizations that have spoken out against some of the show's subject matter is the Catholic Church and the NFL.
