Mariska Hargitay opened the 2025 Emmy Awards with a monologue that defied expectations, proving that sometimes the best advice is to ignore it entirely. When considering the hosting gig, she admitted, “I got two pieces of advice: ‘Number one, don’t do it, and number two, whatever you do, don’t go for sincerity.’ I clearly ignored the first, so please join me as I ignore the second.”
She celebrated storytelling as a timeless human tradition, tracing its roots back to ancient times. But just as she began to touch on “that indescribable feeling that we get when the lights begin to dim,” Nicole Kidman unexpectedly interjected, “That’s my bit.” The moment pivoted when Hargitay recognized it as Kidman’s AMC commercial script, prompting a playful exchange: “Zip it, movie lady, it’s TV’s turn tonight.”
Hargitay’s monologue also leaned into her 27-year run as Olivia Benson on *Law & Order: Special Victims Unit*. She joked about never having a “finale,” struggling to pronounce the word, and teased *Law & Order* executive Dick Wolf’s “real” name—“Richard Penis.”
Breaking new ground, Hargitay became the first woman to host the Emmys since Jane Lynch in 2011, and the first *SVU* star to helm the ceremony. Despite her dramatic résumé, she has deep comedic roots as a former Groundlings performer and early roles on *Seinfeld* and *Ellen*. In a recent interview, she revealed she mined decades of Emmy history and even polled strangers on vacation for material, crafting what she called a “tight five.”
“The night is about celebrating this incredible thing we get to do—to tell stories that move people, entertain them, make them laugh and cry,” Hargitay said. “Humor and laughter are deep, vital, indispensable parts of who I am.”
