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Mariska Hargitay Talks Hosting Saturday Night Live: I'm Funnier Than You Think!

Law & Order: SVU star would love to make you laugh—a lot!

By Marc Malkin Mar 06, 2012 11:00 PMTags
Mariska HargitayKevork Djansezian/Getty Images

Listen up, Saturday Night Live!

We think it's time you let Mariska Hargitay host!

As we first told you last month, Hargitay's Law & Order: SVU costar Ice-T has started an informal campaign to land her the coveted gig. We even started a Twitter campaign (#mariska4SNL) to help him out.

But does TV's toughest-ass detective even want to do it?

"My real personality is more Saturday Night Live than Olivia Benson," Hargitay said Sunday at a benefit for her Joyful Heart Foundation at the House of Blues in West Hollywood. "Ice is always like 'Damn, I don't know how you got on this show. You should be on SNL.' So they always talk about it on set."

Hargitay refuses to get her hopes up too high. "I did want [to host] for a long time," she admitted. "You know, if I do it, great. If I don't, I'm fine. It's such a compliment that my coworkers even think that I would be worthy enough."

Well, we think so, too!

In much more serious business, Hargitay created the Joyful Heart Foundation eight years ago to raise awareness around the issues of sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse.

This weekend's event honored legendary baseball manager Joe Torre.

"To see a man—the strongest man, the most macho man, and I use that in the best way—to see him take a stand and say, 'Enough is enough'...that will make other men stand up," Hargitay said. "It will change lives."

Among her celeb friends who attended were Jodie Foster, her L&O costars Danny Pino and Diane Neal, Sandra Oh, Kim Raver, Christine Lahti and Greg Kinnear.

(NBC and E! are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)