Law & Order: Special Victims Unit star Aimé Donna Kelly has gotten some really good career advice from the “queen of television,” Mariska Hargitay.
“Anytime she’s on set, I’m asking advice about not only the work that we’re doing, but how do you handle all of this? How do you move forward so gracefully and graciously?” Kelly told Us Weekly exclusively while promoting the NBC show’s 27th season. “Even if it’s not blunt questions like that, just being able to watch her move through space is so awesome. It’s like a masterclass in itself.”
Kelly shared that “trust your power” is the best piece of advice she’s gotten from Hargitay, 61, over the years.
“It’s so nice to hear that. It reminds me of what my grandmother and what my mom tell me,” Kelly said. “So to have that on set, it’s like, that’s right, I just have to listen to that.”
The actress told Us that Hargitay is “always right there” when you need her on set. “She always knows what — and this is with everyone — we all need to hear right to get to that moment.”
Kelly made her SVU debut as Internal Affairs Bureau (IAB) officer Captain Renee Curry during season 22. She transferred to SVU during season 25.
Fans are getting a chance to watch Kelly’s character continue to find her footing with the SVU squad in season 27 — especially after the actress was upped to a series regular and “happy” cried when hearing the news.
“It’s so emotional on so many levels. I’m very lucky that I started the show as a guest star. So I know the squad, I know these people, I know the crew, I know the set,” Kelly shared. “It feels very much like home, but to get that bump, I don’t even know how to describe it. It feels like you’ve been accepted by this family that you’ve wanted to be a part of for so long.”
As the season goes on, Kelly teased that her character still gets some “side eye” from members of the team because of her IAB past.
“She policed the police. She was the one making sure that everyone was doing everything by the book,” Kelly explained. “There’s a certain amount of pride that comes with that, but then, obviously, on the other side, folks want to be able to do their job and get the result that they want to get.”
There might always be “a little friction” between Curry and some of the SVU team, but the officer has come a long way.
“What’s beautiful about how Curry’s journey has come to be over the past couple of seasons, is she’s also learning from them. I think the rest of the squad sees that,” Kelly added. “She’s understanding that there is a different way to police. You can lead with empathy. You can lead with hearing the other person’s side of the story first, instead of always coming with the facts.”
Law & Order: SVU premieres new episodes on NBC Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET.
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