“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” star, Mariska Hargitay, admitted she and co-star Chris Meloni set off sparks when they’re together.
Hargitay, who plays the role of Olivia Benson, and Meloni, who stars as Elliot Stabler, stop short of kissing one another in the promotional teaser for season 24, but the famous actress admitted she wanted to lean in to the kiss, during a recent interview with Variety.
“To be honest with you, Chris and I thought it should go one way and the powers that be didn’t, so it got changed at the last minute, that near kiss,” she told the outlet.
“Our chemistry is undeniable,” she said in the interview. “It’s just the way it is.”
Benson and Stabler have danced around a romance for the duration of the long-lasting show, and many fans thought this would finally be the moment that they give in and take their relationship to the next level. Hargitay suggested to Variety she would be ready to dive-in to that scene, and noted Meloni was also on-board, but ultimately, the decision wasn’t theirs to make.
“Obviously Dick gets final say,” she told the outlet. “It’s his show and he didn’t want that.”
“We want to hold the tension,” Hargitay told Variety, “and do what’s right and truthful for both characters.”
It seems fans must wait a bit longer, in anticipation of a kiss that may or may-not happen.
The two got very close to making out in season 24, People reported. There was reportedly a scene with Hargitay’s character pulling back at one point, and saying, “Elliot, I want to — I want to. But I can’t.” (RELATED: Lost Child Mistakes Mariska Hargitay For Real Cop And Seeks Help During Filming Of ‘Law And Order: SVU’: REPORT)
“Elliot, I’m not ready for this, I’m not ready for this,” her character repeated, according to the outlet.