There's been a lot of speculation over the years about how Law & Order: SVU will bid farewell to Mariska Hargitay and her iconic character Olivia Benson. The actress has shared how she envisions her story unfolding when it's time to say goodbye.

The long-running police procedural, which launched its record 26th season this fall, has starred Hargitay as Olivia Benson since the show premiered on NBC in late 1999. Peter Scanavino, who plays ADA Dominick Carisi Jr., has been a series regular on SVU since 2013.

Born Mariska Magdolna Hargitay on January 23rd, 1964 in Santa Monica, California, Mariska is the daughter of former Mr. Universe actor and bodybuilder Mickey Hargitay and 1950s actress Jayne Mansfield.

SVU has showcased countless stars over more than two decades on NBC. Currently, the series features a reduced original cast, and fans witness the evolving relationships between its characters, while Ice-T reveals what it's really like to work with Mariska Hargitay on set.

Peter Scanavino's character, Assistant District Attorney Dominick "Sonny" Carisi, wed Kelli Giddish's Detective Amanda Rollins in season 24