Photo: Taylor Hill/Getty, Paul Archuleta/GettyBradley Whitfordis singingMariska Hargitay’spraises.The West Wingalum, 63, is set to appear in Thursday night’s episode ofLaw & Order: Special Victims Unitas a man suffering from dementia while also under investigation for killing his wife. Titled “King of the Moon,” the episode saw Hargitay pulling double-duty as both actoranddirector.“Everybody loves Mariska,” Whitford exclusively tells PEOPLE, “and for a very good reason. She takes the work really seriously and just does not take herself seriously at all. I wish the fans of the show could see her working.“Will Hart/NBCWhile there’s no doubt the fans wish they could watch their favorite star work, too, Whitford provides a bit of insight into the environment Hargitay, 59, creates on set for all of those who can’t experience it themselves.“Mariska is notorious for her ability to make people feel welcome and create an atmosphere where everybody can do their best. I know a number of actors, including my wife [Amy Landecker], who did guest shots on that show,” he notes. “Mariska would pull them aside. She’s very loving, very supportive. She’s notorious for that — and, unfortunately, unique in that.“Peter Kramer/NBC"King of the Moon” is not the first time theactress has stepped behind the camera, either: Hargitay — who is thenew face of a Stuart Weitzman x KidSuper shoe campaign— has directed seven previous episodes of the long-running series starting with season 15’s “Criminal Stories” back in 2014.But this week’s episode marks the first time Hargitay — who affectionately hashtags her directing-related Instagram posts #CecilBHargitay in honor of famed directorCecil B. DeMille— has been back in the director’s chair in three years.“I think it’s really important for extraordinarily talented actors to not feel limited in their capacity to do things beyond acting,” says Whitford. “Because the older I get, the more I find that really great actors, those same skills transfer into a lot of other areas that, for even decades, actors think they’re not capable of.“The 15th episode of season 24 also marks a departure fromSVU’s standard storytelling structure, incorporating flashbacks and an atypically whimsical ending.“When I got a sense of what this episode was, I wanted to support Mariska directing. Specifically on this, I knew it meant a lot to her because there was a big, creative risk,” he says. “When you’re shooting it, you’re worried,Are they going to allow us to do this touch of magical realism in there? Will they? Will we have built up a strong enough emotional structure to sustain this?That was the challenge of this, and I knew she really wanted to do it, and I was thrilled.“Peter Kramer/NBCAnd Whitford — who is the recipient of three Emmy and twoSAG Awardsfor work onThe West Wing,TransparentandThe Handmaid’s Tale— hopes the “extraordinarily talented” Hargitay doesn’t slow down any time soon.“I want her to direct a lot. She’s really good at it,” he says.Will Hart/NBCHargitay is a true multi-hyphenate in her own right as a seasoned actor, director andSVUexecutive producer. She also proudly claims the title of the longest-running, primetime character in history for her portrayal of Olivia Benson since the show premiered in 1999.“The other thing about someone like Mariska is, there are people who get lucky in show business, who make the mistake of thinking they deserve it. A lot of people deserve it,” he says, “but without Mariska … a show like this wouldn’t work without [her] decade after decade. It’s amazing.“Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Law & Order: Special Victims Unitairs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET
Photo: Taylor Hill/Getty, Paul Archuleta/Getty
Bradley Whitfordis singingMariska Hargitay’spraises.The West Wingalum, 63, is set to appear in Thursday night’s episode ofLaw & Order: Special Victims Unitas a man suffering from dementia while also under investigation for killing his wife. Titled “King of the Moon,” the episode saw Hargitay pulling double-duty as both actoranddirector.“Everybody loves Mariska,” Whitford exclusively tells PEOPLE, “and for a very good reason. She takes the work really seriously and just does not take herself seriously at all. I wish the fans of the show could see her working.“Will Hart/NBCWhile there’s no doubt the fans wish they could watch their favorite star work, too, Whitford provides a bit of insight into the environment Hargitay, 59, creates on set for all of those who can’t experience it themselves.“Mariska is notorious for her ability to make people feel welcome and create an atmosphere where everybody can do their best. I know a number of actors, including my wife [Amy Landecker], who did guest shots on that show,” he notes. “Mariska would pull them aside. She’s very loving, very supportive. She’s notorious for that — and, unfortunately, unique in that.“Peter Kramer/NBC"King of the Moon” is not the first time theactress has stepped behind the camera, either: Hargitay — who is thenew face of a Stuart Weitzman x KidSuper shoe campaign— has directed seven previous episodes of the long-running series starting with season 15’s “Criminal Stories” back in 2014.But this week’s episode marks the first time Hargitay — who affectionately hashtags her directing-related Instagram posts #CecilBHargitay in honor of famed directorCecil B. DeMille— has been back in the director’s chair in three years.“I think it’s really important for extraordinarily talented actors to not feel limited in their capacity to do things beyond acting,” says Whitford. “Because the older I get, the more I find that really great actors, those same skills transfer into a lot of other areas that, for even decades, actors think they’re not capable of.“The 15th episode of season 24 also marks a departure fromSVU’s standard storytelling structure, incorporating flashbacks and an atypically whimsical ending.“When I got a sense of what this episode was, I wanted to support Mariska directing. Specifically on this, I knew it meant a lot to her because there was a big, creative risk,” he says. “When you’re shooting it, you’re worried,Are they going to allow us to do this touch of magical realism in there? Will they? Will we have built up a strong enough emotional structure to sustain this?That was the challenge of this, and I knew she really wanted to do it, and I was thrilled.“Peter Kramer/NBCAnd Whitford — who is the recipient of three Emmy and twoSAG Awardsfor work onThe West Wing,TransparentandThe Handmaid’s Tale— hopes the “extraordinarily talented” Hargitay doesn’t slow down any time soon.“I want her to direct a lot. She’s really good at it,” he says.Will Hart/NBCHargitay is a true multi-hyphenate in her own right as a seasoned actor, director andSVUexecutive producer. She also proudly claims the title of the longest-running, primetime character in history for her portrayal of Olivia Benson since the show premiered in 1999.“The other thing about someone like Mariska is, there are people who get lucky in show business, who make the mistake of thinking they deserve it. A lot of people deserve it,” he says, “but without Mariska … a show like this wouldn’t work without [her] decade after decade. It’s amazing.“Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Law & Order: Special Victims Unitairs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET
Bradley Whitfordis singingMariska Hargitay’spraises.
The West Wingalum, 63, is set to appear in Thursday night’s episode ofLaw & Order: Special Victims Unitas a man suffering from dementia while also under investigation for killing his wife. Titled “King of the Moon,” the episode saw Hargitay pulling double-duty as both actoranddirector.
“Everybody loves Mariska,” Whitford exclusively tells PEOPLE, “and for a very good reason. She takes the work really seriously and just does not take herself seriously at all. I wish the fans of the show could see her working.”
Will Hart/NBC
While there’s no doubt the fans wish they could watch their favorite star work, too, Whitford provides a bit of insight into the environment Hargitay, 59, creates on set for all of those who can’t experience it themselves.
“Mariska is notorious for her ability to make people feel welcome and create an atmosphere where everybody can do their best. I know a number of actors, including my wife [Amy Landecker], who did guest shots on that show,” he notes. “Mariska would pull them aside. She’s very loving, very supportive. She’s notorious for that — and, unfortunately, unique in that.”
Peter Kramer/NBC
“King of the Moon” is not the first time theactress has stepped behind the camera, either: Hargitay — who is thenew face of a Stuart Weitzman x KidSuper shoe campaign— has directed seven previous episodes of the long-running series starting with season 15’s “Criminal Stories” back in 2014.
But this week’s episode marks the first time Hargitay — who affectionately hashtags her directing-related Instagram posts #CecilBHargitay in honor of famed directorCecil B. DeMille— has been back in the director’s chair in three years.
“I think it’s really important for extraordinarily talented actors to not feel limited in their capacity to do things beyond acting,” says Whitford. “Because the older I get, the more I find that really great actors, those same skills transfer into a lot of other areas that, for even decades, actors think they’re not capable of.”
The 15th episode of season 24 also marks a departure fromSVU’s standard storytelling structure, incorporating flashbacks and an atypically whimsical ending.
“When I got a sense of what this episode was, I wanted to support Mariska directing. Specifically on this, I knew it meant a lot to her because there was a big, creative risk,” he says. “When you’re shooting it, you’re worried,Are they going to allow us to do this touch of magical realism in there? Will they? Will we have built up a strong enough emotional structure to sustain this?That was the challenge of this, and I knew she really wanted to do it, and I was thrilled.”
And Whitford — who is the recipient of three Emmy and twoSAG Awardsfor work onThe West Wing,TransparentandThe Handmaid’s Tale— hopes the “extraordinarily talented” Hargitay doesn’t slow down any time soon.
“I want her to direct a lot. She’s really good at it,” he says.
Hargitay is a true multi-hyphenate in her own right as a seasoned actor, director andSVUexecutive producer. She also proudly claims the title of the longest-running, primetime character in history for her portrayal of Olivia Benson since the show premiered in 1999.
“The other thing about someone like Mariska is, there are people who get lucky in show business, who make the mistake of thinking they deserve it. A lot of people deserve it,” he says, “but without Mariska … a show like this wouldn’t work without [her] decade after decade. It’s amazing.”
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unitairs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET
source: people.com
