Mariska Hargitay’s dreams of a Jalen Brunson guest appearance on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” have become a reality.
In August, the actor appeared on TODAY saying she was manifesting a cameo from the New York Knicks captain. Now, fans of the NBC series can watch the basketball player flex his acting muscles in the latest episode.
Brunson plays a character named Detective Madison in an episode titled “Forsaken,” which airs on NBC Nov. 5 at 9 p.m. ET. It will also stream on Peacock the next day.
The Knicks player appears in one scene and assists Olivia Benson (Hargitay) with an investigation. When the two meet at a coffee shop, Benson greets her colleague by saying, “Detective Madison, look at you out of uniform, huh? Congratulations on the promotion.”
Brunson’s response appears to contain a cheeky reference to his team’s recent championship run.
“Thanks captain. Focused on my goals, gave it 110 %. Things worked out,” he says.
“Yeah, they did,” Benson replies.
The two briefly discuss an assault investigation then Benson is on her way as she makes a phone call.
“Thanks Jay, you’re the best,” she says as she pats him on the back.
Hargitay, a die-hard Knicks fan, visited Studio 1A over the summer and hinted at a potential collaboration with Brunson.
“And I’m hoping that we might — don’t tell anyone, but — see (Brunson) on ‘SVU,’” she told TODAY’s Savannah Guthrie.
The following month, the official “Law and Order” Instagram page posted a video of Brunson saying he wanted to “try to get on ‘SVU.’” In the next slide, they shared a photo of the athlete with the cast of the show.
“When the plans finally make it out of the group chat 🤌 Jalen Brunson is officially headed to #SVU!” the caption read.
While promoting the upcoming season premiere of “Law and Order,” the show’s Instagram page posted a photo of Hargitay and Brunson on set and shared the following caption: “Two iconic New York Captains walk onto a set… 📸
Hargitay has spoken about her admiration of Brunson on several occasions, referring to him as a “friend” and calling him “my inspiration” in June while appearing on TODAY with Jenna & Sheinelle.
“He is so singular and magnificent. He’s a magnificent human,” she said.
