Ice-T Reveals Why He Hasn’t Been On Law And Order: SVU Much Lately, And It Hurts In Light Of All The New Cast Members

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The popular show Law & Order: SVU is currently on a winter break following its fall finale in late November. While the episode featured most of the main cast, veteran actor Ice-T (who plays Fin Tutuola) was missing. The show explained his character was dealing with a difficult situation, but Ice-T recently shared the real reason for his limited appearances this season. Although not unexpected, many dedicated fans are disappointed to see him absent, especially with new actors joining the show.

Ice-T recently explained to TMZ why he’s been missing from the last couple of episodes of SVU, even though he’s been with the show longer than almost anyone else – he’s the second longest-running cast member in the entire franchise.

It all comes down to business decisions. They decided to bring Kelli Giddish back, but financially, they couldn’t afford to keep both her and me on full-time. So, they’ve asked me to appear on the show intermittently this year. Everyone wanted Kelli to return, and with the addition of new cast members, I’m still committed to the show and focused on getting to Season 28. This year, I’ll just be working on fewer episodes.

Viewers were thrilled earlier this year when Kelli Giddish was announced to return as a full-time cast member, after only appearing in a few episodes following her departure in Season 24. There was no suggestion then that her return would mean less screen time for Ice-T. Ice-T’s recent statements are similar to what he said to encourage fans and express optimism for Season 28, and he explained why he’s okay with potentially being in fewer episodes.

Honestly, I was doing great, and I totally got what was happening. I even asked if they were planning on letting me go, and they were adamant – they said they couldn’t picture ‘Law & Order’ without me! After 27 years with the show, I’m not about to say anything bad about it. They’ve been so good to me for so long, and all I want now is to make it to Season 28.

I agree with the producers of Law & Order: SVU that it’s difficult to picture the Law & Order series without Ice-T playing Fin. I’ve always believed he was one of the safest characters from being written off the show, second only to Mariska Hargitay. Ice-T also mentioned that having fewer scenes on SVU has allowed him to pursue other work. He went on to explain:

I understand fans are disappointed, but honestly, it’s a little reassuring to know they’re paying attention. It would be worse if nobody noticed I was gone! The fact that people are still interested in seeing more of my character is a good sign. You can expect me to pop up throughout the season, though not necessarily in every episode.

I’m disappointed to see Fin leave the show due to budget cuts. While I understand Mariska Hargitay wasn’t going anywhere, and Kelli Giddish’s departure was likely a financial decision, Ice-T’s comments still sting. It feels unfair that Season 27 could afford to add new characters like Detective Jake Griffin (Corey Cott), ADA CJ Jones (Norma Kuhling from Chicago Med), and Chief Tynan (Noma Dumezweni), and also make Aimé Donna Kelly a series regular as Captain Renee Curry, while Fin was cut.

While ADA Jones hasn’t been on the show enough to feel like a permanent partner for Carisi – similar to Price and Maroun on the original Law & Order – Aimé Donna Kelly has definitely earned a more regular role, and I really enjoy the interactions between Chief Tynan and Olivia Benson, so it’s hard to complain too much. It’s just disappointing to see Fin Tutuola appear less often.

According to Deadline, both Ice-T (Fin) and Kelli Giddish (Rollins) will be in over half of the 22 episodes of Season 27, with roughly the same number of appearances each. This suggests fans will see more of Fin on TV in 2026 and less of Rollins. Both characters will also be featured in the upcoming crossover event with Law & Order.

New episodes of Law & Order: SVU are back on Thursday, January 8th at 9 p.m. Eastern Time, right after the premiere of Law & Order at 8 p.m. Eastern Time. While you wait, you can rewatch past seasons on Peacock or Hulu.

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2025-11-25 05:41