This iconic Law & Order: SVU star was only supposed to be in four episodes

Law & Order: SVU is nothing if not long-lasting. The procedural drama is currently on its 26th season, making it the longest-running live-action TV series in American history. You don't get to nearly three decades of dominance without a reliable stable of actors, but one of SVU's most recognizable faces was almost axed after four episodes.

Ice-T was introduced Sergeant Odafin "Fin" Tutuola in Law & Order: SVU season 2. He was originally hired on to appear in four episodes, in what would have amounted to a glorified cameo, but the show writers and producers quickly took notice of Ice-T's chemistry with the rest of the cast.

Ice-T's chemistry with the cast impressed producers

NBC claims that the SVU team was particularly pleased with the camaraderie between Ice-T's Fin and Richard Belzer's Detective John Munch. Ice-T reflected on this good turn of fortune during a speech at his Hollywood Walk of Fame induction ceremony in 2022. "Four episodes turned into 24 years," he noted.

The former rapper has not hit pay dirt as the hard-nosed Fin, but he's made television history in the process. He's been on Law & Order: SVU for 24 years, which is the longest tenure of any male actor in the history of live-action shows. The only person who has more years logged than him is his female co-star, Mariska Hargitay.

Ice-T reflected on this staggering achievement during an interview with Entertainment Tonight. He spoke glowingly about his time on the show and the pride his has in his character's longevity. "You've gotta be on the show that stays on the longest," he explained. "[Law and Order] is the longest-running show, so to get that title you have to be on -- it's all consecutive... It has never been done."

Ice-T has no plans of leaving the show

Any discussion about Ice-T's longevity on the show will invariably question his plans for the future. Will he plan to stick around? Or does he want to hang up the gun and badge and some point? Well, the "Colors" hitmaker discussed this very topic during an Entertainment Weekly chat.

He plans to stick around for as long as Hargitay does. As far as he's concerned, its a partnership until the end. "I’m staying," he assured the fans. "I’m with her for the rest of the way out. People always ask, ‘What are you doing?’ I say, ‘I’m here with Mariska. That’s it. When she’s out of here." We can't wait to see how long these two wind up solving cases.