Ice T joined Law & Order: SVU at 42 — recurring role turned decades-long run

Ice T joined Law & Order: Special Victims Unit in 2000 at 42 years old, making his debut as Sergeant Fin Tutuola in the Season 2 premiere "Wrong Is Right."

The role was originally intended as a short, recurring part, but Ice T said at his 2022 Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony that "four episodes turned into 24 years." The article notes his character has been a mainstay as SVU has run for many seasons.

Before SVU, Ice T rose to fame as a pioneering rapper who helped popularize gangsta rap with singles like "6 'N the Mornin'" and "O.G. Original Gangster," and later fronted the heavy metal band Body Count. He also appeared in films such as New Jack City and Ricochet (1991) and had recurring TV roles on New York Undercover and Players.

On Late Night with Seth Meyers in November 2022, Ice T discussed the financial upside of the show, saying he initially didn’t understand residuals and noting, "You don’t make residuals from movies unless you’re, like, Brad Pitt or somebody." He has said he was prepared to stay on SVU as long as possible, and told ET, "You’ve gotta be on the show that stays on the longest."

The article highlights that Ice T has become one of the longest-running actors on television (an honor he shares with Mariska Hargitay) and that Fin continues on current SVU seasons. Law & Order: SVU airs Thursdays at 9/8c on NBC and the next day on Peacock.

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