Story perspectives

Mariska Hargitay, Jamie Lee Curtis Reunite, Promote Female Leadership

6/15/2026

Summary

Hargitay, Curtis Reconnect

In 2023 Mariska Hargitay and Jamie Lee Curtis reconnected and formed a friendship after discovering they were childhood next-door neighbors.
Actress Amy Landecker reintroduced them at the Beverly Hills Hotel while Hargitay filmed her HBO documentary My Mom Jayne, prompting a phone call.
They emphasized female leadership, with Hargitay noting SVU’s new showrunner Michele Fazekas and director Brenna Malloy, and Curtis citing her producer role on Scarpetta starring Nicole Kidman.

Summary

SVU Names Female

Law & Order: SVU appointed its first female showrunner, a historic breakthrough for the series.
Actress Mariska Hargitay, described as the series’ heartbeat, uses her role to advocate for women who have suffered abuse.
She calls the new leadership a ‘sisterhood of caring’ that links women’s collaboration to the show’s humanitarian mission.
Commentary notes that women remain rarely placed in top creative positions across major television productions.

History

Historical Context

Barbara Corday broke ground in 1978 when NBC’s *The Bionic Woman*—a three-season, 37-episode series—named her the first woman to run a prime-time drama. Decades later, Law & Order: SVU appointed Michele Fazekas as its inaugural female showrunner, echoing Corday’s trail-blazing role and signaling a broader shift toward women leading major TV franchises across the television industry.

1 of 3

Hargitay, Curtis Reconnect

In 2023 Mariska Hargitay and Jamie Lee Curtis reconnected and formed a friendship after discovering they were childhood next-door neighbors.
Actress Amy Landecker reintroduced them at the Beverly Hills Hotel while Hargitay filmed her HBO documentary My Mom Jayne, prompting a phone call.
They emphasized female leadership, with Hargitay noting SVU’s new showrunner Michele Fazekas and director Brenna Malloy, and Curtis citing her producer role on Scarpetta starring Nicole Kidman.

1 / 3