Ice-T has no plans to leave "Law & Order: SVU," telling Variety he views his 25-season run on the NBC drama as "a good treadmill, and I want to stay on it." The 67-year-old actor has played Detective Odafin "Fin" Tutuola since 2000, appearing in more than 500 episodes — the longest continuous run of any cast member in the franchise's history.
His comments come as "SVU" heads toward its 27th season, which would tie "Gunsmoke" as the longest-running live-action primetime drama in American television history. NBC has not yet announced a renewal decision for the 2025-26 season, but the show remains one of the network's most-watched scripted programs, regularly drawing north of 4 million same-night viewers.
Ice-T joined the cast in the show's second season, replacing Richard Belzer's John Munch as the squad's veteran detective. He has outlasted every original cast member, including Christopher Meloni, who left in 2011 after 12 seasons, and Mariska Hargitay remains the only actor with a longer tenure in the lead role of Captain Olivia Benson.
The rapper-turned-actor said the job's steady schedule and the show's cultural footprint are what keep him committed. "I'm on a good treadmill, and I want to stay on it," he said, framing the role as both a creative home and a reliable platform after a music career that began with 1987's "Rhyme Pays."
"SVU" has run for 26 seasons and 570-plus episodes since its 1999 premiere, and syndication deals keep the series in near-constant rotation on cable and streaming. The show's ripped-from-the-headlines format has made it a fixture of network television well past the typical lifespan of a primetime drama, which averages four to five seasons, according to industry tracking data.
Ice-T has also branched out during his tenure, hosting the documentary series "Ice Cold Gold" and appearing in films including "New Jack City" and "Ricochet." He has said in past interviews that he treats acting as a craft rather than a side project, a posture that has kept him employed on the same set for a quarter century.
NBC has not commented on casting for a potential 27th season. Hargitay, who has led the series since its first episode, signed a multi-year deal in 2024 that keeps her attached through at least the 2026 season.
